by Paulette Zander

Hillary Hess, a seven year veteran of Earthship Biotecture, originally hails from Pennsylvania. After getting her associate degree in Fine Arts from Keystone College, Hillary went on to earn her BFA at the Atlanta College of Art and Design.

Immediately after graduating, she joined AmeriCorps (a national service program) and spent a year teaching disadvantaged children in Georgia. Her work in this program, in which she taught everything from reading to basic survival skills, combined with her interest in the environment, inspired her to travel to sustainable communities throughout the United States to learn more.

The exposure to experimental green living served to solidify her quest to make a difference. She researched many volunteer opportunities and settled on a month long internship with Earthship Biotecture in Taos, New Mexico.

“That was in 2002,” Hillary recalled. “I applied for the Taos program because it was free, and the others cost much more than I could afford. When my 30 day internship was over, Mike hired me for the crew. I met Ethan that year and we started building our own Earthship in the Greater World Community.” (Ethan Kushner is also a crew member and the two are engaged to be married next year.)

Hillary’s artistic talents were soon put to good use. She participated in the renovation of the then eight-year old Visitor’s Center. Since then, she has become something of an “artist-in-residence” here at Earthship Biotecture.

Hillary, an accomplished ceramic artist, makes custom tiles and applies those designs in many of the Earthships. Her extraordinary tile and sculpture work, in addition to her plastering and painting skills, have transformed the interiors and exteriors of a multitude of buildings.

“I was so excited when I saw my first Earthship,” Hillary said. “The outside was so sculptural and I thought the inside of a new building was a blank canvas, waiting only for artistic imagination. And the sky’s the limit here for creativity--Mike trusts me and gives me the artistic freedom to create art pieces for the buildings.”

“But I also enjoy my role as rental manager,” Hillary continued. “When I check people in for their first stay in an Earthship, I get the chance to inform them about sustainability, so it’s all come full circle for me. I can also answer their questions about our completely off-the-grid community.”

“I don’t pound tires so much anymore, except on our own home, but I still do basic construction,” Hillary said. “I mostly do finish work now, in addition to being the Earthship Rental Manager. That pretty much takes up all my time.”

Hillary’s advice to those who want to live off the grid:

“Build yourself a small, sustainable home. Start small so there is no mortgage. Ethan and I went for six years without running water, but it’s been worth it--and you have something to live in while you are adding on. Plus, we appreciate it so much more. I hope this becomes a way of life for many more people around the world, and as the cost of solar panels and other alternative materials goes down, it will be a viable solution for a large segment of the population.”

“I can see it coming,” Hillary said. “I was here in the lean years when Mike was shut down. There was awe and amazement then from visitors, but now with all the media attention, Mike’s ideas have caught on and grown enormously in the public eye.”

From volunteering for community service to her country, to carving out her own unique self-sustainable lifestyle, Hillary is indeed an inspiration. Fresh out of college and worried about the planet, Hillary set out to make a difference. She didn’t complain and wring her hands about the state of the environment, she figured out how to improve it.