Ekōbius is Now Published in the Intentional Communities Directory

Ekobius is a new development in the idealogy of the ecologically sustainable intentional community. We have two communities in formation in the frontier forests of the Guiana Shield; one in Venezuela and the other is in Guyana. Our community project involves the perpetual preservation of the unique fragile ecosystems found on the Guiana Shield and establishing forest or nature reserves. The inhabitants of our communities will serve as caretakers or stewards of these primeval ecologies.

The Ekobius communities are based on the development of experimental principles in the ecological integration of human beings into the natural web of life. Those who come to reside there must be prepared physically and mentally to cope with many challenges.

As space becomes more limited on the planet for people and natural (frontier) environments and habitats become fewer, man will become forced to preserve the remaining natural spaces, species biodiversity and primeval forests in the hopes of avoiding mass extinctions where he may become the victim. That is why we chose the Guiana Shield, it is the most biologically diverse place on the planet and is the last frontier according to many. Additionally it is the safest place on earth being non-tectonic, devoid of natural distaters, and its ecologically pure, among other reasons.

Our ideal is based on the unification of like minded people (eco-minded) that wish to practice and perfect the ultimate ecologically reciprocal co-existence with the natural world in the frontier forests and pristine ecosystems of the most bio-diverse place on the planet, the Guiana Shield. (see more about why the Guiana Shield is the perfect place for our community formation on Blogger or Facebook following this article).

We are forming the community as a communal cooperative ecovillage centered around agroforestry, gathering, collecting, and the development of symbiotic organic gardens. The daily activities include washing clothes, bathing in the river, cooking, eating, and socializing with the other inhabitants.

Much like a natural ecosystem an intentional community can only survive if it's people diverse, if there is a high degree of communincation, has knowledgable protagonists, and affinity in our goal together of living a better and more simple lifestyle.

In general we will live much like ancient native American, Amerindian, and indigenous peoples once did; however we are bringing along our technologies, the collective knowledge of survivalists, indigenous peoples of other nations, and will have electricity and the Internet.

Our total land area is approximately 1200 square kilometers or 296,000 acres. Despite all the property we will only occupy about five acres and create agroforest permaculture bases of 10-18 acres per community. Our occupancy is permitted based on our purposes of forest and ecosystem protection, reporting illegal activities, providing ecotourism opportunites, hosting and facilitating scientists involved in university research, and our accord of zero ecological impact within our international pact. Being a cooperative society we qualify for special exemptions and priviledges that facilitate our formation under both Venezuelan law and Guyana law.

Our development and formation will really take shape once we have enough people that are prepared and ready to confront this project, much of it also has to do with acquiring the funds required to procure the right equipment and having a large enough group to tackle the first phase. The building shelters from natural materials, establishing food gardens and cooking our meals are the more simple chores. The biggest challenge will become the logistics of moving the acquired equipment and essential appropriate technology to the sites.

Some of the activities we will engage ourselves in as a community group actually generate a supplementary income for the cooperative giving us the ability to sustainably generate funds to acquire much of the specialized equipment we need to become autonomos or self-sufficient and thus we will no longer need money.

Among the self-sustaining cooperative activities that are being considered preliminarily are the sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants, seed collecting, extraction of essential oils from botanicals, captive rearing of endangered species for wild release, raising bees that produce medicinal honey, and the production of natural pharmacueticals. These activites will complement sponsored ecotourism students and scientists who come to visit our village camp.

Travel to and from the community camp sites is difficult, there are no roads and roads will not be developed, however we will be installing zip lines and hiking trails. Potential residents are encouraged to be prepared with suitable equipment for the journey to and from the settlements. Each site involves river travel and extensive woodland hiking.

Our effort shall be communal in design, a cooperative or co-op in the eyes of society, a unique zero impact eco-village, a biological eco-reserve, and co-housing project for full and part-time residents. Currently the plan is a large central lodge, communal kitchen, communal bathrooms, a swimming pond, a greenhouse, and 12 duplex dwellings.

For many the solitude, tranquility and the pure nature of the primeval forest will become a spiritual experience in itself. At the Ekobius community though we will also foster the spiritualism of our residents and guests through meditation, yoga, ethnogens, and enlightenment through education.
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