Grabicki, David E.2020-09-292020-09-292020https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2575252 pagesWork in the environment conjures images of violence against the earth: tractors chewing through dirt, logging trucks lumbering with a full load of harvested trees, and clearcut landscapes featuring barren land and debris scattered everywhere are somewhat stereotypical examples. On the other hand, environmental workers have largely conceived of environmentalism as virulently spreading anti-labor values that contributed to the slowdown of their industries. These tensions were present during the countercultural boom of the 1960s and 1970s in Oregon as “hippies” and environmentalists sought to get away from mainstream pressures and connect with nature. Many members of the counterculture did not avoid environmental work, however, and instead sought it out as a means to express their countercultural values while building a community that valued them for who they were outside mainstream ideals. The Hoedads, a treeplanting cooperative, and WomanShare, a lesbian land commune, are both exemplars of this practice. This thesis studies both of these groups as built communities that centered on strengthening identity, regenerating the environment, and performing work in nature as a practice of their values.en-USHistoryOregon HistoryNatureEnvironmentLaborWorkHoedadsWomanShareThesis/Dissertation