Jim Juczak founded Woodhenge, a self-sustaining community in Upstate New York. He applied his knowledge and experiences to teach and mentor others in the art of environmental sustainability.

He has been referred to as a granola hugging tree eater, the King of Scrounge, and a cheapskate. He also isn’t afraid to rummage through a dumpster. However, these descriptions don’t do justice for the man Jim Juczak really is.

In 1997, this retired shop teacher, husband and father invested his knowledge of architecture, electricity, energy conservation, agriculture, bartering and trading and many other life skills into founding Woodhenge, a 52-acre self-sustaining, environmentally friendly community in Adams Center, New York.

Juczak built his family’s 3,000 square foot off-grid, cordwood home on his property over the course of four summers. While many handymen can build their own homes, few can do it mortgage free while using primarily recycled materials.

“I’ve never liked the idea of borrowing money to buy wants,” Juczak said. “Commercialization urges us to buy instead of grow or make things on our own.”

When Juczak retired from South Jefferson Central School he continued teaching. He began holding workshops at Woodhenge using his skills and experiences to teach others how to live an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

“Just because I stopped teaching eight years ago doesn’t mean I don’t want to teach,” Juczak said. “I just choose the audience I want to teach to and what I want to teach.”

Juczak believes there has been a change in our society that downplays the need to learn practical skills. Juczak said teaching people the necessary skills for them to live sustainably help them live within their means, while also benefiting the environment.

Juczak’s workshops teach self-reliance skills in alternative housing construction, green building practices, food growing and storage, alternative energy, recycling and everything in between. Juczak also provides education and assistance to the Woodhenge residents who he has opened his property to.

Juczak does not do this to make a profit. Instead of rent, Juczak requires residents to provide 10 hours of their time each week doing something that will benefit the community. Instead of workshop fees, he asks his students to pass on the skills they learn to others.

“I’ve never been shy about sharing my knowledge. I can either be an enclave trying to fend off other people, or I can be a community resource,” he said. “I would rather be looked upon in a time of crises as a community resource.”

Juczak’s true passion for teaching and leadership is clearly evident during his workshops, and his ability as a true scholar shows when he makes the most difficult topics understandable for people of every experience level.

“Jim doesn’t just describe to us how to do things, he shows us by doing it himself,” said Brandon Keller, a Woodhenge resident. “He has taught me so much of what I know about how to live sustainably.

For people to continue adopting practices that protect the environment and human health, educators like Jim Juczak are vital to society.

Woodhenge founder, Jim Juczak, built his family’s cordwood home with the help of his wife, friends and students. “It takes a lot of time to build any home, especially an alternative style home, so it is very important that your spouse is patient and understanding,” Juczak said.

Picking up unwanted wild apples on neighbor’s properties allows Jim Juczak to hold workshops that teach people how to make cider using an old manual press. Juczak takes pride in finding multiple uses in items that most people consider garbage or useless.

Jim Juczak discusses energy conservation during a solar panel and residential wiring workshop. The attendees of Juczak’s workshops come from various experience levels.

The staircase in the Juczak home bears many bumper stickers and images with witty and informational sayings. The home is full of items that reflect the family’s creative and intelligent character.

Workshop attendees listen to Jim Juczak teach how to install solar panels during a solar panel and residential wiring workshop.

John Wood, a retired Army colonel, watches Jim Juczak demonstrate how to cut PVC pipe. “We use sections of two inch PVC pipe to keep the solar panels slightly raised above the roof in order for rain and snow to drain,” Juczak said.

A solar panel is lifted onto a rooftop for installation by Jim Juczak and workshop attendees during a solar panel and residential wiring workshop. “It’s always easier to install these with a group of people,” Juczak said.