Most NFT projects are about making money.
Often, even those that claim to be about charity are really just leveraging the get-rich-quick meta of the last 2y.
I’m helping launch a project that’s different. About making a difference. And getting something valuable from it!
A good friend approached me recently during a road trip to Spain. He shared that the Amazonian jungle where he did his Ayahuasca journey, in Peru, was about to be bought up by construction companies and turned to sand pits.
They needed $180k to buy the land first.
Now, this place is a retreat centre in a village in the middle of the Amazonian jungle, pristine, beautiful. My wife also did her Ayahuasca journey there.
This place is led by a Shaman, Heberto, who has done this work all his life, with 30y of experience.
From the accounts of both my friend and my wife, he is kind, helpful, knowledgeable, experienced, and works tirelessly to help the people living there with him.
When you imagine a “proper” Shaman, rather than someone who just did a workshop and claimed the title – this is it.
But despite running an ayahuasca retreat centre successfully for a long time ( https://yosiocha.com ), Heberto had no way to suddenly raise $180k to save the land that he and his people live on.
My brain started working on this problem as we drove down the French motorways.
The answer soon came up: why not sell workshops ahead of time, to people willing to be patient, and use the money to buy the land?
So long as Heberto could serve these people alongside his regular visitors, that might work.
And so this project came to life.
The concept is simple and illustrates the power and flexibility of NFTs, which don’t have to all be about investment.
In this case, it’s about flexible decentralised ticketing and global fundraising for a cause I suspect we all support (preserving the Amazon from the sand pits).
The project will issue 144 NFT tickets at about $1.2k each (price may vary depending on Eth on the day).
Each NFT can be surrendered in exchange for a booking at the Yosi Ocha centre (normal cost $1.2k), which can take up to 15 NFT bookings per month, first booked first served.
The NFT bookings will be scheduled alongside regular bookings so that there is still revenue for the centre to operate, since the revenue from the NFTs will all go to saving the jungle!
If you buy one of those tickets and you change your mind, you can resell it, markets allowing.
You can also buy it just to donate the money to buying the land.
Or you can buy it and gift it to someone.
Or you can buy several for you and others.
Or several for yourself!
If the money cannot be put to use buying the Amazon, it will be refunded to ticket holders.
Otherwise, it will all go to the “Green Hands” charity to buy 120 hectares of jungle 20km south of Iquitos to stop it being turned into sand.
Twitter for this project: @landnotsand
I’m super pleased that @Zeneca_33, @intenex and @Mai_on_chain have joined forces with me in helping make this happen. In fact, the premint site (to collect interest until the mint site is ready in a week) is on Ben & Mai’s great project, @heymintxyz : https://app.heymint.xyz/stoptheamazonbeingturnedtosand
ng turned to Sand: Book an Ayahuasca Retreat Today!
Unlike many “charity” projects, this is not going to be resulting in some 10% donation when the founders feel like it.
All of the mint money will be immediately converted to USDC. Then, when the amount has been raised and the land can be bought, 100% of it goes to buy land.
No one is getting paid or receiving % fees on @landnotsand – other than transaction fees or USDC swap fees ofc.
Green Hands, being a charity, will not pay tax on these donations.
I will control the wallet personally and post all transactions on Twitter for transparency.
Meanwhile, as a buyer, you will have a ticket to book an Ayahuasca retreat with a skilled Shaman in the Amazon, worth $1,200. And you will have directly contributed to stopping the destruction of this precious environment.
If this seems like a good deal to you, sign up on the HeyMint site here:
https://app.heymint.xyz/stoptheamazonbeingturnedtosand
And yes, I will be buying one, as will @Intenex and @Mai_On_Chain .
Will you?
Please share this if you feel this cause is worth supporting. Thank you ❤️🙏
FAQ:
- What if we don’t raise enough money?
If there is enough money to buy at least part of the land, we will do that.
Any money not spent on land will be offered up for refunds, first come first served, via a system like the one pioneered by @CuriousAddys (details TBD). - How will the refunds work exactly?
Well, I don’t know yet. Part of the issue is that we’ll be converting the Eth mint price into USDC asap. And Eth is volatile. So maybe when you claim a refund it will be worth a bit less, or a bit more, we don’t know. Work in progress. - When does this need to happen?
We need to have bought the land at the latest by the end of September – ideally sooner. Every day is a day when one of the land owners might give in and sell. Heberto is well respected there and so managed to buy some time, but not infinitely so. - Can I buy more Ayahuasca retreats there after this is done?
Yes, via the normal website channel, at the same price – but that money will go to the centre for its running costs and community support expenses rather than to buy land. - What the hell is an Ayahuasca retreat?
If you don’t know anything about it, start here: https://yosiocha.com/ayahuasca-plant-medicine/ - Will there be royalties?
Nope. - What’s the link again?
https://app.heymint.xyz/stoptheamazonbeingturnedtosand - When does mint start?
Not yet decided, but we hope to do it soon (1-2w). - How will the AllowList be handled?
If there is much more interest than tickets, we will figure a way to reward the first signups with the opportunity to mint first. - What else does Green Hands do with the money from the retreats?
They support the local community, including 580 orphans, and provide them with clean water.
- Can I donate to Green Hands directly?
Sure, but if we don’t buy the land, there won’t be a community to help.
Final reminder: you can express your interest in this at https://app.heymint.xyz/stoptheamazonbeingturnedtosand
Also follow @landnotsand where we will tweet updates and announce when the mint is live.
If Ayahuasca is calling to you, why not also save the Amazon while you’re at it?
Thank you for your time.
Original Thread:
Most NFT projects are about making money.
Often, even those that claim to be about charity are really just leveraging the get-rich-quick meta of the last 2y.
I'm helping launch a project that's different. About making a difference. And getting something valuable from it!
— Daniel Tenner (@swombat) August 29, 2022