(Excellent)

Jacky [Feb 25, 2010]:

This is a place for personal transformation. I came to this conclusion having spent 10 weeks here and having seen the changes in myself and others. Your experience here will largely depend on how much you get involved but this place already has many supporting elements in place to facilitate a memorable experience.

Nature – The trees, the flowers, the birds, the starry night sky will constantly remind you that you are living off the grid, among 83 acres of forest. The air is fresh and the views are stunning. All this is afforded without sacrificing much of the infrastructures that we are accustomed to in the cities, such as electricity, internet, hot showers and a comfortable place to sleep.

Animal – There are 8 dogs and 3 cats buzzing around. They are gentle and playful. They have added a different dimension of intimacy to my time here and brought me closer to nature.

Work – I had no knowledge of permaculture prior to my arrival. While here, I gained hands-on experiences with natural building, woodworking, planting, cooking, trail-making, renewable energy systems and many practical skills to live sustainably. The work is varied everyday and is rewarding in many ways.

Food – Food is delicious and plenty, meal after meal. I have never lived on just vegetarian food before but the food is so good here, I have not had any craving for meat.

Activity – Almost everything you can imagine is possible here. I have participated in yoga, archery, trapeze, volleyball, hiking, jump roping, juggling and many activities to get your blood pumping. In your quite times, there are at least 4,000 books span over all major topics at your disposal. At night, live music and fire is a magical way to wind down the day.

Class – Many classes are available if you interested in learning a craft. I learned how to make bread and made a knife using recycled materials. The place empowers the teacher in all of us. Silk-screening, didgeridoo, paper, Diablo sticks, weaving are among the many things volunteers have made and taught to others.

People – At the heart of any community is its people. Brian and Marie are a constant force behind the vision for a better way of living. Volunteers cycle through and they add their unique flavor and skills to the mix.

As amazing as it is already, the place is still in its infant stage. Everyone passes through will be able to have an impact on shaping its future. My time here has been simple, pure and full of joy. I cannot wait to return one day to see what it has become. Its success can be a model for all seeking an alternative lifestyle and I wish many will have the courage to search for what has been lost in our current civilization.

(Neutral)

host profile [Mar 07, 2010]:

Titiane volunteered here for two weeks.

She really killed the general vibe among volunteers because of her hatred for the English language. She speaks English better than Spanish, but if you switch to English with her (after she doesn't understand the Spanish) she gets annoyed.

We've hosted over 150 volunteers here, and she is the only one to, after being away from our place for nearly a month, post inflammatory comments on our social networking sites.

She is a nice person generally, and if you have a purely Spanish speaking environment she may work out for you, but she is judgmental and snobby about English. She also believes she has a right to attend parties in very small towns (under 300 people) that have specifically said they do not want tourists at their parties. We didn't let her go to our neighboring town's party and she did not like this rule at all, feeling that it was within her right as a tourist to crash a small village's party.

Our environment was decidedly more negative with her here. I do not recommend this helper.

For your reference, this is what she has to say about us (our rules are clearly stated on the website, and contractually by submitting your application to volunteer you agree to follow the rules):

" Cosas IMPORTANTES a saber antes de ir al ---!!!Mi EXPERIENCIA en el --- fue muy DECEPCIONANTE, porque era un lugar a donde estaba solamente gente que hablaba exclusivamente ingles,todo el dia!! Lo que pienso que es un lugar que atrae solamente a los occidentales que quieren huir del sistema capitalista, ...para vivir aislados en un bosque, si bien con alternativas energeticas pero sin compartir nada con la poblacion de Mexico...Porque cosas muy IMPORTANTES es que hay reglas, NECESITAMOS REGRESAR a LAS 7:30pm por la cena, lo que es muy temprano si quieres visitar un poco de los pueblos vecinos despues del trabajo!! y la PROHIBICION total de PARTICIPAR en ALGUNA FIESTA en UN PUEBLO VECINO por no DESACREDITAR la REPUTACION del ---.
CONCLUSION : no puedo entender el sentido de ir a un pais sin compartir con la gente, y con la vida de este... Titiane, de FRANCIA"

(Excellent)

host profile [Feb 04, 2010]:

Alejandra volunteered with us for 3 weeks. During her time here she helped build huts and a chicken coop out of cob (a natural building material like adobe), she helped prepare dirt for our planting season, and she translated parts of our blog and website.

Beyond her working contributions, her positive attitude and friendly demeanor were a welcome addition to the volunteer team here.

If you are considering Alejandra for volunteer service, we recommend her completely. An honest, friendly, sincere individual; your project would undoubtedly benefit from her help.

(Excellent)

host profile [Feb 04, 2010]:

Jacky has been working with us for nearly two months now. He is a truly amazing addition to our ever-evolving community!

Jacky has been involved in building huts and a chicken coop out of cob, preparing soil for our planting season, and helping us cook vegetarian meals. Due to his positive work ethic and personal motivation, we've given him a list of miscellaneous jobs to do and he spends most of his days self-directed. And on days when we just need some hard work done, he's happy to help any way he can.

Besides work, Jacky's positive manner and goofy personality make him easy to chat with and fun to be around. He is not proficient at Spanish but doesn't let that stop him from talking with people and carrying on conversations. So "a little" Spanish becomes a lot, because he's outgoing and not afraid to make mistakes for the sake of friendly communication.

Don't miss an opportunity to add Jacky to your volunteer team!