|
 |
Why Texas ?? I first heard about the intended ecoVillage when Phil Hawes spoke at an Eco Conference in San Diego in 2002. After thatI continued to email and keep in touch with Phil. He kept me posted on the land that was being considered in various different states. When he first emailed and suggested they might have found some land in Texas, I was heart broken, as I felt I could probably have gone anywhere but Texas. OH NO !! I sat down again and reread portions of the Mission Statement and preliminary business plan. Yes, I was totally committed to the idea of Mariposa. So, I started to do some research on Amarillo. Amarillo, I found out, was actually away from the coast and the humidity in the panhandle northern section of Texas, although it is called West Texas for some reason, as North Texas is north of Dallas (?). The City sits on a plateau at about 3600 feet elevation. The weather ranges seemed actually quite pleasant, and with 5400 degree days, Amarillo would have a winter, but not something that lasted 6 months as in Vermont from where I was moving. And with normally a wind blowing and low humidity even the summer days would mostly be quite pleasant. The low humidity makes the area attractive to folks with varying medical issues aggravated by damp weather. In fact, it cools off considerably at night. When I lived in Virginia, it would be 85 degrees and 80% humidity during the day and cool off to only 75 often. Whereas, in Amarillo, it can be 80 during the day and 50-60 at night, a delightful surprise !! OK, so the location and weather are pretty nice - interesting, maybe I could go there. But - I had always wondered how someone could actually chose to live in the center of the country were it was so --- flat. And where there were actually tornadoes ---, and where there were no wonderful hemlock and pine forests and forests with maples and oaks and locusts and sycamores. In January of 2008, I flew out to Texas to see the site and meet the people that were already assembled for the High Plains Institute Board Meeting. The flatness really struck me. The windmills that seemed to be just "down the street" were actually 10 miles away. Driving in from the airport I-40 goes through the City with commercial strips and hundreds of huge billboards. Vermont does not allow billboards and I felt bombarded. Staying out on the Frying Pan ranch, I got to see the incredible sunsets that streaked across the entire horizon. In Vermont, depending on where you were, the sun could tuck behind a hill or mountain and drop the temperature 10-15 degrees in minutes even at 2 or 3 in the afternoon. The sunrises here were equally incredible, a little spot of morning light that exploded across the land. Even in January, while out walking on the plains, there was an incredible diversity of plant life. Yes, there were little cactuses - How could I possibly take my dogs for a walk in that ?? I would have to get them leather boots. And what about the rattlesnakes ?? No poisonous snakes in Vermont. But, I did have dogs bitten by copperheads in both Pennsylvania and Virginia. I understand that rattlers are defensive, not aggressive and there are classes for snake sensitizing dogs, and also anti-venom and even a vaccination available. Maybe I could actually learn about the high plains and the animal and vegetative life, it would be most interesting to open myself up to that study and to how the weather and conditions here affected the westward expansion of our country. And what of the people that I met ?? I found them to be very committed folks, each with their area of expertise and all willing to commit to this idea of a wonderful ecoVillage that tread lightly on the earth and created a new type of living environment for its residents; one where they could walk to work and to school and to shopping and to recreation and to socialize; one that was committed to an environment where folks of all economic levels could live and thrive; one where the residents owned the infrastructure and community utilities and banking system. Now that I have lived in Amarillo for a year, I want to give some more impressions of the area. The Amarillo area has almost 200,000 people. Yet the town is very well laid out, travel is easy, there are no traffic jams and places throughout the City are easily accessible within a ten minute drive. Amarillo itself has many wonderful neighborhoods, most with treed parks with basketball or volleyball or tennis courts, playgrounds and large dog parks. There is a variety of large commercial and business chains, and restaurants, but also locally owned shops and stores and craftspeople. There is a wonderful Symphony Hall where all sorts of performances are held, along with local theatre and arts. The Discovery Center has a Space Theatre and is close to the Botanical Garden. Having been an easterner all my life, I feel very welcome in Amarillo. I never lack for wonderful and varied cultural and fun and recreational activities, and the people are incredibly friendly. The low humidity has been delightful, as have been the cool nights. The incredible cloudscapes are my mountains. This area of Texas where there is lower rainfall, is a perfect location for Mariposa, which will be a model for living in areas of low rainfall and conserving water resources. Locating Mariposa in a location not normally thought of as "green" is a great idea, as area residents can come and see what we are doing. Plus our location just three miles off I-40, the major east/west route in this part of the country, is ideal, allowing a large number of people access to natural building and ecoVillage principles and construction. So, Why Texas ??? Texas needs us and the Amarillo area just may become a nexus of green and sustainable practices that will be emulated throughout the country. |