WorldLegacy Ashevillage Institute
Ashevillage Institute in Asheville, NC.
NC120 did an extreme makeover project at Ashevillage Institute in Asheville, NC. An observation deck was built that was 25 ft long x 6ft wide. The deck was constructed from locally harvested black locust lumber. A ~20 ft long x 2 ½ ft wide x 4” deep cement bench was constructed at the bottom of an unfinished retaining wall, which supported the hydro-channel of the rainwater catchment system. An extensive edible arbor and trellis was constructed at the entrance to the backyard. One archway was built over the first step leading up into the yard and was 10ft wide x 8 ft high. A second archway was built to the left of the side door. A 40 foot trellis lead up the yard alongside a brick walkway to another 5 foot wide x 8 foot high archway at the top of the steps. The arbor was constructed from locally harvested black locust wood. An eighth of an acre of the property was covered with over 200 densely abundant, productive, edible, and bio-diverse plants. The landscape integrated a variety of medicinal and edible plants with multiple functions (i.e., nitrogen fixers, dynamic accumulators, and beneficial insect habitat). Clearing, soil amending, plant delivery and placement was part of the project. Utilizing scrap wood and other materials, the team constructed five birdhouses and installed them throughout the property. These birdhouses provided habitat and has added to the beauty and character to the property.
Backyard Solutions for a Sustainable Future
We believe that the cycle of environmental degradation on our planet will be reversed when people feel loved and know that they are truly free. This begins in our local communities where circles of connection between humans, their resources, and the whole web of life are understood and strong. We are committed to building a groundbreaking model for backyard sustainability that will demonstrate the interconnection of all life and teach people creative ways to sustain their families and communities using methods that support a healthy, vibrant, and constantly renewing planet. Not only will the community surrounding the project have access to a beautiful outdoor sanctuary where abundant food and water is produced but people from all over will be able to utilize this “living laboratory” as a way to learn how to bring it home to their neighborhoods.
Imagine doing an extraordinary project in your community that could shift the future of our planet. Here’s the catch. . .it has to be organized in two weeks and implemented in only two days, all of the materials donated, and all of the labor volunteer. Everyone says it is impossible.
On August 2nd & 3rd a group of intrepid leaders from WorldLegacy NC120 Leadership came together to build an extraordinary service
project in the domain of the environment. We joined our voices in response to the question of how can we make the biggest difference for
our suffering planet. We found the Ashevillage Institute, an eco-urban learning center whose mission is to spread awareness about sustainable living solutions through education, demonstration and action.
Our WorldLegacy Leadership Team specifically designed the “Bring It Home Project” to address ways in which ordinary citizens can make a difference in their own backyards through implementing a complex permaculture-inspired design at the organization’s site in Asheville, NC. This included building a complex entryway arbor/trellis system, installing a 40 ft. concrete bench to frame the outdoor classroom space, constructing a 30ft deck over one of the ponds on the property, and installing over 300 herbal/medicinal plants according to the organization’s highly specific landscape design.
This extreme giver project was not only successful but went way beyond what our WorldLegacy NC120 Leadership Team originally envisioned. We raised thousands of dollars in donations and supplies and created a team of almost 70 volunteers for the two days of the project. At the ribbon cutting ceremony, our team stood proud, knowing that we modeled the profound difference a small group of intentional individuals can make to create a tremendous impact on our planet.
