The Future Residents Organizing Group (the FROGs) of Manitou Arbor Ecovillage is our designation for our volunteer grassroots association, dedicated to bringing this project into the real world. We are "just folks" trying to accomplish something worthwhile, but, as we have discovered over a few years of learning and planning, quite complicated. The tasks we have undertaken have been both stimulating and humbling. Both of these are good things. And, we say to any of you reading these words: come along and help us out; we've made a lot of progress, and friends, in our odyssey, and would be happy for more.

The group meets once a month in a general, discussion-and-decision-making meeting, and a small group (4) of elected members of a Coordinating Committee meet a second time. There are occasional ad hoc events such as retreats, orientations (introductions for new interested persons), meetings with consultants and other practical matters. It's hard to count us. There is a fairly stable core of about a dozen FROGs with a larger halo of about twice that. Several dozen other folks have expressed some interest in the vision in a "lets keep in touch" way. In the core faithful there are people with a variety of very useful "village building" skills, including architectural design, energy systems, water systems, law, general environmental knowledge (teachers), solid waste systems, and gardening. And, everyone is very spiritual in outlook.

Our group is very diverse (even it its small size) in terms of age (young just-married's to retired folk). Our "spirituality" is also very diverse; we have welcomed a wide range of persons professing personal religious beliefs from Judaism to Hinduism to Catholicism to personal idiosyncratic spiritualities. Everyone in our group views the deep values of the other with interest, and as an occasion of personal growth. And so we translate that into other areas of desiring diversity when it appears on our doorstep. Please read our statement of Covenant as a help to understand our spiritual core.

The core group has worked hard to achieve several significant milestones on the way to the ecovillage: a village layout design, the ingredients of a community building design, a rezoning of the available land, an option-to-buy the necessary land, the incorporation of a Limited Liability Corporation, and many other bits and pieces of what will be necessary to live in a village. But there is a lot left to do, and if you're interested in making your own imprint on a really great thing that's coming-to-be, join us. We'll be happy to get your wisdom and ideas.

As we have worked together on all these matters, we have become closer as individuals, already forming some of the awarenesses, affections, and understandings which are the basis of the true community to come. We look forward, very much to that time. Come and create all this with us. We look forward to that, too.