To combat environmental problems, it is necessary to investigate and draw inspiration from people who live in environmentally friendly ways. This paper describes an environmentalist community in El Bolson, Argentina, and identifies some of the key factors that explain its success. El Bolson is well known in Latin America for being a centre for citizen driven environmental action and for environmentally friendly living. Based on anthropological fieldwork, the paper presents and analyses how the environmentalist community in El Bolson is organised, and shows how practice and community are two decisive driving forces. These driving forces can be used to inspire environmentally friendly actions elsewhere.