A Lovely Morning among the Flowers

 Despite biting wind and cold temperatures, a hardy group of cohousing members and friends made the trip to Rochester Cemetery Saturday morning. And found beauty. We wandered through acres of wildflowers and gorgeous huge oaks, peered at crumbling old tombstones, and marveled at the resilience and creativity of nature.

Below, we stood around the flat marker for "Granny.." who lived more than a hundred years ago.

And we walked up and over hills covered with shooting stars, columbine, ferns, solomon's seal, daisies, and scores of less well known flowers identified by the several wildflower experts in the group. Then half the group continued on to Cold Spring Pond, lunch in the cabin, and a tour of prairie and pollinator strips.

Prairie and Wildflower Field Trip - Saturday, May 14th!

The first of our two May field trips is coming up very quickly, THIS Saturday morning, May 14th! It is the month for new green and beautiful growth, and we have been noticing all the wildflowers on our housing site as well as in the woods of Benton Hill Park, just north of our land.

We'd like to protect and encourage these flowers! Here are some shots of them taken this morning:

 Jack in the Pulpit

 lush and colorful ground cover

Solomon's Seal

We are also planning to devote some of the area on top of our land to a prairie planting, which will include a wide variety of native plants. With all this in mind, our theme for this Saturday's field trip is Wildflowers and Prairies.

First Site: Rochester Cemetery

This is a must-see if you have any interest in wildflowers or prairie. It is quite famous, drawing people from all over. You can look it up on the web if you want to read more, but here's a line from one of the sites:  "A rare and precious patch of native Iowa prairie, one of the last and most spectacular living remnants of the vast, variegated prairie that once carpeted the state, of which now less than one-tenth of 1 percent remains."

(Above) Close-up and further view at Rochester Cemetery

Second Site: Cold Spring Pond and Prairie

Cold Spring Pond is the Fawcett family gathering spot. Ken Fawcett and friends have been maintaining a plot of prairie there for many years. It was burned just five weeks ago, and the plants are springing back with vigor. Ken is a progressive farmer who has also planted wide pollinator strips through the fields near the pond and prairie, as well as planting thousands of trees as riparian zones along the waterways. It is a beautiful place, and after walking around the site, we will eat lunch there (so bring your own bag lunch).

Third Site: Herbert Hoover Park Prairie

This park, in the middle of West Branch, has over 70 acres of prairie. There are well-maintained trails through it, good for stretching our legs before going back home. At this point, we are only about 10 minutes from Iowa City.

If you have an interest in going on this field trip, please send an email to Nan Fawcett at nanjfawcett@gmail.com. We will carpool from the old Dodge Street Hy-Vee parking lot at 9:30 am, and will probably return by around 2:00. 

Prairie Hill Hopes to Go All-Electric

In our effort to make Prairie Hill Cohousing as sustainable as possible, we have chosen to have an all-electric community. A recent article in the Mother Jones magazine (link below) gives a hopeful picture of how we can positively affect climate change by shifting to electricity, especially as we move from non-renewable to renewable sources.

Below are some quotes from the article, which we urge you to read! And here is the link:
 http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/04/electric-cars-coal-power-plants-climate-change

"It turns out that one of the most immediate societal changes for average Americans in a climate-savvy future would likely be the electrification of just about everything. In other words, the hope of the planet could lie in a force—electricity—we've known about for hundreds of years."

"We get energy from fossil fuels in two basic ways: either by burning it in a power plant to create electricity that gets used elsewhere, or by burning it directly where it's needed—i.e., your car's internal combustion engine or a gas-fueled stove. Williams' basic idea—which has also been advanced by other leading energy economists, particularly Stanford's Mark Jacobson—is to ax that second category as much as possible, while simultaneously "decarbonizing" the electric grid by replacing fossil fuels with wind, solar, and other renewables."

"How do we get on track? Williams argues that policymakers need to start spending less energy worrying about fuel efficiency for oil-powered cars and focus instead on speeding up the transition to electric vehicles. That's something the Obama administration has only scratched the surface of, so it could be an area of focus for the next president. Power grid operators, too, need to start planning for a future in which there could be major demand for electricity in sectors (i.e., electric cars, home heating, etc.) that are small now."

Kara at our table at New Bo Market today

Our famous House Cookies made by Carolyn were a favorite with the kids at New Bo. The information about Prairie Hill Cohousing was of much interest to some of the adults. It was a great way to share our plans.

Some Hints for Downsizing

Donna Rupp sends this helpful link to help us as we think about preparing to live in a smaller space:

http://www.realsimple.com/search/site/small-space%20solutions

Creating a Green Community

Dispelling Rumors about Cohousing

Since ours is the first cohousing community in Iowa, there is often confusion about what makes this development different than the usual. And because it is being created by a group of people who will live there rather than a commercial developer, some folks worry that this is just another hippy commune. To help dispel those misconceptions, here are some things that cohousing is NOT:

• We won't have a shared economy
• We don't have a common set of beliefs or a common religion
• We are not a cult or commune
• We don't have a leader; all residents share responsibilities and leadership
• We are not owned by a management company

To discover what we actually ARE, you can go to our website and read in great detail about us: iowacitycohousing.org.

