There will be several choices of places to sleep at the Center:
The sleeping lodge will have 10-20
rooms, each accommodating 2-3 people. Each room will have a porch with
views of the Green Mountains. A Common Room for games and quiet gatherings
will be available to those staying in the Lodge. Guests in the lodge
will mostly use the common bathroom located down the hall, although
a few rooms will have individual or shared baths. The sleeping lodge
will be winterized and include electricity.
Cabins: The cabins are located in
the Maple Grove, a forested area of scattered rock outcroppings, mature
maple trees and glorious wildflowers. The cabins will be arranged in
small clusters of several buildings, to assure community scale. There
are several different cabin types available for your stay
Large two room cabins accommodating
up to 3 people in a room; one family can rent the whole cabin, or
smaller families can each rent one room
One room cabins accommodating
up to 4 people
Small two room cabins accommodating
up to 4 people
Small one room cabins accommodating
up to 2 people
Most of the cabins will have covered porches. None of the cabins have
plumbing or electricity. There will be one or two near-by bath houses
serving the cabin area.
Tent sites are available in several
locations
by the Lewis Creek
in the woods adjacent to the fields
in the Maple Grove
All of the designated tent areas will have bath houses located near-by.
Some of the tent sites will have platforms on which to place your tent.
Meals at the Common Ground Center will be served in the Main
Lodge, a 4700 sf building. There will be seating for 130 people
inside the dining room, which will have a large fireplace on one end and
be equipped for self-service meals. 30 additional diners can enjoy their
meal on the south-facing screened dining porch, which overlooks the Green
Mountains. The dining hall will have a wrap-around porch, cubbies for
storing a day bag, and handicapped-accessible bathrooms. There will be
a library with books and board games off the main dining room and a game
room (with billiards and ping pong) downstairs, accessible by a lift.
Groups renting the facility can provide their own cooking staff or CGC
can provide the staff instead. All food served at the Center is vegetarian,
organic where possible.
During the winter months, where groups of up to 50 can rent the facility,
the main dining hall can be divided by movable walls, to create two classroom
areas in addition to the eating area.
The Center includes several existing buildings that will be refitted
for program use. Existing buildings include:
The Art Barn, a 3700 sq.ft. building.
Now used as a dining hall with a multi-purpose room, 2 break out rooms
and a kitchen, it will eventually be used only for program space, including
a 1900 sq.ft. rec room for dance, yoga, music and theater performances
a 900 sq.ft. teaching kitchen
3 440 sq.ft. classrooms, one of which will be heated
a heated bathroom
The Kid Barn, a 3900 sq.ft. building
with
a 1200 sq.ft. indoor play area with basketball nets
three break-out rooms, ranging in size from 260 – 555 sq.ft.;
2 of these will open to a terraced lawn leading down to Lewis Creek
a 1050 sq.ft.classroom space
a bathroom
The Teen Barn, which will have 1950
sq.ft. of space on 2 floors, with 2 rooms on each. Each floor will be
fully accessible.
New program space will also be constructed, beginning in Phase II of
our project. It will include:
The Meditation Hut, designed for quiet
activities and reflection, and located in the woods, south of the Maple
Grove. This building will be built in Phase II of the construction.
The Massage Hut, a 600 sq.ft. building
located in the woods near the Mediation Hut, with stunning views of
the Green Mountains. This will be built in Phase V of the construction.
The Toddler Gazebo will be located
near the Kid Barn, in a fenced-in play yard uphill from Lewis Creek.
There will be outdoor play equipment suitable for toddlers and pre-schoolers.
The toddler gazebo is scheduled to be built in Phase IV.
The playing fields and sports courts
will be located north of Tatro Road, and will be built in Phase II.
These will include
3 tennis courts
a basketball court
large fields for soccer, baseball and other team sports
The existing fields can be used for outdoor games in their present condition.
Volleyball, tetherball and other traditional camp sports can be played
on site, including 3 on 3 basketball on the indoor court in the Kid
Barn.
A swimming and boating pond will be
completed in the fall of 2006. The pond will be 2.5 acres, with a raft,
and a small island, suitable for small row boats, kayaks and canoes.
Food for the Center will be grown, as much as possible, on the 3.5 acre
farm fields. Our current plan for the garden
was developed by Jessica Vernay and Wesley Martin, as their senior project
at Sterling College. It is based on principles of biodynamic and organic
farming techniques.
The farm will include a greenhouse, to be built in phase V, which will
provide space for students to learn about farming principles and horticultural
practices. Just north of the larger farm field, a smaller one acre garden
area will be home to our Herb and Ornamental
Garden. This area will include plants selected for their fragrance,
beauty, healing and culinary uses.
In phase V, we will also construct an animal barn. Our hope is to have
farm animals such as sheep or horses, which can graze in the 11 acre field
just east of the pond.
The Center is located on about 700 acres of land, including the eastern
slope of the Hogback Mountains, the hemlock woods along the Lewis Creek,
and the southern portion of a large wetland complex. A trail map depicts
miles of hiking trails for various levels of ability and duration. The
property includes 17 different natural plant communities and a diversity
of wildlife, including over 100 different species of birds. Some of the
many areas that can be explored in your hikes:
A mountain trail to the top of the Hogbacks; approximate round trip
time 1.5 – 2 hours
A trail along the spine of the Hogbacks to the northern boundary of
CGC land; approximate round trip time 4-6 hours
A trip to a class II wetland located on the mountain, home to several
species of water fowl and amphibians; approximate round trip 2-3 hours*
An easy walk that skirts the boundaries of the large wetland complex,
an area of diverse plant and animal life; approximate round trip 1 hour*
An easy walk along the Lewis Creek to the north of Tatro Road, an
area of rocky protrusions, a variety of ferns, wildflowers and mushrooms,
and easy access to a swimming hole for cooling off: approximate round
trip 45 minutes
A relaxed stroll through the farm fields and along the eastern side
of the wetland to a stunning view of the wetland valley: approximate
round trip 20-30 minutes
* Because of the sensitivity of the wildlife in these
areas, we ask that you arrange these hikes with CGC staff
The Main Campus of the CGC property, the area where our programs will
be focused, is about 90 acres, and includes:
the Core Area (where the program buildings, cabins, lodges and playing
fields are located)
the farm fields
the wetland complex and
the pond
Beyond this area are over 600 acres of woodlands, rocky outcroppings,
creeks, and wetlands. The most outstanding natural features of the property
include:
the Hogback Mountains, which rise to 1500 feet and comprise the major
portion of CGC land
the large wetland complex, which begins on our property and stretches
north for about 2 miles; it is home to many species of waterfowl and
amphibian life
Lewis Creek, which forms the eastern boundary to our property (we
have about 4/5 of a mile of frontage along the creek)
The Common Ground property is also dotted with rocky outcroppings, small
wetland areas, and small creeks. A series of well-established hiking trails
traverse the property, affording many opportunities for plant appreciation,
wildlife tracking and bird watching (and listening). Because of its relatively
remote location, an impressive array of stars and planets light up the
evening sky.
Dining
Common
Ground Farm
Hiking
Trails
Natural
Features
