Maya Creek Ecovillage

Our Vision

Maya Creek is a demonstration and education site near Fulton, Missouri which holds tours and provides a space for workshops on sustainability related life skills as well as classes on self-reliance and self-sufficiency as it pertains to individuals and communities. Our goal is to develop a lifestyle in harmony with the environment that can continue for indefinite generations and be a resource for those wishing to change their lifestyles.

We are located on 310 acres of beautiful, diverse, rolling oak/hickory forest in the Ozark foothills of central Missouri. We follow Permaculture design principles, and intend to grow loads of delicious organic foods, build housing and other structures with natural local materials, and to create a communal culture that allows those involved to thrive with fewer external inputs and dependencies.

Mission Statement

To preserve and protect the land and all its inhabitants. To establish a lifestyle dedicated to taking responsibility for our own existence and that of future generations. We will care for and restore the earth's natural systems which are necessary for humans and all life. We will foster solidarity, cooperation, and meaningful human interactions. We will seek to promote these values and techniques through education, outreach, and by setting a good example in recognizition of everyone's mutual interest in a sustainable healthy planet, healthy lives, and a hopeful future.

Current Status

We are in only our third year starting from nothing but a few tents in the woods, and so we are still in the early stages of realizing our vision.

The main project thus far has been building a straw bale common house with basic amenities like running water, kitchen, shower, washing machine, etc. Amenities the house should have by early next year (2012). We are also in the process of building our first small straw bale guest cabin.

Until then, things are more primitive. We have a couple of campers, 4 tents with mattresses on covered tent platforms, an outdoor kitchen, a simple solar shower system in the garden, and we take trips to the laundromat every week or two.

On average residents and volunteers work on projects ~20 hours a week, circumstances and weather can cause it to vary. During free time there are several miles of trail running through the woods, along ridges and creeks that can be explored and enjoyed. There is also a 1 acre pond with a gazebo and dock where we hang out, float around on inner tubes, and cool off on hot days.

The common house does not and will not have air conditioning. However, because of the insulative values of the straw bales and the large amount of thermal mass inside, the temperature rarely exceeds 80 degrees even during most extreme outdoor heat. It serves as a great place to beat the heat.

Who We Are

At the moment there are 3 year-round residents, and there tends to be 1 or 2 volunteers here on average during the warmer months at any given time. There are also regular visitors on the weekends. You can view some profiles of common faces here.

Tours & Volunteering

If you are interested in seeing what we are up to we will be giving tours upon request while the weather is warm enough. The demonstration site is on an easily accessible ~4 acre area of the property. An optional tour of the rest of the 310 property including lake and creek system involves a 3 mile hike. Please let us know ahead of time if you would like to do the hike.

Because there are currently only a few full-time residents we are always in need of help of all kinds. Although we can not claim to be experts of any sustainability techniques quite yet, in exchange we still have a large amount of knowledge to share on things that have worked and not worked for us.

Volunteers are provided with a tent and mattress if we have one free. We also provide meals which are typically a conglomeration of produce from the garden, bulk staples, and other typical grocery items.

Please read the visitor information section as well as filling out the visitor questionnaire if you would like to come out for a tour or are interested in volunteering. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us. Also, we are not looking for new residents at this time.

Donations

Apart from helping us out with the labor on the numerous daunting tasks ahead of us, we also have a number of materials, tools, and other items that would help us significantly. If you're planning a visit and have any of these desired donations that you no longer need we'd be more than happy to take them off your hands.

We are currently exploring becoming 501(c)3 tax-exempt educational non-profit, which will allow us to write receipts and your donations would then be tax-deductible. At that time we will also begin accepting monetary donations if you would like to support us in that way.

Mailing List & Additional Info

A great way to keep up with happenings at Maya Creek is to sign up for our mailing list and get regular e-mail updates on new blog posts, videos, photos, etc. You can also follow us on Facebook.