Gaia: eco adventure villages & zevolution - earning a livelihood @ an eco village

Re: Internships

http://roderick.gaia.com — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:28:35 GMT

Walt!

That sounds like an AMAZING internship. I'd love to apply!

12 weeks is longer than I can take away from my enterprise here though...it's busy times for us with expanding our little team, securing a long term contract to manage and develop two islands, build a human resource development consulting and implementation practice, and create an eco-adventure tourism company! :~)

But what you're teaching there is so central to our vision. I'd love to make time to get there. But I may only be able to come for a few weeks, perhaps 3 at most.

Do you offer any such 'combined' internship programs with some remote learning and contributions thrown in?

Anyways, a big *thank you* for posting this internship, and am looking forward to your response :~)

~drigo

Subsidized Positions for Permaculture and Solar Energy Courses

http://thaneeya.gaia.com — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:31:16 GMT

Hi there,

We have some subsidized volunteer places for our Permaculture Design (May 1 - 10) and Solar eEergy (May 17 - 23) courses. We are seeking people interested in doing the courses that are willing to do 2 hours work each day to help us out. Duties will include cooking and cleaning and work in the garden. We also have one place on our Permaculture course for someone that could lead a yoga class each day. All these roles would allow you to take all the hours needed to complete the Permaculture Design course and be involved with nearly all the Solar workshops as well. We are asking €250 for the Permaculture course and €160 for the Solar Energy course. We look forward to hearing from you!

Be Well
Love
The Dharmahouse folks http://www.thedharmahouse.com/

The Dharma house community project
http://www.thedharmahouse.com

Info and discussion group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DharmaHouse/

may all beings live in light!

Visionary artist available for sponsored visits & travelling art

http://tufani.gaia.com — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 05:34:43 GMT

Visionary artist available for sponsored visits
- Sponsorship must cover travel, lodging, food and material expenses
(how you leverage or pay is up to you as long as its "legit" and good quality...
... no artnappers please. ... :-P )

What you get:
Artist appearances (me), original art to show, sell and donate to benefit fundraisers.

All art selected will be for sale and/or benefit auction. Commissions may vary. Standard is 10%-30% for host/venue and/or the work of successful salespeople

My personal style is pretty reserved... Shy, nerdy, Hermit-like-even... I'll attend a reception and do a little schmoozing if the location of the sponsored visit is kosher according to my astrocartography readout... (Jupiter, Venus, and Sun lines preferred. :)

What you can expect me to do while visiting:
Produce awesome visionary art, help hang art, network a bit, donate art to local charity, pose for photos, lounge, eat lots of healthy foods, meditate, do energy work, dance to kewl music and clean up after myself (if you don't already have cleaning services. :) and return home happy.

Also available, travelling art shows:
What you get:
Original art to show, sell and donate for benefit fundraisers.
- All via postal mail.

Tufani

Re: Internships

http://roderick.gaia.com — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:07:27 GMT

Sustainable Living Internship

Walt said Oct 27, 12:10 PM:

    The Windward Center is offering a series of 12 week sustainable-living, entry-level internships focused on renewable energy, sustainable food production and preservation, cooperative association, and much more.

    Windward is dedicated to the hands-on study and practice of practical, human-scale sustainable technologies in the areas of renewable energy, sustainable construction, animal husbandry and organic gardening within an on-going community context.

    We're practicing traditional arts such as organic gardening and working with wool, but we're also doing serious research on cutting edge systems such as aquaponics–the growing of plants and fish in the same system–and the conversion of forest waste into car fuel.

    We're committed to creating meaningful change, and believe that there's no more radical act than building a working model of a better way, that showing is better than talking, and that building new systems from the ground up is better than trying to make bad systems a little less bad.

    If you've ever dreamed of living with a group of friends who are focused on creating a joyful, sustainable life close to the land–if you're the sort of person who sees the need for a viable alternative to the consumer world, and who is willing to pick up the tools and help build a better way, we'd like to hear from you.

Walt Patrick
Internship Coordinator
The Windward Center
http://www.windward.org/
windward@gorge.net

Internships

http://roderick.gaia.com — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:06:48 GMT

Here's a post for those seeking internships, or offering them....

Seed Funding for Innovative Environmental Projects

http://roderick.gaia.com — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:05:16 GMT

... originally posted on the Eco Pod...

