The Broadwell Hill Learning Center and Resiliency Initiative

Federal Valley Watershed, Athens County, Southeast Ohio, USA

Learning, practicing, sharing, informing, empowering, inspiring, networking and building bridges within a

bottom-up, top-down systems approach to preparedness, mitigation, adaptation and

greater community resilience in general. 

 
The Broadwell Hill Learning Center & Resiliency Initiative is a 65-acre sustainable stewardship project is an interactive process which offers great opportunities for experimentation, decision-making and community building.  Conversational literacy programs and community councils, workshops, retreats and other activities are offered with a focus on trans-local efforts based within our local watershed neighborhood while also building networks on a bioregional and global level.

This owner-built, well-insulated, passive solar cabin (still in creation) is custom-designed with respect for the land and the utilization of local materials and construction industry excesses.

The off-grid photovoltaic system provides 100 % of the electricity needed and consists of a 2 kW array with an Outback MX60 charge controller, VFX3648 inverter, related equipment, and eight 546 Amp-hour Surrette batteries. The 74 kBtu/day solar thermal hot water system consists of 2 Gobi collectors, a Heliodyne exchanger, and a 119 gallon insulated water tank.

This site offers many learning opportunities, including in the realms of communication and teamwork, conservation and preparedness, soil amendment operations and vermiculture, water catchment processes, as well as a living machine sanitary sand filter, a mobile PV power system, and intensive food projects and woodland gardening projects.  The Lodge of Glowing Embers, the Shelter-Systems Yurt Dome, see below, is utilized for emergency shelter, workshops, community conversations and councils.

More information and pictures can be viewed at http://www.broadwellhill.org and http://www.transitionohio.ning.com

Thank you!  We look forward to connecting with you!