An Urban Homestead & Learning Space focused on Service, Simple Living, and Community Uplift

Active in our Reno neighborhood since 2011

Be the Change Project is Saying Farewell

After 13 years of Be the Change, we’re entering a new phase and feel it’s time to shutter the nonprofit. Read about our path and accomplishments here.

Looking to the Future

Katy and I are planning to move from Reno when our youngest graduates high school in 2027. As of right now, that means either San Juan Island in Washington State or Vermont (where we lived for 2 years and where Kyle spent a lot of time as a kid). After 20 years in Reno where we met tons of awesome people and made great friendships, learned so much, and raised two sons, we’re looking forward to locales that are greener, wetter, slower and quieter. Our plan is to create a learning space on some acreage designed for hosting workshops focused on natural building and permaculture and available for use by other teachers with similar worldviews. Not quite a folk school but definitely along those lines. As society lurches towards an uncertain future, it’s our hope that we can offer high-quality, engaging, fun, and useful teachings that benefit people and planet.

If you’re interested in contributing to make this next learning space a reality, please reach out to Kyle. Over 200 people helped us start Be the Change Project in 2011 and we’d welcome your support again.

Selling our Home/Urban Homestead

We’re also hoping to sell our house this year to have money available if the right property shows up in the next couple years. We will be reaching out the extended Be the Change Project community first to see anyone’s interested in our unique and wonderful home. Finding a good fit - folks who garden, would relish tending the trees and soil and systems - is important to us. More info to come but if you’re interested in learning more, reach out to Kyle.

Some of our Current and Past Work

  • Permaculture

    We’ve transformed our half acre property from a dead and ugly blight in the ‘hood to a vibrant demonstration site featuring organic gardens, appropriate technologies for our high desert environment, and overflowing beauty.

    We also offer Permaculture classes with Cobitat.

  • Art & Murals

    Since we started at Be the Change in 2011 we’ve worked to bring art and beauty to the built environment in and around our neighborhood. This has included working with artists and kids to make murals and sculptures. Recent press here.

  • Reno Garlic Fest

    We started this in 2017 in our neighborhood’s Pat Baker Park. It’s grown to be a major festival each year that supports local and organic farmers. Learn more here.

  • Cobitat Natural Building

    Natural Building

    Building with earth and natural materials is one of our passions. We teach workshops throughout the world through our Cobitat spinoff.

  • Service

    From weekly food collection to service on the Neighborhood Advisory Board to singing holiday carols, we’re active in making our neighborhood and Reno a better place for all.

  • Affordable Housing

    We built the state’s first home to be put into a community land trust for permanently affordable housing.

  • Bike Powered Food Waste Collection

    We started the Reno Rot Riders in 2015 - the state’s first food waste collection and composting business - to bring awareness to waste and soil building. It is now called Down to Earth Compost and is a thriving local business.

  • Rivers without Plastic

    We conducted the first micro plastics testing of the Truckee River and helped jumpstart research by local scientists who have since expanded the research to include Lake Tahoe and the snowpack above it.