At this time (Aug 2023) SoPilar is partway through a sale to Maya Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Maya Economic Development Corporation is a nonprofit organization incorporated as a charitable, public benefit corporation in the state of Nebraska, United States, under the Nebraska Nonprofit Act. MEDC is a tax exempt organization under the United States Internal Revenue Service Code, s. 501(c)(3). The mission of the Maya Economic Development Corporation, as a Q'anjob'al Maya owned nonprofit enterprise, is to foster entrepreneurship among all Maya citizens, create socially responsible investment opportunities, provide access to competitive capital for Maya-owned businesses, and drive trade with other Indigenous communities and the world.
This aligns with our original intent for SoPilar, and provides a framework for the continuation of the facility after we are gone. As usual though, no multi-party transaction can ever go through quickly, so for now we are still 'pending'. However, on Thursday the 10th of January 2024, Luis Marcos, the president of Maya Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) flew to our home for signing the sales contract and the two of us executed multiple copies and generally made it all legal. Essentially, they will complete the earth-sheltered house and use it with the existing thatch buildings as a meeting place meeting place for Maya elders of any nation. Therefore MEDC will provide for the continued maintenance and growth of the forest gardens and generally untouched jungle. For this purpose, they will continue with our current caretaker, Placido Cunil, who has been taking care of the buildings, plants, and animals for many years now. This is not, of course the end of the process. The lawyers will have to prepare the actual transfer papers and I’ll have to sign them, then they go to the Land Office for proper recording. Still, it is the major milestone on the way.
For a gallery of pictures of the land as it was and has become Click Here. It includes pictures taken back in 2010 at the dedication of the main chmpa and pictures that are laid out in a 6 down by 11 across grid, so all the pictures taken from places close together should be in the same cell.
>>>I mean to re-do this into a subject-oriented structure which will include a lot more history.
Here is a Users Guide to SoPilar. It provides some history, but mostly focuses on the things an owner needs to know going forward. Click Here.
After a few years, the main champa needed the thatch to be patched up. Pictures are Here.
Pictures of the intended new house site before construction are here: Click Here.
>>>I have pictures of the half-completed house that I will add when I get the chance.
We hope that MEDC will complete the building as a meeting facility, but that will up to them.
in 2019 we did a survey of the Flora with Dr. Narciso Torres. Here is a photo and map display: Click Here.
We frequently put out trail cameras, both on our trail network and also at a Maya aguada. All the fauna pictures are found here Fauna.
Click any thumbnail to load the full-size image and use "BACK" in your browser to return to the full list.
As usual, I have a lot more to add once I get the chance.
We never reached the point of having an actual mission statement, but our first thoughts about what we were trying to to are here: Click Here.
There is a section of photographs of the adjacent Belize El Pilar Archeology Park from my personal site Click Here.
Or you can go to that site itself at fge3.net.
Once we ran a campground here. We have repurposed the campground's domain (.COM, that is, this site) to be our intent and history site. This will make the .ORG domain available to MEDC if they so choose.
Were you wondering why the logo looks like that?
Click Here to find out.