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We are currently
Travelling
Description
Hello! We are a British couple who quit our jobs summer 2019 to live as sustainably as we can - while seeing new places, learning new skills and meeting new people. We both worked as university professors: Bruce taught environmental science and ecology, Kye taught sociology and previously worked in social support projects. We are both in our mid 50s, with 2 sons grown up and left home, so it’s time for us to do something different and help look after our planet.
We have enjoyed volunteering at music festivals in England for many summers, doing stewarding, recycling, composting, and running children’s activities. We are enthusiastic, hard workers and don’t mind getting hot, cold, tired, wet, muddy…. We like to be happy and laugh and smile - and we love sitting around a table or a fire, sharing food and stories.
We are keen to keep learning about organic and permaculture gardening/farming, and sustainable lifestyles, low impact buildings, renewable energy, composting toilets, habitat restoration and conservation. Maybe in the future we will be able to start our own project …
We have thoroughly enjoyed many Workaway experiences over the last 3 years: organic gardening in Spain, volunteering on organic fincas in Ecuador, Bolivia, Costa Rica and Panama, working in permaculture communities in Colombia and Chile, farming, gardening and villa maintenance in Argentina, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Greece. We have also been working on organic farms in the UK through the Wwoof scheme (Worldwide working on organic farms). Our special ability seems to be improving hosts' compost systems - but we have also learned lots about soil care, water management, and all sorts of fruit and vegetable growing tips and tricks, as well as other maintenance and building work.Interests
Cooking & foodGardeningMountainOutdoor activitiesPlant careSustainabilityVegetarian or veganPolitics / Social justiceNatureHikingFarmingDIY & craftsCultureCharity workCampingLanguages spoken
English: Fluent
German: Beginner
Spanish: Beginner
French: BeginnerSkills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
Some knowledge of:
GardeningDIY and building projectsGeneral MaintenanceLife at a FarmstayEco ProjectsMore details about your skills
We have spent much of the last 20 years as university lecturers, teaching and researching ecology and environmental science (Bruce) and sociology (Kye), and have a lot of experience working with young people, doing biodiversity surveys (Bruce) and environmental education (both).
Before being lecturers, we did a variety of other jobs, including community composting (Kye), and bar and café work. Bruce spent several years as Treasurer of a local Friends of the Earth group. Kye has volunteered with projects that use food saved from landfill to offer healthy meals for disadvantaged communities.Age
55 & 55
Some more information
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Special dietary requirements
We both try to be as vegan as we can - for environmental reasons. Where dairy is a central part of any permaculture/organic project, then it is sustainably and ethically practiced and we are happy to eat such eggs and cheese. We don't eat meat or fish tho
Feedback
We worked with other volunteers mostly on setting up new vegetable beds, sowing seeds, planting trees and developing the compost system.… read more
Thank you for getting it started and sharing your knowledge/love about just about everything. All the best and please… read more
Our tasks were varied: fixing the greenhouse, preparing new vegetable growing beds, clearing weeds, making barro (mud, sand, straw adobe… read more
The work is varied depending on the need of that day or… read more
Friends
Feedback
We worked with other volunteers mostly on setting up new vegetable beds, sowing seeds, planting trees and developing the compost system.… read more
Thank you for getting it started and sharing your knowledge/love about just about everything. All the best and please… read more
Our tasks were varied: fixing the greenhouse, preparing new vegetable growing beds, clearing weeds, making barro (mud, sand, straw adobe… read more
The work is varied depending on the need of that day or… read more
We visited Dec - Jan and the weather/time of year dictates the tasks to be done, of… read more
Thank you Kye and Bruce for all your efforts. It was very much appreciated. You are always welcome back.
Happy travels!
Thanks to you both for helping us with pruning clumps of bamboo AND… read more
Don't hesitate to host Bruce and Kye. You won't be disapointed