Hello Eleanor and all!
I’ve attached a photo of the 20 ft woodland shelter systems yurt dome. The dome has been here for one year and we are very pleased with the dome’s durability, performance, and portability. Everyone who visits the space is impressed, fascinated, and transformed by the experience.
We are located in the Federal Valley Watershed in the Hills of Appalachia in southeast Ohio, USA. We have been actively moving toward our goals of individual and community preparedness, sustainability and resiliency for quite some time now. We are taking positive, goal oriented action as we strive to adapt to the changes predicted for this century; pandemic flu, increasing poverty and everything that comes with the end of an oil based civilization and climate change.
The dome serves as a fantastic space for people to gather for counseling, education, conversation circles, visioning, goal setting, planning and overall collective effort. We have sought out and experimented with various social change models in an effort to maximize our efforts.
The dome is a most excellent space for such efforts. Our dome is situated on what was the Tipi Circle. The site had been prepared years ago with great sensitivity and attention; walking circles, spirals, connecting with the elemental energy and woodland beings. The tipi hosted gatherings with a sacred fire around which we prepared meals, shared in food, story telling and visioning exercises to deepen our connection with all life, including other people in similar circles around the planet.
After many years, the painted tipi cover finally aged to the point where it could no longer be repaired. It was burned with awareness in a large outside fire circle and the lodge pole pines were moved to serve as a trellis over the garden circle.
A yurt dome from Shelter Systems was then chosen as a replacement, partially due to our wet climate and the potential role such domes offer in terms of emergency response and shelter. (Some have said that our county is classified as a “host county”; it is possible that people from the cities and even the eastern coastlines may become refugees here; emergency shelter is going to be needed under those circumstances.)
The Tipi Circle ground base was transformed from an oval shape to a full circle. Special objects were placed in the central fire basin before filling the hole and again preparing the ground.
As you can see in the picture, the dome is now a part of our woodlands. It is also available as needed for on-the-road festivals and events. The dome helps holds a space that helps with the contagious spread of compassionate communication, teamwork and a sense that anything is possible!
No one individual hold THE answer, but each one of us holds a piece of the answer. Perhaps you can join us in this space as we embark on this adventurous journey into the future. Together we can do anything!