Our Passion for Green:

One thing most cohousing communities do have in common is a strong interest in sustainability. As we look at the ecological crisis on this planet, it only makes sense for us to use sustainable practices and designs in our plans. This philosophy is far-reaching, covering almost every decision we make. We are building small homes, much smaller than the average American house. This works because we are also building a Common House. The Common House will house two guest rooms, a laundry, a large lounge, an activity room, and a children's play room. And although each home will have its own kitchen and dining room, the Common House will also have a large kitchen and large dining room for times when we want to eat together. Some of us hope that will happen at least twice a week, for sharing the responsibility of planning and cooking meals sounds very appealing!

Our attitude toward the land is another important theme. Even though we must clear the scrub growth from the area on which our homes will be built, we want to use the wood chips from those small trees for composting and mulching. Once the buildings are finished, our plan is to use edible landscaping for most of the housing area. We have some experts in permaculture among our members who will guide us as we nurture the soil and tend the many trees we will be planting. And half of our land, the part that is at the top of the site, will be free to have permanent orchards and gardens, prairie, and a gathering space.

One of the most sustainable decisions made by our group is the location of Prairie Hill, on a vacant infill lot within the city of Iowa City. This means that no new sewer lines, roads, water lines or utility lines will have to be built to provide us with city services. And our prime location gives us easy access under our own power (without the use of fossil fuels) to many of the places we need to go, whether grocery, restaurants, entertainment or a myriad of other things we might need or want.

Other sustainable aspects of Prairie Hill Cohousing:

• The siting of our homes: We gain both passive solar advantages and have the proper orientation for photovoltaic panels. We're within walking distance of our neighbors and the common house. Our development is compact, which leaves more land for other purposes.
• House designs: LEED certification will ensure that both the final home built, the materials it contains, and the building techniques used are to a high sustainability standard. Our choice to use all electric heating and cooling means that the homes will be well situated for the societal non-fossil fuel based energy supply.
• Landscaping: Soil Quality Restoration over much of the site will not only enhance growth of plants, but also better retain rainwater on the land. We'll be planting native turf as well as a section of prairie, resulting in less required maintenance and better retention of rainwater. And following principles of permaculture, much food will be grown in both annual plantings and on perennial trees and bushes.

If you live in Iowa City, you may have observed the changes to our land in the last couple of weeks. Big machinery and huge piles of woodchips dominated the scene until a few days ago. Now the site is cleared and it is possible to imagine the layout and aspect of our buildings. We are ready!

Introducing Another New Member, Donna Rupp!

Read about Donna in her own words:

My life has been a series of fortunate events that have led me to Prairie Hill and the co-housing community. It makes one a great believer in fate… or at the very least serendipity. I have three children who by chance divided themselves somewhat evenly between Des Moines and Chicago suburbs. More significantly I must admit, the grandchildren, all five of them, drew me to Iowa City from which I could make short work of a trip to any of them in 2 to 3 hours. That’s what grandmothers do. Molly, Maggie, Maci, Carson and Abbey call me “G” when I drop in every 2 or 3 weeks.

My first exposure to Iowa City came as I studied dental hygiene at U I. After twenty years of being down in other peoples’ mouths and an amicable divorce I had a chance to reinvent myself. I became a teacher with a reputation. For 10 years I taught elementary school in Mt. Pleasant and then good fortune led me to the Rio Rancho, New Mexico to support my mother after my father’s death. While there I reinvented myself again by becoming a school librarian. It is the best job in teaching and the only thing I could bear to do given the trends in education. But after 13 years, I was ready to get back to Iowa, to my kids and to the best state and the nicest people. Retirement 4 years ago allowed me to return “home.”

My sisters worried I would have a “period of adjustment” at retirement. But no, I took to it with relish. No angst, no dreams of walking the halls again, no longing for  little faces looking up at me hopefully. The new me was excited to read an adult book in just a day or two, address my itch to be creative, and live simply. As luck would have it, I moved into my little apartment the summer of 2012, the summer of the drought. That meant NO INSECTS to make a meal of me as I sat on my deck for hours reading. My dog Buddy and I took long walks and I got reacquainted with Iowa City by joining 100 Grannies for a Livable Future and the Senior Center. There in the elevator was the sign inviting me to consider Iowa City Co-Housing. It took me three years to take up the invitation.

I’m a maker and a problem solver. I knit, weave, read, and write occasionally. I make assemblages and signs from repurposed and recycled materials.

I’m good at being a friend. But I like my self-time too, and given the choice of a party or a walk, I’ll take a walk every time. Co-housing came along at the point when I admitted I needed to be part of a closer community. That’s the serendipity I can embrace….and sort of count on.

Donna Rupp