Seed Funding for Innovative Environmental Projects

Echoing said Oct 31, 9:40 PM:

Dear friends,

If you're thinking about starting up your own social change organization or have recently done so, I want to share an opportunity for seed funding with you. Please review the information below to learn how the Echoing Green Fellowship provides up to $90,000 in funding for new, innovative organizations working to create social change. In particular, keep in mind that Echoing Green has special funding for environmental projects this year.

That said, even if you're not interested in this fellowship yourself, I ask that you please forward this message to friends or listservs that would find it useful. Unlike other fellowships, you don't need to be nominated to apply - but the only way we can truly make it open to all is through your support.

Just make sure to spread the word soon as our application deadline is little more than a month away.

Much appreciated,
Jeremy

———————————–

VISIONARIES WANTED

* Do you have an incredible, new idea that could change your community, country, or world?

* Are you an entrepreneur who won't rest until your idea has been brought to life? Or a leader who has recently started an organization to do just that?

If so, apply for an Echoing Green Fellowship. You could receive up to $90,000 in seed funding and support to launch a new organization that turns your innovative idea for social change into action.

Follow in the footsteps of the founders of Earth Rights International, Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group, and over 400 other social change organizations and apply online by December 1, 2006.

Watch the video: http://www.echoinggreen.org/video

Find out whether you qualify: http://www.echoinggreen.org/shouldyouapply

Questions? Contact Jeremy at jeremy@echoinggreen.org.

Re: Practical tips for earning revenue at eco-adventure resorts

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 12:24:14 GMT

Roderick,

The only Indonesian website that I know that features payment gateway is Indo.com. You should contact eka@indo.com for more information about what bank indo.com uses as a payment gateway. Have fun at your health workshop weekend :)

Cheers,

Re: Practical tips for earning revenue at eco-adventure resorts

http://telesterion.gaia.com — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 22:16:52 GMT

Well, the first function of your website is to advertise your services, to serve as an online brochure, and as a contact point with your customers, so the first thing you would want to do is build a website that successfully fulfills that purpose.

After you have the advertising and selling tours part of the website up and working, you might want to use the site for booking. This could mean figuring out a way to take payments from your website, so that visitors can book a spot from the website, probably after an exchange of emails. How you handle this depends a bit on how you handle payments now.

So, the first thing is to get your business advertising and contact website up.

---

The nice thing about a business advertising website is that once it's up it doesn't take a lot of work to operate it. You answer the email, and maybe update the site once in a while.

I don't want to oversell to you the idea that money can be made from your website, and keep in mind my thinking was that the website would probably just make a little bit of money. For example, maybe you can get it to produce a thousand dollars a month for you (and maybe not, it's hard to tell without testing). Is that worth it to you, because it will take work to get it.

Just to give examples of ways money can be made from websites:

1. advertising has already been mentioned - but the thing about advertising is this - in order to get enough traffic to your website to make advertising worthwhile, you have to do a fair amount of work to make your site more popular, and to get good search engine spots.

2. selling your sales material - something like making a pretty tropical island dvd with a sales pitch and selling it for about $14. (There's an old principle in mail order business - make sure you make a profit on your catalog - because people like to get catalogs. same principle should apply to tour information.)

3. sell a subscription vacation pacakage. People pay $20 a month or so to eventually get a ticket for a island vacation.

4. sell a membership to your island community, perhaps in combination with the above subscripttion vacation.

Re: Practical tips for earning revenue at eco-adventure resorts

http://roderick.gaia.com — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:49:46 GMT

Awesome tips, Nadia :~) you rock.

"Your website will obviously attract a certain type of people. Having advertisements in the website is an idea. The advertisements should be in-line with your website, maybe a diving gear company, diving lesson company, organic restaurants such as Healthy Choice, Yoga lesson companies, Jocean's organic products?"

Definitely in the plans... the resorts we cover, catering services, organic veggies, yoga classes, equipment, etc. But it must be done unobtrusively, while maintaining the visual integrity and elegance of the website :~)

"The payment gateway will also be valuable for visitors who want to reserve and pay online with credit cards."
We always have challenges with taking downpayments, and dealing with cash on the island, or having to do transfers with our regional partners. An online payment gateway that is secure enough (Indonesia doesn't have the best reputation for secure online payments!) would be perfect for trip payments, for purchasing souvenirs and eco-gadgets, for membership fees, and for donations to regional (our destinations) charity / humanitarian / environmental projects. Can Citibank help me arrange this? Or other national banks like Mandiri? What about the credit card fraud issue?

