About us
EVNJ is an organization and meetup group that has been around for over a decade. Our members are interested in sustainability, permaculture, cohousing, community, intentional living, and alternative lifestyles. We currently host a monthly meeting on the third Sunday of each month to discuss matters related to our organizational goals and future vision. For some of our meetings, a guest speaker from an existing ecovillage or intentional community will present on various aspects of forming and sustaining our future community or communities. Our meetups will also consist of bi-weekly book club meetings for those who are interested, visits to ecovillages and intentional communities throughout the year, and potentially some recreational meetups to get to know one another on a personal level. Join us if you have an interest in being the change you wish to see in the world! For questions, reach out to our Core Team: [njecovillage@gmail.com](mailto:njecovillage@gmail.com). You can also visit our website at ecovillagenj.org
We look forward to meeting you!
Upcoming events
3
Regenerative Communities Workshop with Sandra Rueda
Hillsborough NJ, N/A, Hillsborough, NJ, USHey, community!
We’d love for you to join us at our monthly General meeting and Potluck and Guest Speaker Workshop on Sunday, May 17th (3rd Sunday of the month.)
This month we will be hearing from virtual guest Sandra Rueda speak about the Les-Pas-Sages model of Cooperative housing and discuss its possible applications for community formation in the U.S.
"The Constellation of Passages is an ecosystem dedicated to community living . We support and connect those who wish to develop cooperative, resilient, ecological, and joyful living and activity spaces!"
Please bring a dish to share for the potluck portion of the afternoon.
We look forward to sharing nourishing food and conversation with you!Also, if your curious, here’s more information about Sandra and the presentation she’ll be giving…
Aligning the Dream with the Matter: Financing Regenerative Communities through Legal & Financial Innovation and Impact contributors.
In this workshop, we’ll explore how intentional communities are turning vision into reality through solid legal and financial foundations.
Developed by Les Pas-Sages, this model has already supported groups in over 10 countries, grounded in real-life experiments with dozens of ecovillages.At its core is the legal net: a mix of legal and cooperative tools that make collective living secure, inclusive, and resilient.
A key innovation is the role of Impact investors —individuals who support regenerative housing not seeking profits, but as cooperative members securing their funds in service of the commons and a shared future.Whether people are dreaming of founding an intentional community themselves or wondering how their resources could serve a regenerative future, they'll learn:
- How community-led housing cooperatives use “shareholder current accounts” to raise funds without speculation.
- Why this structure allows people with very modest means to become homeowners together.
- How financial resources can directly support intergenerational living, ecological restoration, and deep belonging.
- The long-term vision: housing that’s collectively owned, resilient, and financially liberated.
This model is already in motion: In France, over 50 communities were created based on the Les Pas-Sages model. Now, 30 of them are pooling 2,5 million euros to fund existing and new projects together.
By design, the model reduces financial thresholds for entry, making community living more widely accessible. Ultimately, it invites us to imagine communities where participation isn't conditioned by wealth, but by willingness to contribute to shared life.
This isn’t just about housing. It’s about choosing to place our trust—and our money—into what makes life worth living.
People will leave with tools, clarity, and a sense of belonging to the silent but powerful forest that’s rising—rooted in cooperation, fueled by hope, and reshaping the future beneath the surface of the noise.Speaker Bio: Sandra Rueda
As a birth Doula, haptonomy practitioner, core member of the Nonviolent Global Liberation organization and Ambassador of Les Pas-Sages Constellation, Sandra has been committed to bring sustainable and pragmatic alternatives to societal individualism and isolation through supporting building communities. She is the initiator of Colmeia 62, Portugal’s first ecovillage project using Les Pas-Sages mechanisms. Together with the LPS team, they are now spreading this innovative model over Europe and beyondThis is a hybrid event- you can attend in person or online. Please RSVP here with your email or reach out to
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