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Ecovillages – Ecovillage Network of the Americas

Huehuecoyotl: An ecological village in Morelos, Mexico

By Holger Hieronimi

Huehuecoyotl means “The Old Coyote” in Nahuatl. It is an ecovillage and
intentional community, located between the arms of the beautiful and majestic
mountains of Sierra del Tepozteco, close to the town of Santo Domingo Ocotitlán.
It was founded in 1982 by a group of artists and social activists, who in previous
years, traveled the world with their small theater company.

Huehuecoyotl Ecovillage is the project of a group of people of various nationalities dedicated
to model a lifestyle based on ecology, the arts and true democracy. We aspire to physical,
emotional and spiritual health for a group of families and individuals living together within the
framework of a model ecovillage. There are 14 dwellings in Huehuecoyotl. In many of them,
eco-construction techniques such as adobe, strawbales and cob were experimented
with successfully. Huehuecoyotl lacks natural water sources for eight months a
year; therefore much attention has been paid to rainwater harvesting, storing and
efficient water use. After 19 years, the inhabitants have achieved relative self-
sustainability in regards to the water supply year-round.

Huehuecoyotl is a place for meeting, education and learning for its residents, as well as for its
countless visitors. It has a communal space, the “theater”, which has staged numerous events.
For many years, Huehuecoyotl has been known for its multicultural arts, music, festival,
concerts and ceremonies. In recent years, Permaculture, holistic health and group processes
(consensus decision-making and conflict resolution techniques) have also been integrated into
the repertoire of activities. Members and residents offer guided village tours, photography and
audiovisuals, music, dance, lessons and performances, architecture, video recording and
editing, handcrafts, poetry, floral therapy and integral health, group facilitation, permaculture
and sustainable systems training and consulting, garden designing, ecotourism…

In 1997, a Permaculture project that includes a communal vegetable
garden, erosion control and soil recovery systems, and two solar powered
ecological houses with grey and sewage water treatment and recycling
systems was started.

Huehuecoyotl Ecovillage is part of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN)
and the Ecovillage Network of the Americas (ENA). Many of its members
travel frequently to other countries and continents, learning and
exchanging experiences. They have contact with many projects and initiatives and actively
support the creation of ecovillages in Mexico and around the world. In 1996 the “Caravana
Arcoiris para la Paz” (Rainbow Peace Caravan) started its journey from Huehuecoyotl with
the purpose of discovering and networking ecovillages in the south of the American continent,
including sustainable indigenous communities as well as “new” eco-communities formed from
the 60’s onwards. This “Caravana” is presently in Ecuador after having traveled thousands of
kilometers in four years, meeting every step of the way with hundreds of communities, towns,
villages and projects that strive for an ecological, economical, social and spiritual
sustainability. There are at present approximately 25 residents in Huehuecoyotl, including
children, teenagers and various friends – people living on a fixed income that spend from a
week to several months here.

Huehuecoyotl has space to host guests and workshops for groups of 10 to 30 people. If you
wish to visit us, we ask you to get in touch with us beforehand. Emails: huehue@laneta.apc.org
and tierramor@laneta.apc.org

And, come ready to contribute with your work or money to cover the expenses of your stay.

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