"How about an online newsletter? Visitors can pick their area of interest, and you can send them newsletter along with your weekly/monthly/bi-weekly newsletter. You can make money by having advertisements in the newsletter that are in-line with the areas of interest that the visitors picked."

A customized newsletter. Love it. Like for the guy that loves Pelabuhan Ratu beach and wants to hear updates on that region, but also other areas where he could surf.

Maybe you can work together with Essence and Jocean, and also sell their products online. I know that Losari sells its organic products online, maybe you can check Losari's website for ideas.

This is another major money making opportunity from the website. Selling products. Everything from organic veggies, to air purifiers, to adventure equipment, to speed boats, motocross bikes, adventure cell phones, camping gear, GPS systems, etc.

Thanks for the contribution of your ideas!

Re: Practical tips for earning revenue at eco-adventure resorts

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 06:22:41 GMT

Roderick,

Your website will obviously attract a certain type of people. Having advertisements in the website is an idea. The advertisements should be in-line with your website, maybe a diving gear company, diving lesson company, organic restaurants such as Healthy Choice, Yoga lesson companies, Jocean's organic products?

The payment gateway will also be valuable for visitors who want to reserve and pay online with credit cards.

How about an online newsletter? Visitors can pick their area of interest, and you can send them newsletter along with your weekly/monthly/bi-weekly newsletter. You can make money by having advertisements in the newsletter that are in-line with the areas of interest that the visitors picked.

Maybe you can work together with Essence and Jocean, and also sell their products online. I know that Losari sells its organic products online, maybe you can check Losari's website for ideas.

Cheers :)

Re: Practical tips for earning revenue at eco-adventure resorts

http://roderick.gaia.com — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:09:02 GMT

Just came back from another trip. Two in the last two weeks. One with 40 people! - A few friends decided to celebrate their birthdays there and invited their friends to come aboard. And the one this last weekend with just 10 folks, but a great group. Saw a turtle for the first time, a couple of curious octopus', and a strange creature that looks kind of like a stretched out seahorse. Both trips were economically feasible, and I used some profits for the first trip to invest in more mattresses, sheets, pillows, and some renovations.

I'd love to be creating value through a website which could generate income. I've got the designs together for our website, and am planning to begin building it over the next few days during the Muslim Idul Fitri / Lebaran holidays. But I still can't quite grasp how to make money over the site except to use it as a vehicle for marketing United Adventure's services, or to allow selected advertising.

I do have another idea on a type of membership that could generate income, however. Basically, it combines adventure travel with personal mastery software and life planning (setting, keeping track of goals, etc), and a membership that generates priviliges at restaurants, bookstores, etc.. an alliance of concious partners.

I like the payment plan option... but what would be the benefits of the emotional on-line membership? Could you participate in forum discussions? Could you vote on where to place the trampoline, or on the design of a new bathroom?

As you said, Bill, making money from tourists and visitors is the focus for now - as it generates most of the income. So all my efforts are focused on securing a contract that satisfies all the stakeholders - the existing partners who share time with me, the two owners who have separate interests (father and son), the investor who will put up usd 10 - 15 thousand for improvements, and the family on the island that looks after the place. Besides that, renovation plans and marketing are the two secondary focuses.

Our next weekend is on the 4th-5th of November and will be an energizing weekend course. More about this soon...

The Eden Project

http://telesterion.gaia.com — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 01:51:00 GMT

I hadn't seen anything about this before - biomes in the British Isles - looks kind of interesting. I've known a few people who talked about the idea of a Green and Ecology Disneyland or Epcot Center - this is kind of like that.

http://www.edenproject.com/

Re: Practical tips for earning revenue at eco-adventure resorts

http://telesterion.gaia.com — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 04:08:35 GMT

Well, you have a situation where you basically have three different possible sources of income.

You can make money from tourists and visitors.

You can make money from the local population around the island.

You can make money from the outer world, either online or by selling some kind of mail order product.

I'd been assuming that you would make most of your money, 95% at least, by selling to tourists and visitors.

Selling to tourists and visitors is hard work, especially getting started out, but it's not rocket science - you need to invest money in lodgings and equipment (boats, scuba, etc) , which you rent. You invest money in a restaurant and beachside foodstand, and sell food to your captive audience. You create souvenier products, and sell them.

It's not rocket science, but it is pretty expensive.

