When Tim and Megan Toben have a potluck dinner, they wind up with more than casseroles and hastily store-bought desserts. Maybe it's because of the company they keep --people who appreciate good food and often grow at least some of what they eat.

Or maybe it's because bringing a pre-fab entree would feel sacrilegious while dining before a blazing bonfire, a few feet away from their organic garden, biodiesel conversion station, windmill, solar panel and their three goats -- a big draw for the other kids who frequent the Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute in Chapel Hill.

Megan Toben, 27, and her husband, Tim, 49, one of the partners in the GreenBridge condominium project in downtown Chapel Hill, have created a sort of environmentally conscious paradise on top of Pickards Mountain. They have community potlucks at least once a month, where they remind those who did not bring their own dishes to throw the paper plates into the fire, scrape leftovers into the bucket for the pigs, and recycle glass bottles.

But their reach extends beyond these community meals. They have become educators for anyone interested in softening the blow they leave on Mother Earth, achieving nonprofit status and opening up their land to schools, interns and curiosity seekers.

After selling his first successful company, KnowledgeBase Marketing, Tim Toben purchased 450 acres not far from the intersection of N.C. 86 and N.C. 54 nearly 10 years ago. He built a spectacular, energy-efficient home (they plan to have the home completely off the grid in upcoming years), and met Megan in 2002. They married in 2005, and have a daughter, Kaia (Tim has three other children from his first marriage.)

Over the next few years, they sold 100 acres to fund the projects Megan felt so passionately about (under environmentally friendly covenants, such as building passive solar.)

"We're really driving a train into the ground right now," she said of our current climate and energy crisis.

When Megan looked at her surroundings, she saw an opportunity to bring people closer to nature. She didn't want to just talk about making a difference -- they were blessed with the land and the means to turn it into an educational tool, and she had the skills to get things started from her time working on organic farms out of college.

Now, UNC students can get credit for working in their organic garden, interns can learn how to convert sun, wind and grease into viable energy while living off the land, and children can learn how to appreciate nature on school trips and in summer camps.

A natural touch

Driving up to the institute means following artfully crafted signs that remind you to "Please Drive at Nature's Pace." The beginning of their driveway is lined with fledgling pecan trees, and soon you pass their stables, Equi Libre, at the base of the property before heading up a steep incline on the gravel road.

At the top of the heavily wooded mountain, more signs direct you to the organic farm, windmill, solar power and biodiesel station before you reach the Tobens' home, which is for friends and family only. Not far from the home are the chicken coop and pig pen -- they slaughter their hogs at a local processing plant.

Megan ran her first children's camp this past summer, Sister's of the Forest. "I'm a believer that kids need sensory stimulation," she said. It excites them to feel a goat's tongue on their hands while feeding them sow thistle, or to smell basil that has the aroma of licorice. The elementary school-aged girls learned how to communicate with animals, made fairies from clothespins and buttons, and wrote in journals.

Rachel Childres, 10, attended the camp and had a blast. Her father, Jonathan Childres, owns The Barbeque Joint, and uses local farmers for most of his ingredients. It was nice to see his daughter embraced by the diverse group of young girls and come home every day bubbling with new ideas.

"It was the best in the world," Rachel said of the camp. "I have to go back next year."

That shouldn't be a problem. "It was such a success, we plan to offer six to eight sessions next year, including camps for boys," Megan said.

Field trips for students are high on Megan's agenda for this school year. For $10 per child, Megan has developed a number of experiences serving different age groups. The older children will get to see more of the solar, wind and biodiesel aspects of the institute, while younger students will visit more with the animals.

During this school year, Megan hopes public schools will start to utilize the institute for field trips. As of now, private schools and home-schoolers have been the only groups to visit the farm, but that is going to change now that they've made personal connections with some public school teachers.

Rebecca Hite, a science teacher at Chapel Hill High School, was impressed by a recent potluck. The connection between people and the land was everywhere, and she hopes her Human Geography class will visit this semester.

"I think it's important, especially to kids that don't get that exposure," said Frank Phoenix, a partner at GreenBridge and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accredited professional.

College experience

Perhaps one of the most interesting features of the Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute is the intern program. Carolina students studying the environment and agriculture can earn class credit by working on the farm, and some interns are simply backpackers looking for a connection with the earth. Working five hours a week means you can live on the property; seven hours earns you the right to eat from the garden.

Nate Kretzschmar is a senior at UNC studying psychology. He plans to travel in India starting this January, and thought some time at Pickards would help with the transition and allow him a peaceful place to meditate. He bikes to class.

"My one regret is I didn't find this place earlier," he said.

The institute, with all of its animals, plants and green-machines, depends on the coming and going of interns. But it would cease to be, Megan said, without their two full-time staffers. Margaret Krome-Lukens is the garden manager, and Galen Koch is the property manager -- and neighbor. His solar-powered home operates on the same system as the Tobens.

"I have a pretty sweet gig," said Krome-Lukens, who knew nothing about gardening until she interned on the farm out of college. At one time she envisioned a career in international relations. Now, she's more interested in working on organic farms that contribute to her own, local community.

The Tobens don't live with the illusion that everyone has the means to do what they've done to live a greener life. Megan suggests buying local and organic, getting to know your community, and getting involved with politics as ways anyone can have a positive impact.

"Out of our passion for the earth we began these projects," Megan said, and from these projects the Tobens are providing an opportunity for others to learn as well.

Contact Elizabeth Shestak at eshestak@mac.com