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Couple raffling off eco-friendly lodge in Ecuador

La Casa Verde, an environmentally friendly lodge in Ecuador that hosts guests from all over the world, is being given away as a grand prize through a raffle.
Courtesy Tra Hitt

March 20, 2017, 5:20 PM

 -- One environmentally conscious couple is giving away the prize of not just a new home, but a new lifestyle.

Rebecca Greenshields and her husband are raffling off an eco-friendly lodge in Ecuador, along with $10,000 to assist the winners with airfare, visas and other expenses.

La Casa Verde has several room configurations to fit anything from a single guest up to an entire family.
Courtesy Darnell Dunn

"You are not just winning a prize," Greenshields told ABC News. "You are winning a home, a business ... an income and a lifestyle that is hard to beat."

Winners will assume all control of the lodge -- La Casa Verde -- which is a profitable business in the city of Baños with an already existing client base. The lodge is dedicated to reducing, reusing and recycling, according to its website. Some of its initiatives include replanting native trees and maintaining a garden, avoiding chemically based fertilizers and cleaning products and generating energy through hydro-electricity. La Casa Verde has more than 400 overwhelmingly positive reviews on TripAdvisor.

La Casa Verde is located in Banos, Ecuador, and is near the Agoyan waterfall and the Rio Pastaza, a tributary of the Amazon River.
Rebecca Greenshields

"Interest so far has been strong with a lot of positive feedback," Greenshields said. "We've built a lot of awareness through social media and also through some print and radio in [New Zealand], Australia and the U.K."

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Those at the lodge can also take a stroll near the Pailon del Diablo waterfall.
Courtesy Rebecca Greenshields

Greenshields said those interested in winning the raffle should go to their website and follow instructions on how to enter.

"Our target is 35,000 tickets for La Casa Verde to be the prize," Greenshields said.

The second floor balcony of La Casa Verde overlooks the surrounding hills of Ecuador.
Courtesy Darnell Dunn

If this threshold is not met, she said, 50 percent of the profits will be a cash prize for the winner, while the other 50 percent will cover costs of the raffle itself and be donated a local foundation in Ecuador.

"We are confident that we will get the numbers," she said.

About one kilometer down the road from La Casa Verde is Rio Ulba and Sangay National Park.
Courtesy Tra Hitt

Greenshields, a native of Australia, and her husband, who originally hails from New Zealand, have transformed La Casa Verde over the years into what it is now. But they have now returned to Australia to be closer to family.

"We really want to see someone win our place and experience the fantastic lifestyle that we have had the opportunity to have had the past 10 years," she said.

La Casa Verde has huge windows perfect for bird watching, including the hummingbirds that frequent the property.
Courtesy Darnell Dunn

Greenshields said the contest has already received entries from people in 30 different countries around the world. The winner will be chosen on Facebook Live on April 29 at 9 p.m. GMT.