| So what is Ekobius?
The Ekobius International Cooperative is an Eco-Village and Intentional Community that in re-formation during 2013 with the addition of coop-owned land in Venezuela's Northern Amazon in the foothills of the Guiana Highland forests near Puerto Ayacucho in Venezuela.
Anyone can become a member of Ekobius by investing in the cooperative, anyone can further become a resident of our intentional community (ecovillage) and work in the cooperative by joining the coop and visiting us with a backpack or a suitcase.
The property we now have, 108 acres, became necessary to provide a base of operations to develop the sustainable ideals of the Ekobius International Cooperative. Our back yard is 500,000 square kilometers.
The property is the last property before entering the highland forests and rainforest wilderness areas that extend 700 kilometers to the east and south, the closest northern road is 250 kilometers, all these wild lands are protected beginning with a neighboring Piaroa reservation next door. We are 33 kilometers to a principal port city and state capital, Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela.
You probably know the area best for the scenic tepuys, Angel Falls, the Orinoco River, Roraima, ayahuasca, and the Yanomami. There are 15 protected areas including natural monuments and national parks that have no roads going to them or even river access in some cases.
To our north, east and south is wilderness, the Guiana Highlands Northern Amazon Transition Zone is the "MOST BIODIVERSE PLACE ON EARTH" there are no roads much of the forested lands have never been explored. Over 200 new animal and plant species have been discovered there in the past several years.
We are seeking open minded people that consider themselves free and liberated of capitalism and the mainstream society. We are unifying ourselves differently than most communities because our common bond is not religious or political, spiritualism and government are based on indigenous knowledge, enhancing nature and fostering the earth's ecology, instead of exploiting it. We are developing as a small ecological community dedicated to sustainable development and the enhancement of our natural environments. Taking care of the planet that takes care of us.
Resident members can work in agroforestry, permaculture, teaching ecology, growing medicinal plants, making artisan products, developing handicrafts and through the social production of ecosystem services and non-wood forest resources through specialized educational development projects sponsored by international patrons in the Guiana Highlands and Northern Amazon regions.
Our greatness shall be based on the absence of faith based modern religion, politics, government, and capitalism. Resident cooperators are paid for their individual work production and cooperatively through the net production of the coop as well. The cooperative ownership assures fair trade practices.
Our final project is beginning with a property that has a common kitchen building, a four room cabin, a 5 stall bath house, and 3 chicken coups. May 18th construction began on a hammock house and individual tent campsites.
To attract members and promote our goals in the community it was our idea to open to visitors by offering the main cabin house for travelers wanting to stay overnight or for a few days.
The community is located at the "End of the Road" or "Where the Road Ends."
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Our cooperative begun a new campaign on May 22, 2013 to develop a capital fund to accommodate our new location, pay off our the mortgage, and make initial improvements. The campaign will run up to 45 days and waives previously developed assets into the cooperative structure including a successful hostel and travel/translation service in Caracas and the Coca Tea Company which produces 'Triple Coca Tea' and distributes medicinal herbal preparations made by the Ekobius Cooperative.
Once we begin the funding campaign to pay off "Fundo Ekobius" (the official local name) and we begin to make improvements, buy new equipment, construct buildings, implement new programs the price/cost/value of individual cooperative stakeholder shares will increase based on the collective value of the entire project.
Technically we (9 of us David Wright, two internationals, and 6 Venezuelans currently make up the coop) collectively we agreed to 'put-in' all in our cooperatively earned resources to extend the scope and value of the cooperative by combining it with the Fundo Ekobius acquisition to re-valuate our interests to become all inclusive with our outstanding debt and development needs. (ie mortgage and improvements totaling $41,000) Our capital asset valuation is being declared minimally as $100,000 in capital. There are 9 of us agreeing to a maximum of 50 cooperative member shares making 41 available for this campaign. Each cooperative share has an immediate net value of minimally $2000+ based on collective liquidatable assets.
Investors buying cooperative shares to resell them in the future may return them to the cooperative one year following the date of purchase for their face value (1/50th of $100,000.00) or the appropriate reassessed value at the time of release.
Cooperative members are not required to reside at Ekobius or work at Ekobius and are welcome as temporary or seasonal users of the community. Community members form a consensus based community council, and only active working members and member residents may vote in general assemblies, one share, one voice, one vote, democracy and consensus.
Because of our new real estate acquisition we drastically reduced the cost of a single cooperative share from the previously valuated $2890 per share to just $1000 to make our initial public membership campaign more attractive, affordable and accessible to potential new members, to pay off our real estate mortgage quickly, and finally make the initial improvements we need to realize in order to make the initial projects both practical and functional immediately. We reserve our right withdraw this offer without notice once we reach our campaign goals.
Guarantee: If you or we decide for any reason that our community is not right for you, or that you are not right for our community, or because you do not want to continue with the cooperative for personal reasons you can request a full-refund before the end of the first year and we will refund the cost of your cooperative share less fees.
On May 18th we opened as a Bed and Breakfast at the property, community member, Hugo Sousa, Portuguese is there now welcoming new guests; the founder David Wright is currently travelling back and forth to Caracas to accompany new guests and members, take photos and initiate projects.
---------------------------------------- Status: Re-Started May 18, 2013 | 