I've suggested in the past making money with an online presence, selling an emotional membership in the island, setting up an online payment-plan option to buy vacations in the future, and selling souveniers online.

I think you could make enough money with the right online business to pay the bills during the slow times.

Practical tips for earning revenue at eco-adventure resorts

http://roderick.gaia.com — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 14:39:02 GMT

How do we actually generate the revenue that we need to pay our bills, maintain our property, pay salaries, and generally keep things running smoothly?

If anyone can share some wisdom here, please jump in...

Part of the concept that we are building on this pod is that an eco village can generate income from tourism. People need to take vacations once in awhile - so there is a need here that can be met with simple lodges or accommodations at an eco village premises.

There are a thousand ways to earn income, and here are just a few to consider:

corporate functions - corporations have budgets for training and retreats. With usually a single point of contact, this can be an efficient marketing exercise and can lead to longer term relationships with organizations.
field trips - for environmental science classes / biology field trips. A focus on sustainability and seeing how sustainability works in practical terms rather than just theory is a hands on approach to education.
courses - anything from a weekend detox to an intensive thai massage course to a cooking course. Team up with local teachers who already have a database of students and a solid reputation.
activities - earn income from rental of equipment and guided services. On our island, we have snorkeling equipment, wind surfers, and canoes. Besides adding to the attractiveness of the destination, activities offer a good source of income.
A la carte menus - once you have a decent kitchen in place, and if you are or can employ a good cook, meals are classic revenue generators. Tasty organic foods straight from your farm. Fresh fish from a nearby river / the sea.

For me, it's been rather difficult to secure individual participation. I send out emails, text message advertising, and I write articles in local magazines. These have generated some interest, but not enough to sustain the enterprise. Working with organizations is a strategy definitely worthwhile pursuing.

Another critical lesson to consider is this - we have ideas for what might work, and what we might be interested in, but these don't necessarily match the needs and wants 'out there.' United Adventures is putting together a modified survey, which is simple to fill out... And we are handing these to all our existing and potential clients and getting feedback. Needs assessments are critical... spending time developing and putting together products and services that don't necessarily get the desired response can be frustrating - so compile a survey and get some feedback from your market!

For those of you involved in eco villages, or who have experience... please do share... how have you found the process of earning cash? What actually works?

Namaste,

~drigo

Re: So, what's your business like?

http://telesterion.gaia.com — Tue, 23 May 2006 02:46:20 GMT

Agri-tainment is a concept you'll hear at times on the tv human interest news - usually tied to those corn mazes or halloween haywagon rides. Basically, farming done as a retail operation, allowing suburbanites to go play on the farm as a form of entertainment for the kids.

There's a couple of sucessful farm operations near me that use this concept. But you have to have the right location for it to work.

Your plan is basically an eco-adventure resort, not so much agritainment. (I left out a comma in my post that mentioned agritainment, that made it seem like I was calling your project agritainment.)

Re: So, what's your business like?

http://roderick.gaia.com — Sun, 21 May 2006 17:21:17 GMT

Just returned from 'agri-tainment,' although it's quite different than that. Blissful weekend it was. Here's my favorite testimonial from a young French woman working at the French cultural institute in Surabaya (major trading city in Indonesia). ' Paradise does exist!'

It was a group of 15, plus I brought two cooks. The friends of friends in the group were from America, Indonesia, Norway, Germany, Poland, India, Australia, England, Portugal, Holland, Canada, and France. That's quite typical, actually :-) their careers included an intern at the national airline maintenance facility, a chiropractor, a senior journalist from the Australian Financial Times, UN personnel, a Fullbright scholar & economics professor in New York, 'officers' from Peace Brigades International, clothes designers, and me, the tour guide / ceo of united adventures :~)

I'll be posting some pictures from the weekend soon (Tuesday) at our blog

But the mission here isn't eco. It's lifestyle. It's showing people possibilities. It's encouraging them to dream. It's re-connecting them with natural beauty, and coaching them to appreciate and respect it. It's tantalizing their taste buds with delicious, organic vegetables, and making sure they know it's organic. It's about introducing ways that they can increase the quality of their lives by living in harmony with nature. About how to take care of a beautiful indoor plant that they can keep at their office desk in their high rise to remember the place, remember the beauty. It's about facilitating an incredible vacation experience that broadens their horizons about what's possible. It's about leaving Brian's thinkarete philosophy printed on a table on the sundeck with a candle holder on top of it so it doesn't blow away, and if no-one picks it up, handing it to the young intern at the airline maintenance facility and asking him if he's a philosopher (that's exactly what I did). It's about bringing people together from different walks of life and having them share an incredible experience together. It's about noticing the curiosity of a guest when it rains, and showing them how our water catchment system works.

