Editing Findhorn Foundation (section)

== Ecovillage ==

{{Main|Findhorn Ecovillage}}
[[File:Barrel House.jpg|left|thumb|A Barrel House – the first dwelling in the [[Findhorn Ecovillage]]]]

Since the 1980s numerous organisations have started up in the vicinity of Findhorn which have an affiliation of some kind with the Findhorn Foundation. These include Ekopia, Moray [[Steiner School]], the Phoenix Community Store,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Phoenix |url=http://www.phoenixshop.co.uk |publisher=The Phoenix Shop |access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref> [[Trees for Life (Scotland)]]<ref name="greenerfestival">{{cite web |url=http://www.agreenerfestival.com/2013/12/alan-watson-featherstone-confirmed-as-keynote-speaker-for-green-events-innovations/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416175026/http://www.agreenerfestival.com/2013/12/alan-watson-featherstone-confirmed-as-keynote-speaker-for-green-events-innovations/ |archive-date=16 April 2014 |title=Alan Watson Featherstone confirmed as keynote speaker for green events and innovations |publisher=A Greener Festival Limited |date=13 December 2013 |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> and [[Erraid|The Isle of Erraid]]. Collectively they now form an [[ecovillage]] intended to demonstrate a positive model of a viable, sustainable human and planetary future. By 2005, [[Findhorn Ecovillage]] had around 450 resident members, and its residents were claimed to have the lowest recorded [[ecological footprint]] of any community in the industrialised world, at half of the UK average.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.1596647.0.findhorn_ecofootprint_is_worlds_smallest.php |title=Findhorn eco-footprint is 'world's smallest' |newspaper=[[Sunday Herald]] |date=11 August 2008 |quote=A new expert study says the multinational community's ecological footprint is half the UK average. This means Findhorn uses 50% fewer resources and creates 50% less waste than normal. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123092120/http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.1596647.0.findhorn_ecofootprint_is_worlds_smallest.php |archive-date=23 January 2009}}</ref>

Physically, Findhorn Ecovillage is based at The Park, where the Foundation's belief in sustainability is expressed in the built environment with 'ecological' houses, innovative use of building materials such as local stone and straw bales, and applied technology in the Living Machine [[sewage treatment]] facility and electricity-generating [[wind turbine]]s. The Ecovillage is intended to be a tangible demonstration of the links between the spiritual, social, ecological and economic aspects of life, for use as a teaching resource. It is a founder member of the [[Global Ecovillage Network]] (GEN) a non-profit organisation that links together a diverse worldwide movement of autonomous ecovillages and related projects. The Ecovillage project has received Best Practice designation from the [[United Nations Centre for Human Settlements]] (Habitat).<ref name=CIFAL_Habitat/>