About us – Kardokai

Kardokai Ecovillage

In a disappearing village, we have created a successful eco-settlement that has been in existence for 10 years now. We have created a strong community of neighbours and like-minded people. The essence of community manifests itself in helping each other in common tasks, exchanging home-made products, fests, trips. Traditional activities and crafts are nurtured in the eco-village: bread baking, beekeeping, ribbon weaving, candle making, the picking of herbs, forest mushroom and berries. Each family reveals its potential in favourite activities and exchanges the products it creates. We are currently the largest sustainable straw-bale houses ecovillage in Lithuania and one of the largest in the Baltic States. Permaculture is applied. We use local materials and invite local craftsmen to work in construction. We share our experience of building straw-bale houses with each other and across all Lithuania. The community founded an outdoor kindergarten and a school where children from the settlement and the surrounding towns study. The school is distinguished by its alternative expeditionary pedagogy. In the school, jobs are created for community members, development projects are carried out, and different generations are involved in education. The school became the main attraction for new settlers. We share information, our lifestyle, and activities on the Facebook platform. We organize events nationwide: e.g., the convention of Lithuanian eco-villages. We have also held an online conference “Idea for a person is life in abundance “. We organize Open Door Days, Crafts Festival, welcome guests from abroad and share experiences on how to establish a community and build sustainable buildings. We inspired by our example and created a new eco-settlement in a neighbouring village.

In 10 years, an active community of residents of the eco-settlement has been created, where people communicate with each other for various purposes: because of children growing up at the same time, because of mutual working relationships, business cooperation, because of ongoing construction, and because of joined community projects, organized events, management, and decoration of the environment. The age of adult members of the community ranges from 25 to 52 years old. Currently, 14 families, a total of 50 people, live permanently in the community, the homesteads cover 40 ha. Neighbors maintain a close relationship in the community – living among the forests in a village far from the city, one feels the constant support of like-minded people, there is an exchange of help, loan of cars, delivery of goods and products. Relations with the old residents of the village are maintained and they are included in community celebrations. Within 10 years, the organization of annual Lithuanian eco-village conventions shows results: the number of participants exceeds 200, residents from 6-7 different eco-villages and single-family homes and people living in cities who are interested in this way of life come together. A community of like-minded people has already grown in Lithuania. Following our example, a new community of Raudonplynis was established in the area of 56 acres at a distance of 3 km from us. We initiated the gathering of these families, informed them about the opportunity to acquire land and guided their acquisition. The community founded the Kardokai Nature School, which has been operating for 6 years now. Currently, the school is a strong self-sustaining unit that has become a centre of attraction for families looking for alternative education for their children, a community of parents, children and school staff is gathered within the organization.