Community garden with wooden houses in a forested area on Bainbridge Island.

Sacred Groves

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Suburban

Founding year

  • 2007

What we do

Sacred Groves is a 10-acre Eco-Village situated on the traditional lands of the Suquamish peoples, on Bainbridge Island. This land hosts our residential community project, and is also an events space open to the wider community.
We offer a variety of ceremonies, circles and classes here at the Groves, inspired by our personal interests, training and gifts. All of them offered with the intention of connecting us to Spirit, opening our hearts, expanding our souls, getting our bodies outdoors on Mother Earth, and sharing authentically with a community of like-minded others. Some topics include grief work, seasonal rituals and celebrations, music/art/dance, nature connection, ancestor work, affinity group circles, work around the sacred feminine, and so much more.
Our residential community shares space together and works to re-weave the fibers of the village. We strive to show up for each other as we work to live a life more in balance with the living earth.

Our Mission

Sacred Groves is a healing ground where people come to feel a sense of community and the sacredness of Mother Earth. Our purpose is to grow a culture of honoring, humility and reverence. We are committed to a way of living that respects and protects the Land and the entire Web of Life now and for the future.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • Activities
  • Experiences

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2007
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2008
  • Started living together
  • 9 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
9

How to join

It involves a series of deepening contacts – starting with emails and written responses to questions, moving to phone call/zoom, then a series of in person meetings.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please reach out before visiting. Not available for drop-ins.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Encouraged or suggested
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Hot tub or hot springs, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • About once a week

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Community activities and engagement

  • Festivals, Conferences, Events

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Religions
  • Buddhist
  • Wiccan, Paganism, or Earth Religions

Gender composition

  • Majority cis (over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a single individual, couple, or Family Trust

Setting

  • Suburban

Residential areas outside city centers but within metropolitan regions.

Community type

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Land area size
    10 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Washington, United States

Promoted Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
3 months ago

House for Sale at Valley Oaks Village Chico, CA

Welcome to 1997 Wild Oak Lane in Chico, CA— a beautifully maintained 4 bedroom/3 bathroom 1,620 SqFt home nestled in an established Cohousing community. Step inside to discover a spacious open floor plan, which bamboo flooring, and generous natural lighting. The downstairs offers a bedroom, and bathroom off the main living room. The spacious dining room and kitchen has quartz countertop overlay and will lead you out to a bonus 11×12 fully enclosed porch. The upstairs provides laundry hookups, 2 additional bedrooms, including a large loft, and a bathroom with a jacuzzi tub.. The spacious main bedroom features an en suite bathroom and ample closet space. The back patio has low maintenance patio pavers, a new 6’x8′ shed along with a 220V Level 2 EV charger. See listing on Zillow.com COHOUSING DESCRIPTION – chicocohousing.org Valley Oaks Village was designed using the Cohousing model, built in 1996 with 28 homes on about 5 acres. We have numerous shared amenities, such as a large community building (“Common House”) with a kitchen, multipurpose dining room, lounge with wood stove, guest rooms, rec room, laundry, as well as a pool and sauna. Other shared amenities include a workshop/arts and crafts room, bike sheds, large grassy lawn, playground, pond, gardens and orchards. The neighborhood was designed to promote interactions between residents with picturesque pathways, benches and gathering areas. Valley Oaks Village is right next to Bidwell Park and Big Chico Creek with its running, hiking, horseback riding and park trails with a bike path to either downtown and Chico State University or upper Bidwell Park. Price- $470,000
Offer
Offer
  • Marketplace
6 years ago

Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves Books for Sale

Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves, Charles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant introduce Cohousing with stories and pictures of both Danish and American communities. Beautiful photographs and line drawings illustrate the warmly written account of how these communities came to be. Specific information on legal and financial aspects of working with developers, group process, and design issues make this book informative as well as inspiring. This is the book which brought Cohousing to North America. This book is the much prized second edition which has become a rarer and somewhat of a collectors item. Its community case studies were not included in the more recent publication. It preceded Creating Cohousing which is widely available. I acquired 25 cases from a local distributor who closed down. If you would like three or more copies for yourself, to share with your friends or to market your group, please let me know. I would love for them to be made useful and find great homes. Books are paperback (hard copy was not an option at the time from the publisher) all brand new, in Oakland (CA) so could be picked in Oakland or mailed to you. I would very much like to recuperate what I paid which is $10 per book. So, If you would like three or more shipped, I will add the postage, packing and handling fees. I have sold several cases (18 books per case) for $150 per case ($8 per book). I have a little wiggle room on the pricing. Please let me know if you are interested. Use the Send Message button on this page.
Need
  • Forming Communities
6 months ago

True North CoHousing Community Seeking Founders

True North is a small, women-centered intentional community where self-directed, purposeful women share space, resources, and genuine commitment to each other’s wellbeing. We are building something that is greater than the sum of its parts — a life that is richer, more secure, and more meaningful because we are living it together. Our Vision A community where no one falls through the cracks. Where aging is something we navigate together rather than alone. Where the people around you notice when you’re struggling, celebrate when you’re thriving, and show up — not because they have to, but because that’s simply who we are to each other. We are building this as a tiny house village — a model we chose deliberately. Many intentional communities require crazy buy-in sums, putting them out of reach for most women navigating life on a single income. We believe that financial accessibility isn’t a compromise — it’s a value. Your home will be yours: as simple or as appointed as fits your life and circumstances, sized right for the life you are living now and the one you are building toward. We live lightly on the land and invest heavily in the relationships that make life worth living. We’re currently forming our founding group — the women who will help shape what this community becomes, where it lands, and how it lives. Not ready to be a founder but feel this in your gut? We want to hear from you too. There’s a place for you here at whatever stage feels right. https://www.truenorthcommunity.info/ jhock2016@proton.me

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