This book is in the
tradition of such novels as Ecotopia. It is a resource for those who want to create their own honored and
sacred place in harmony with nature. An ecostery is a place devoted to living with ecological wisdom
or ecosophy. The environmental crisis challenges us to transform ourselves and relationships to live
nonviolently with each other and other beings. The ecostery movement is a growing network of individuals,
families, groups and communities who are acting positively on a daily basis to create more humane, just,
honorable and ecologically harmonious lives and relationships. Ecology is the study of living
interrelationships and philosophy is the loving pursuit of wisdom. Combined in ecophilosophy the aim is to
create our own ecologically wise life style (ecosophy) based on nature grounded values and practices. This
book is for those who want to construct and maintain their own urban, suburban or rural ecostery as a place
in which to put down roots and become indigenous dwellers of the land, natives to their place. Ecosteries
are as diverse as individuals, cultures and ecological places. Doc Forest conveys the ecostery vision
complete with references and organizational suggestions.
To order, please send a check for $20 to the address below.
A section of the book can be read here.
Reader's comment about the ecostery vision put forth in Doc Forest and Blue Mountain Ecostery:
"The ecostery and land trust are two examples of social organizations worth
investments of time, energy and contributions. Both...empower participants in their daily lives.... The
ecostery concept derives its origin from monastic forms of land based communities.... Monastic form has
possibilities for decentralized, more or less self-sustaining communities, committed to work on bioregional
restoration over long periods of time, without demand for profits or centralized power. Alan Drengson, an
Emeritus Professor at the University of Victoria, has suggested the term ecostery be used to refer to
such a form of community. ...The word ecostery was formed by combining elements from monastery and ecology....
Drengson sees the ecostery movement as an important part of the deep, long-range ecology movement because it
emphasizes lifestyle and practice, while other parts of the movement emphasize political change and changes
in social policy." Bill Devall, in Living Richly in an Age of Limits, Gibb Smith, Salt Lake
City, 1993.
Alan Drengson is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Victoria in
Canada. His recent books include Beyond Environmental Crisis: From Technocrat to Planetary Person,
and The Practice of Technology: Exploring Technology, Ecophilosophy, and Spiritual Disiplines for Vital
Links. He is the coeditor of three anthologies, The Philosophy of Society, The Deep Ecology
Movement, and Ecoforestry. He has also published three books of poetry, the Sacred Journey
series, and is the founding editor of two journals, The Trumpeter: Journal of Ecosophy, and Ecoforestry.
He is a Nidan in Aikido the Japanese martial art. He loves wild journeying, spirit dancing and music of all
kinds.
