I am a deep ecologist who happens to be queer. My professional careers in microbiology, environmental management, and finally environmental compliance & enforcement created a synergy of my love for science and nature.

After completing my MS in Environmental Management at the University of San Francisco, I came to the conclusion that there is built-in futility to our environmental education and political regulations. Without addressing human overpopulation, and the resulting environmental destruction, we are simply busying ourselves with what I like to call the ‘minutia of distraction.’

For several years I was a member of a GLBT conservation and recreation group. We had several, well attended camping activities during the summer months and took pride in owning and conserving 40+ acres in the Sierra foothills. With the arrival of the rainy season our activities as a community were limited to a few social events. I missed the community we had to reestablish each time we met during formal camp events.

For the past two years I have researched many intentional communities across the US and Canada to find that elusive ecovillage that is not only queer friendly but also capable of environmental sustainability. Debates will continue to define environmental sustainability, but the well established scientific models behind it simply show a consciousness of the human footprinting and ecosystem carrying capacity.

I view sustainability as a complex equation. Most ecovillages are busy with many parts of that equation trying to perfect and optimize results, and doing amazing work. However, I found only one community with, perhaps, the entire sustainability equation in play.

For the most part I was warmly welcomed by all the communities I visited. However, as a queer person, I felt isolated and rarely even found evidence any queers had visited or been members in recent memory. Many of the communities were still in their infancy stages and had much work ahead to establish both environmental and social agendas.

Sadly, some communities still prohibit queer visitors and members. Footprint Acres will always welcome visits from our hetero brothers and sisters and offer them associate memberships.

As I prepared to seek membership with a community I was presented with the opportunity to purchase a working 40 acre ranch in Lake County, near the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco has been my home for the past 20 years. It occurred to me that it may be possible to join with other GLBT people to work together toward a sustainable community with a queer sensibility.

Footprint Acres was born with permaculture at its core and to build and demonstrate a sustainable, human scale society into the next century. We will apply philosophical and practical approach to land-use integrating microclimate, functional plants, animals, soils, water management and human needs into intricately connected, highly productive systems. We will present an approach to designing environments that have diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. We seek to regenerate damaged land and preserve environments which are still intact.

David G.
Founder