Ecovillages and Intentional Communities Tour Coming To Crystal Mountain

Michigan Ecovillages and Intentional Communities Tour: July 17-24, 2025

Discover sustainable living practices on Michigan's first "Ecovillages and Intentional Communities Tour," running July 17-24, 2025. This free, eight-day event offers a unique opportunity to explore existing and developing ecovillages and intentional communities across Michigan, highlighting successful community-building and ecological innovations.

Organized by Tom Stanton of Community Energy Solutions, LLC, the tour aims to showcase "well-proven solutions that are poised for implementation in all communities." While there's no set definition for an ecovillage, most incorporate local agriculture (including permaculture), land-use protection, and energy-efficient building practices.

“A major premise for this project is that all Michigan communities want to learn about sustainable and restorative projects,” explains Stanton. “Ecovillages and intentional communities already use many well-proven solutions that are poised for implementation in all communities.” 

Tour Highlights:

• July 17: Interlochen Center for the Arts - Explore sustainability efforts and climate action plans.
• July 18: Benzonia, Cedar, and Traverse City - Focus on local community energy futures, food systems, and economic development, with visits to GrowBenzie and Telford Farm. Includes a presentation from the Leelanau Energy Project.
• July 19: Boyne Falls and Traverse City - Tour GasTechno Corporation's "energy center" for bio-energy production, local agriculture, and biofuel development. Features a presentation on community investing options by Chris Miller of the National Coalition for Community Capital (NC3).
• July 20: Crystal Mountain and Grand Rapids - Learn about sustainable practices at Crystal Mountain, and hear a presentation from Jim MacInnes, PE, on ways to transition to a clean energy future through electrification. Later, visit a new Tiny Home Neighborhood in Grand Rapids aimed at addressing homelessness.
• July 21: Lansing, East Lansing, and Michigan State University - Explore co-housing, urban agriculture, and MSU's research in circular economies, food systems, and sustainable packaging.
• July 22: Ann Arbor - Visit the Veridian Farms "Thrive Community" Ecovillage and a co-housing neighborhood. Learn about portable microgrids from Sesame Solar.
• July 23: Detroit - Explore the Detroit Arboretum, urban gardens, and Detroit Ecovillage neighborhoods.
• July 24: Detroit (Tour Concludes) - Visit the Motown Museum, Henry Ford Museum, and Greenfield Village (entrance fees apply), with guided tours of the Buckminster Fuller Dymaxion House and Thomas Edison Workshop.

“The potential to deploy clean energy solutions is enormous,” says Jim MacInnes, a professional engineer and Crystal Mountain chairman. “I’m looking forward to showing participants some of the resort’s sustainability initiatives, including: a closed-loop building geothermal heat pump system, capturing and reusing waste heat in the resort’s LEED-certified spa, and the EV charging systems.”

Throughout the eight-day tour, participants are responsible for their own transportation, meals, and lodging. Zoom access will be provided where possible, and event highlights will be available afterward for those unable to attend in person.

Daily agendas and RSVP forms are available on the July Events Calendar: https://www.communityenergysolutions.info/events.

Co-sponsoring organizations: Capital Area Friends of the Environment (CAFÉ), Community Energy Solutions, LLC, Crystal Mountain, Ecovillage Cooperative, Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA), National Coalition for Community Capital (NC3), SEEDS Ecology & Education Centers, Sesame Solar, and Telford Farm Intentional Community.

For more information, contact Tom Stanton at TomS@communityenergysolutions.info.