Ekobius International is a fabulous place, it is a convergence point for nature, Indigenous peoples, culture, plant spirit medicine, chocolate and biodiversity. We have a lot of trees! It is where civilization as we know it, actually ends. The Indigenous peoples of the region started seeking their autonomy in 2004 under new laws that were introduced favoring their self-determination, in 2019 they established a Civil Court and established a Special Indigenous Jurisdiction which includes our property, we are also their strategic allies. Leave your Holy Bible and your bottle of Kentucky Bourbon at home, Ekobius residents may not preach or predicate to the Indigenous peoples or allow them to see our visitors drunk, hegemony has been outlawed within Indigenous territories. It is acceptable to learn about their culture and ethnopharmacology or theobromatology and practice in their rituals with their shamans. Short term visitors and small parties (under 30 days) are required by law to have a certified Indigenous guide, that is not connected to the host.
Ekobius International (Campground, Ecovillage, and Training Center) is an ecotourism and waystation project that was started in 2013 by Col. David Wright and his wife Sonia B. Ceballos (1974-2020), in 2020 the property was bequeathed to Ecology Crossroads Cooperative Foundation naming 'Arol J. Wright' the executive trustee and only member with dual nationality. Arol recovered the real estate as a trust and appointed a Mayordomo to work there.
Current plans for Ekobius International is for it to continue to serve as a multi-party real estate cooperative for 'international' investors as an ecovillage with up to 27 each building sites on the riverside as well as serve as a cacao post-harvest facility, a laboratory/research site and a forest monitoring coordination center for ecosystem services. Under Ecology Crossroads, a maximum of 50% of all unpurchased (cooperative shares) will be reserved, while the other 50 shares will remain available to potential village residents and current members (13).
Ecology Crossroads will continue the Ekobius International project under the management of its original cooperative members (2013-2020), however considering the circumstances and state of the property, lack of funding and abandonment as of January 01, 2021, Ecology Crossroads will only guarantee equitable title under the conditions within the control of members based on their support and maintenance; titles are not guaranteed when monthly fees are unpaid. All members of Ekobius International are responsible for its solvency at a cost of $33 per month, this is equivalent to paying property taxes; but not really because having a Mayordomo on-site costs real money too so our previous shortfalls are not repeated.
Located in a difficult area to visit or become part of our cooperative efforts have paid off. but we started our community at the end of a revolution that lost its steam; stuck in a quagmire of suppressed democratic ideas in a lawless society with no perspective beyond this moment. The last residents left when the pandemic came and the project is scheduled to go back into operation on September 21, 2022. All past residents are also welcome to return, we still do not have Internet - but hope to soon! Fortunately, this is Indigenous territory.
What brings this community together
Our community is potentially anything a person wants it to be: it can be a seasonal residence, a retreat for you and your friends, or you can come here build a home and live for as long as you like, you can also come by way of becoming involved in one of the Ecology Crossroads programs that intersect at Ekobius. Several of our members were adopted by the Indigenous tribe to our East. While we had great ideas for establishing a functional village with 20-50 residents no one has managed to stay longer than 6-8 months, some returned and left again. Originally the functionality was dependent on being a functional cooperative, but with too few residents cooperatives do not function as well, therefore the bond is the place itself, paying for your own food and using open-source ideas to manifest your goals and pursue your personal interests.
