Help with a forest garden and tree planting project in Arganil, Portugal

Informationen

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  Beschreibung

  Family looking for help with a Forest Garden, and also with tree planting and nature conservation projects, near the market town of Arganil.
  
  UPDATE (March 2025) :
  This year we plan to finally get round to making our cottage more habitable, and so we would be delighted to hear from people with skills related to stone work, woodwork, and so forth.
  Besides the cottage in which we live we also have five other 'xisto' buildings which need attention.
  
  This is not to say that we won't also be working on the land - we most certainly will. We hope to be able to get some trees into the ground in March; and we still have land which needs clearing of broom and brambles so that, in autumn, we will be able to plant more trees.
  
  Anyone helping with any of this work on the land needs to be very fit.
  
  Besides operating as Nature's own carbon capture technology, our seedling and sapling trees are the first step in the restoration of the local, fire-damaged environment. Mother nature will do most of the work - and in a truly magical way - but, for the most beneficial outcome, we need to give her a helping hand. As we see it, there is almost no more valuable thing that a person can do, in this time of climate collapse, than assist in the effort to restore the eco-system, because without a healthy eco-system the world, as we know it, is going to die.
  
  Eventually, we hope, the forest of oaks, cork oaks, and other native trees that we're planting will repair the local water cycle. Transpiration (which is the system by which trees suck up water and subsequently allow it to evaporate through their leaves) will encourage the rain to fall. Meanwhile, the roots of the trees will improve retention of water in the soil and will hold the soil together. The trees, and the spontaneous under-storey, will also provide a habitat for wildlife - and, indeed, this part of the dream is already beginning to come true. Already the roe deer, the badgers, the red squirrels, rabbits, and martens have returned to our valley. Rumour has it that a lynx was recently seen not far away from us, so we have our fingers crossed that he might someday pay a visit to our haven.
  
  Alongside the all-important tree planting we also need to plant a food garden (also known as a Forest Garden). To this end, we are installing an irrigation system, and we're aiming to create tanks and ponds.
  The ponds also serve as homes for wildlife. Within a week of the creation of our first pond it was home to newts, a water vole, and a water snake, and insects of various sorts were laying their eggs there. So we now want to build several other ponds, over the various springs which issue from the steep hillside. The second pond is now almost ready. It just needs to be made waterproof and we need to install pipes to control the overflow and the irrigation water.
  
  Another very important project for this spring will be the fencing of our land; because, as things stand, the javali (wild boar) come onto the terraces every night and wreak havoc. The javali have the entire valley to play in, and we have to protect our own small patch from their destructive activities.
  
  Alongside these major projects we would also be happy to hear from volunteers with experience of growing vegetables. Please don't volunteer for this particular job unless you know what you're doing, because we've already had an entire crop of salad veg destroyed by an over enthusiastic volunteer who was not so skilled as she'd led us to believe! :-O
  
  PLEASE NOTE: The terrain here is very steep, meaning that this is not a suitable venue for anyone who is unfit. Also, note that our accommodation is basic, with composting loos and no hot shower. In fact, if anyone is available to come and build us a bathroom... that's another thing that's on the 'To Do' list. It keeps getting pushed down the list, because mending the planet comes first.
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  OUR STORY :
  After 30 years of travelling under sail, we've decided that it's time to put down some roots. Tree roots! The world needs more trees - and we, meanwhile, need a place where we can grow our own food. So we've moored our dreams and aspirations on a mountainside in Portugal, and we're planting an area of native forest on one hillside, and on the adjacent abandoned terraces we're planting a mixed orchard (fruit trees, nut trees, berry-bearing shrubs, etc).
  We've also started growing our own veg, and we have some chickens. Oh, and a stray cat has adopted us. In the future we hope also to have sheep and a donkey.
  I guess we could call it a permaculture, eco project, but that sounds a bit hypey, so we just call it a Forest Garden.
  Our long-term hope is to run the place as a very low-key meditation centre, perhaps with a resident Buddhist monk or nun - but first we will have to restore the old stone huts so that people have somewhere to stay.
  
  Setting up a place like this is a lot of work for just the three of us, so we're looking for help.
  We're also hoping for some companionship and conversation. After a lifetime of travelling we're accustomed to being part of a mobile, flowing community - an infinite fellowship of people of all races, cultures, ages and backgrounds; a loose affiliation of folk who consider the whole planet to be their home; a people for whom No Fixed Abode is an address to be proud of. In short, we love our new lifestyle - we love the fact that we're finally doing something meaningful and worthwhile, for the health of the planet - but we miss the company of like-minded souls who drift through our ambit.
  We would also be very happy to share the project on a long-term basis if we are so lucky as to meet a couple, or a family, or an individual who seems to belong with us.
  
  Lovers of wildlife are always very happy here. The entire valley below the cottage has been abandoned for decades. Absolutely nobody ever goes there apart from us, and even we have only had time to explore a tenth part. As a result, it is home to many species of woodland bird and also to all sorts of mammals and reptiles and amphibians. In effect, it's a hundred-hectare wildlife reserve.
  Buzzards, eagles, and ravens sail over us as we work. Goshawks and mongooses hunt our chickens (making it impossible for us to allow them to free range). Lizards scamper along the walls. Snakes and slow worms slip away through the grass. Newts, frogs and toads have set up home in our pond and in our potato patch. Salamanders emerge from the gutters at night when it rains. Our wildlife cameras often see a badger, but we've yet to find his sett... Foxes, roe deer, and javali (wild boar) visit our land far more often than we would wish; and there are also genets,weasels, and pine martens around the place at night. There used to be wolves here, seventy years ago when the land was in use. Maybe there still are...
  
