Last week, Claire travelled out west to the Koreelah National Park where the Peace Valley Australian Bush Retreat is located just over the border in New South Wales. Peace Valley is an outreach project within the Bindarrabi Community, a rural land share community in its early years.
Founder, Joy Foley, is passionate about the natural world and wants to share that passion to connect people with nature. No person on the planet can exist without nature and yet humans are collectively harming our only home. Joy believes that when people can spend time in nature, they can learn to love and protect our precious environment.
Joy is operating the Peace Valley project on the gift economy as outlined by Charles Eisenstein in 'Sacred Economics'. This is an inspiring new economic model that is an integral part of Joy's underlying philosophy.
Peace Valley is restorative for the soul. After the busy mode of the city, it took me some time to settle down. We started each day with a check in and meditation. Other activities include art, gardening, cooking, working on the bush camp, swimming in the streams and waterholes, bushwalking and wonderful conversations. There is no road noise so it's easy to tune in to the sounds of wildlife. Without the light pollution of the city, the stars at night are bright and full in all their splendour.
Joy and Doone recently ran a 'Living in Community' experience week to allow people to commune together and learn about community life. Joy has spent time in a number of intentional communities around the world including the famous Findhorn Ecovillage. Do yourself a favour and go to visit Peace Valley sometime. You won't regret it.
Peace Valley Australian Bush Retreat: https://peacevalleyau.org/
Bindarrabi Rural Community: https://www.bindarrabi.com/
