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Creating art and growing your own food while floating on the water may sound like a dream, but the artist residents of the Waterpod project in New York are discovering the reality of sustainable living at sea is not always a pleasure cruise.  I give them enormous credit for embarking on the adventure, and as the living experiment develops they provide us with an amazing example of we can live and create while minimizing our impact on the planet.  According to the Waterpod project website:

The Waterpod demonstrates future pathways for nomadic, mobile shelters and water-based communities, docked and roaming.

Founded by photographer Mary Mattingly, the rotating cast of Waterpod residents grow their own vegetables, raise chickens, compost, recycle greywater, generate electricity with solar power, and when they can find a spare minute, focus on their art.  Built using donated and recycled materials, the housing structures and 20-foot high domes on the barge provide a place to live, work, and host exhibitions. 

While there have been some internal disputes over how free-wheeling or orderly the project should be, the group seems to be learning that the social experiment is very much a living organism like a garden, and while you can help nurture and guide the growth of your garden, some of it will always remain wild.   Use the action link below to learn more and support the Waterpod, and if you’re in New York, go check it out!  Just try not to disturb the artists too much.