Page 2 - Communities Respond to COVID-19

Sand River Cohousing, New Mexico, USA

We have been conducting meetings on Zoom, though some teams have been meeting outdoors with
social distancing. Community meals have been temporarily suspended since the governor imposed
shelter-in-place and distancing measures in early March. However, with warmer weather some people
have been meeting outdoors on Mondays for a bring-your-own lunch.
These circumstances have resulted in less personal contact and a loss of ease of communication that in-
person gatherings offer, resulting in some feeling of disconnection. Since this is a 55+ community, it
seems important to some of us to observe the precautionary measures in favor of maintaining the
overall health of the community.

Angela Werneke

Permaculture Community Household , Denver Colorado, USA

We’ve been gardening together. It’s springtime! We’re outside working together in fresh air and
sunshine. Sometimes we sit around the fire together in the backyard. Very occasionally we have visitors
at a distance. Wearing masks for trips for groceries and supplies. We have not been cooking and eating
together for now. Lots of hand washing. We’re not disinfecting as much now as we were at first since
we’re all exposed to each other. No touching or hugging.

Rae

Obenaus Community, Austria, Steiermark

Some of our community members had envisaged to leave for other places/communities. They continued
staying with us, as travel or moving was not easy or possible. So we're now tuck here with people that
don't fit/want to stay with us.
Our shop is closed, and our offer for stays, hospitality or seminars in our community was suspended. No
one was interested in coming here anyway.

So we live from our reserves and what we can earn through online work, not an option for all of us.

Being in a rural area, we can well enjoy Nature and open sky, walk around woods and meadows, and get
fresh eggs from our neighbors."

Rainer von Leoprechting
Caballos de las Estrellas Intelligent Living Community, NM/AZ border runs
through it, USA

We are a closed community on over 1000 acres with private roads and two access points to BLM and
state land. We have a full Equestrian Center, Library (books.over 350 DVDs, games, puzzles, magazines),
gym, spa and 3 miles of interior roads/trails for walking, biking, riding. We are adding a pool table and
probably a pool this year. We have a garden and our permaculture people are getting set up to add an
additional 80 acres of food forest, aquiponics, massive greenhouses. We have a resident only grocery
store opening up this fall. We keep chickens and ducks for eggs. We have an Exchange Program for