Looking for people interested in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, natural parenting, eco-building etc.

Looking for people interested in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, natural parenting, eco-building etc.
My partner, Gregory, has an acre in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. He is currently traveling and working around the world and would LOVE to get in touch with people who are into natural building, and who have been interested in moving to Vilcabamba. He is envisioning putting a natural/straw bale/cob/earth brick/eco type house on the property, and would like to talk about the possibility of doing a land/house share with the right people who could help turn it into a family-friendly slice of paradise.
The acre is located in a developing neighborhood project called the “Garden of Paradise”, which is along a river and extends into 350 acres of surrounding forested hills (though only a relatively small portion is being built on or farmed). This is an amazing space and opportunity for the right people. Vilcabamba is an amazing place, and building materials and labor costs are extremely low. Also, there are no building codes on the books, so you can take liberties with your designs.
The acre itself is valued at $50,000. It is more than large enough for multiple respectably sized dwellings, and plenty of garden space or outdoor activities for children. We are a young couple planning a future together. Both of us have backgrounds in childhood education, but have no children of our own yet. Gregory is a music teacher, writer, and business coach, and I work in the Montessori method of teaching in San Diego right now.
We do not know when we plan to be in Vilcabamba next, but we have many connections in the area, including the founders of the Garden of Paradise neighborhood who will be able to assist you if you are down there now or planning to go there soon. If you’ve been looking for an affordable way to create your dream space in the The Valley of Longevity, this is your chance. If you like the cut of our jib, we’d love to get to know you. Please understand that though we will pursue this as a completely on-the-level business arrangement, we are looking for much more than just “business associates” to share the land with. We are seeking community.
If you, or anyone you know, is interested in this, please contact me to speak further, and we can talk about details. We are very agreeable and accommodating. Ciao!
Anna

Hello there,
I am a bit in shock from this wonderful website... I am also a bit taken aback by your post. It is exactly what I am looking for. When I saw that you posted your message today I literally got chills.
Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am currently traveling South America looking for like minded people that care about the environment. I studied Environmental Science and realized that I want to support myself by living in a permaculture community. I want to build my own home, grow my own food, and make my own necessities. I have experience with all of these areas, however I would like to learn more about each topic. I am looking for people that can show me their dream of living off of the grid so that I can help them make it come true. My dream is yours my friend.
I am currently in Barichara, Colombia. I am having a wonderful time painting murals in exchange for a place to sleep and food. However, something else is calling me. I want to spend my days making things that are not only beautiful but functional. There is nothing like the feeling of satisfaction one gets when they can use whatever they have created. I want to learn more about the lifestyle that is calling my name. I want to find a community to share my dream with.

I am an extremely hard, passionate and physically fit worker. If I sound like I could be of help to you please feel free to give me an email at oliviaimmitt@gmail.com. You can also find me on facebook under the name Olivebranch Imit.

You have given me hope and inspiration. Thank you.
Olivia Immitt

Hello there,

I have just joined this community website because I read your post and it's exactly what I have been looking for.... except that my dream is to do this in Western Australia. I am far off making this dream a reality however, mostly because I am a relatively new permaculture convert. I travelled to South America last year, which is when I first learnt about natural buildings and had my first experience working on an organic farm. It still didn't click though that this was something I desired to do... a way of life that I wanted. When I returned to Australia I began reading about sustainable practices and how to be more green, and then I started learning about this word permaculture and I have decided next month to do an online permaculture course. Following this, I plan to return to South America to undertake volunteer positions on permaculture projects.

My dream to live in Western Australia, in a community, where everyone follows permaculture practices and is happy and stress-free, could possibly be years away as it's very expensive to buy land here in the areas that I would wish to live. Maybe I should think outside the box.... in which case i would be very interested to come and see where you plan to start building your dreams. It's definitely more affordable for me! I did visit Ecuador last year but my travel there was limited by time factors. I am currently researching flights from Melbourne to Bagota, Colombia, where I hope to volunteer for 1-2 months. I could then perhaps come to visit Ecuador to see your slice of paradise and if you have started your project I would be eager to volunteer for you.

Where are you both from originally?

Sarah

Hello,

My name is Chance Black. This holiday season marks a point of transition for me. I have met with my family recently and it has been decided that I will be the one to travel down south this upcoming winter to explore new potentials for meaningful work. Our intention is to find a land-based project to support by working on various aspects of community-building. This would include efforts toward developing perennial food systems and renewable energy systems, of course. Beyond that, we have the specific intention of creating a cross-cultural connection revolving around an early childhood curriculum, called the Winter Sun Way, which is thriving within the boundaries of its conception, but needs to be set free into a greater context in order to induce eventual change for people who need it most. The nature of our quest requires so much work, I am sure! But the hope of being able to help even one family outside the United States borders has us excited beyond anything we've felt before.

My background is a patchwork of school, work, family and travel, as is true for most of us from the fragmented land of modern America. I graduated a couple years ago from CU Boulder with degree in Environmental Studies. I have worked on five organic farms, in Arizona, Washington, Michigan and Colorado. I have spent several months making my way through central America, learning Spanish to an extent and discovering the wonders of tropical conservation biology and permaculture. I am the oldest of seven children, and intend to role model through my actions the importance of seeking work that will help people and the local ecological reality, wherever we happen to be. My mother has designed and implemented the Winter Sun Way curriculum at a school she started back in Michigan. Now, more than one hundred families are working together under her guidance to nurture greater awareness amongst the children in our community. She is in the process of creating a non-profit that will produce this curriculum for early childhood in whatever language is called for, and lay out a training program that will help integrate the simple, place based educational model into the local culture. Selling the curriculum through a for-profit branch in the States will provide the funding for distribution elsewhere in the world.

I will be traveling as a research project for the family. My goal is to make sure that food security and respect for local ecology are represented in our educational endeavors. Personally, I have been wanting to head down to south america for some time now, with special interest in Ecuador. Whether or not we find a home for the curriculum in your distinct area, we intend to make connections and friends in order to eventually establish a base camp for our efforts. Latin America is our foremost place of interest because of proximity to home and existing knowledge of language and culture. I can be helpful in natural building projects, food forestry, and aquaponics. If all goes well, who knows where the road may lead.

Please respond as you see fit. Let me know if there is a time in January that would be best for a visit. Actually, our family will be in the Los Angeles Region for Christmas. Perhaps we could meet in person.


Thanks,
chance
nochance48@yahoo.com
231 329 0128
Flagstaff, AZ

Hello, my name Is Cesilia Muise I currently live in Massachusetts and I would love to discuss with someone some of my Cob Building Ideas! I have so many things I would love to do with natural building and be able to share some new opportunities to people all around the world. I would love to share my story with you and hope to get some of the recourses I need to start making my Goals Happen!
With Love,
Cesilia ❤️