Want to get in touch with the environment on your vacation? Instead of the traditional camping trip, you might visit an eco village and learn about composting, among other things. Actress Ellen Page recently visited an eco village in Oregon…check out what she told Jay Leno about it, courtesy of The Huffington Post:

“Outside of Eugene, Oregon, I went to a place called Lost Valley, and it’s an eco village and environmental education center,” Ellen explained. “Compost is amazing and pretty beautiful, actually. So we learned about composting.” I’m not sure peeing in a bucket sounds like vacation to me, but I can see why people might be interested in learning how to be more eco-friendly on vacation.

Lost Valley offers a range of courses and events, and the Lost Valley Kitchen is famous for  delicious, organic, vegetarian meals. You can stay in a variety of accommodations, from modest dormitory beds to modern townhouse apartments.

On the east coast, the smaller Eco Village in Ithaca, NY, is an intentional community and a non-profit educational organization. It’s an alternative model for suburban living which provides a satisfying, healthy, socially rich lifestyle, while minimizing ecological impacts. You can take a free tour and stay overnight in the Common House guest rooms or at one of the two bed and breakfast establishments, Frog’s Way and Wild Goose.

These are just two examples of a growing number of eco villages around the country. Click here for a huge list – I’m sure you can find one near where you’d like to stay!