So in essence, it's not really an eco village yet. It's a small grouping of mainly wooden structures on a beautiful island with a loving vibe, great food, a decent host, some ecological awareness and guidelines, and a few powerful dreams. Any anyone with USD 65-130 got a ticket. Some slept outside on a mattress. Others in comfy cabins.

It's about matching capitalism with a humanitarian and ecological inspiration. My challenge is how to build this place into a truly eco-friendly and sustainable resort (and one that can be used as a model for other islands) while making a good living from it.

That means Yoga and cooking classes for bored housewifes, during the week. An organizational / corporate gathering during the week / weekends. Small group trips like the one I just did during weekends. A photo shoot for a commercial. A birthday party. etc. Field trips for school kids.

Had an American friend of mine who's running an NGO for clean water systems and waste management do a mini survey of our island. If you're interested in it, send me an email at unitedadventures@yahoo.com and I'll share it with you.

Am grateful for your contributions! I'm really still just at the beginning, but I'm profoundly excited, energetic, passionate, and committed to seeing how this can work... not if it can work. I believe eco/adventure/inspirational resorts like these really can plant the seeds of change... and that they will. There's a lot to this plan.

My feeling is that there are lots of powerful forces outside of our control. A lot of bad things have happened already, Bill. Tsunamis, earthquakes, 9/11, Iraq, Sudan, Katrina - I've been pulled into monitoring catastrophic disasters, because I believed since 9th grade that there would be major natural disasters, and that very few of us would survive. That's why organic farming and alternative energy, waste management, libraries, etc are a central part of the 'resort' concept. It's time to act. I believe that if we can start breathing more love and inspiration, more hope and integrity through humanity and our earth, that massive catastrophe won't be necessary anymore.

Thanks Bill, and Tru, for the comments that inspired this :-) As for the other honorable members of this pod, let's get thinking ;~) I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts.

Re: So, what's your business like?

http://telesterion.gaia.com — Sat, 20 May 2006 07:22:30 GMT

It would be nice to think so, but the burned-out eco-builder in my head says to me, "No, things have to get significantly worse than this before people will even consider it.".

Because, you know, it's more expensive. You need to build some extra features, and it's hard to get funding for extra features.

But, it might be time for things like interest groups and eco-village clubs to happen again. To get together and talk about the possibilities. Maybe something with an investment plan, to sock away a bit of extra money.

And demonstration, leisure, and maybe agri-tainment projects like what Roderick is talking about.

Re: So, what's your business like?

http://go.gaia.com — Mon, 15 May 2006 09:38:59 GMT

I'm optimistic the tide can be turned on that. Hopefully with more push and power behind the throne of ecoism we'll see a conscious shift in society.

Hopefully.

Alternative energy & the global eco village network

http://roderick.gaia.com — Wed, 03 May 2006 14:33:22 GMT

I've just been on a whirlwind trip from Phoenix to Los Angeles, Claremont, San Francisco and now have finally arrived back in Indonesia to warmth and humidity :-) Apologies for not tending to the discussion over the last few days, but such is the nature of my life being an eco adventure traveller (which is awesome, when a good living can be made of it)

As far as alternative energy goes, for our island project we are mainly considering solar panels. Currently, we use a combination of old generators at a cost of about 55 dollars for two days use. I must admit, our investigation into the energy systems is just starting now so my knowledge in that area is limited - although given the high current costs we must look into it. We'll be looking into purchasing solar panels from a local company called Sundaya - and will be using the power mainly for the kitchen (fridges), fans in the 6 rooms and 'living center', a stereo system, and lighting.

I'm imagining China and India will be producing some inexpensive solutions for alternative energy but haven't had the time yet to look for a source... Can you describe the photovoltaic system you mentioned?

Also, the site you recommended for the eco village network is awesome. Internships and job opportunities are listed there... so for anyone interested, I'd suggest a quick visit.

Global Ecovillage Network

http://telesterion.gaia.com — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 05:25:29 GMT

By coincidence, following peak oil links, I came across this website for the Global Ecovillage Network - as I recall, these folks have been around for a while...

http://gen.ecovillage.org/