Belvedere and Nature Connection

Okay, I am gearing up now. I think I had given up for a while, trying to live into, lean into, love into Belvedere's potential. Belvedere has the potential for being a shining beacon here in the US for sustainable community development. What attracted me to it was the message that it will be designed to "get kids of the couch" and out into the natural world, and that it is designed with the more-than-human world in mind.

In my talks with developer Bob Hauser, he has asked, what exactly is my responsibility as a developer to fulfill this potential?, and he has a good point. As a builder, how can he "get kids of the couch?" At best, it is building the trails, cleaning up the land, making the play space. We invited landscape designer Robin Moore in to have a look, make some suggestions. It was awesome . . . only I could not get Bob to follow up. Call the landscape architect Robin suggested, I said. No response. I believe shining star Chris Counts has moved on. Frank Stoner of Stonehaus has moved on, too. Sniff. Anyway . . . .

I do intend to help Bob Hauser, if he will let me. There are other residents of of Belvedere who want to live the idea of it, of people and nature connection. Perhaps I should create a checklist for us to look at. My first intervention has been around the idea of Festivals. We had our first Fall Festival on the village green in October. Now we are planning a Spring Fling, or spring festival. I would like to create a way to welcome folks, all these new families, wow! Peter Primiani of the HOA (home owner's association) has told me we a now 50 families! And those houses keep going up.

I believe we are also building bird houses this spring. Right Bob? Maybe we can do that at the Spring Festival. And we are working with Bob on the landscaping.

I would like to create a nature study group in Belvedere using a journaling and sit in nature method called Kamana. Also, I would like to create an afterschool club that is all about play in nature. Please do this with me Belvedere! Let's fill in the blanks around what is possible for people in this modern age!