Hawkesbury EarthCare Centre serves as a focus and gathering place for people
learning and working together for responsible stewardship of the earth.
The EarthCare philosophy is based on the principle that the needs of
current generations of Earth inhabitants should be met without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
From its beginnings as an experimental organic growing project the Centre
has developed into a broad-based sustainable living organisation. It
promotes environmentally responsible land use, appropriate technologies
for industry and human settlement and the development of healthy and
self-reliant communities.
Cooperative Partnership
Over a decade an active partnership of three organisations has evolved:
The EarthCare Building
The EarthCare building uses a variety of building materials and techniques
to demonstrate sustainability options in domestic and commercial
construction. There are walls of rammed earth, mudbrick and strawbale.
The interior is finished in a combination of rendered mud and
plasterboard with ceilings of straw panel. There is an underground tank
for grey water and two composting toilets. The corrugated iron roof
supports panels for a grid interactive solar power system. The kitchen
benches are recycled timber slabs and recycled timber and other
materials have been used wherever possible.
As well as alternative building methods the EarthCare Centre demonstrates what
people can achieve when they work together. The building project has
been completed almost entirely by volunteer workers using materials
donated by sponsors. Money for the building has also mainly been raised
through voluntary fundraising efforts.
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