  ABOUT US :
  We are all vegetarian and non-smokers.
  Our first language is English, but we can also get by in Portuguese, Spanish, and French.
  
  - Mum is an artist, a writer, and a Buddhist, but currently without the time to practice any of these things. She is the driving force behind the plan to build meditation cells in the woods some day (along with a studio, an outdoor lounge with a fire-pit, and all sorts of other good things - WHEN we have the time...)
  
  - Dad is a mechanic. He likes fixing things, and he also likes digging ponds and watering the trees. He has Parkinson's disease, but he keeps going, anyway. In fact, it seems that the every day, all day exercise which is entailed in our project helps to keep the degenerative disease at bay.
  
  - Son (aged 33) is proficient with electronics and computing but nowadays spends most of his time building stone walls, pruning trees, installing irrigation pipes, and planning the nature conservation area. He is the MD of the entire project.
  
  We all enjoy hiking, when we have the time. And we like sailing...
  
  Besides needing some help with the land and the trees, we are also eager to find someone who can be trusted to look after this place while we take a break, in the winter, and go sailing. This currently entails feeding the chickens, cuddling the cat, and making sure that the avocado trees don't blow away. In return, you get to live in our very rustic cottage with its amazing view and its opportunities for rambling, painting, and 'retreating'.
  
  There is also the possibility of some adventures under sail, for the right person - because now that the youngest member of the family has left home to do her own thing, we have a spare cabin. The boat is currently in the Pacific and is ready to carry us to wherever we whim. Polynesia? Canada? Antarctica...? Perhaps we'll discover another 'paradise', somewhere, and put down some more tree roots!
  
  If any of this appeals, please drop us a line and tell us all about yourself.
  
  BUT DON'T FORGET: The terrain here is very steep, meaning that this is not a suitable venue for anyone who is unfit!

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  Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten

  Gartenarbeiten

  Heimwerker- und Bauarbeiten

  Betreuung von Tieren

  Handwerkliche Arbeiten

  House sitting
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  Interessengebiete

  

  Vegetarier / Veganer

  

  Nachhaltigkeit

  

  Gärtnern

  

  Geschichte

  

  Kunst & Design

  

  Gartenarbeiten

  

  Schreiben

  

  Zeichnen & Malen

  

  Astronomie

  

  Tiere

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Natur

  

  Fitness

  

  Camping

  

  Segeln / Boote

  

  Gebirge

  

  Wassersport

  

  Outdoor-Aktivitäten

  

  Wandern
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  Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Since our home is in a small, friendly village, visitors have the chance to get to know the traditional Portuguese way of life, and they also have the opportunity to learn Portuguese at the daily get-togethers.
  Volunteering here also presents a useful learning opportunity for those who are considering similar projects (ie. growing our own food; the restoration of abandoned land for the creation of a 'Food Forest'; the planting of a forest of native trees on a steep hillside; the restoration of old schist buildings).

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  Arbeit

  We're currently looking for people who would like to operate the electric strimmer and the hedge cutter, in order to maintain existing paths and to clear new land for tree planting.
  
  Assistance in the veggie garden would also be welcome, the main chore here being weeding and also creating new beds. (But please don't volunteer to do the weeding if you can't tell the difference between aubergines and thistles...)
  
  So far as the Forest Garden is concerned, our task is to strim, and then to weed, feed, and mulch the trees. Here, we very much prefer to have the help of people who are interested in permaculture and in the concept of creating a multi-layered garden (formed of trees, fruit-bearing shrubs, and edible ground-cover) which will eventually be our principal food source.
  
  We'd also be delighted to hear from someone who has experience in restoring old stone walls or who has building experience.

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  Sprachen

  Gesprochene Sprachen
  Englisch: Fließend
  Spanisch: Gute Kenntnisse
  Französisch: Gute Kenntnisse
  Portugiesisch: Gute Kenntnisse

  Dieser Gastgeber bietet Sprachaustausch an
  We're eager to improve our Portuguese. We're also happy to share our native language, English.
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  Unterkunft

  We can offer single accommodation in a stone building, immediately opposite our own cottage. We can also house couples or families in a house in a nearby village, ten minutes away. Facilities are traditional - which is another way of saying rustic, or basic - with only cold water and composting toilets.
  The aforementioned house, in the nearby village, has a shower with a gas water-heater. What luxury! Up at the cottage, during the summer we use a shower bag slung from a tree, and in the winter we use a tub in front of the wood-burning stove.
  
  Camping in the woods is also an option for those who are not afraid of the wild boar, the deer, the foxes, and the badgers. We have basic two-man tents.

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  Etwas mehr Information

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    Internet Zugang

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    Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang

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    Wir besitzen Tiere

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    Wir sind Raucher

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    Familien möglich

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  Kann Digital Nomads unterbringen

  Dieser Gastgeber nimmt gern Digital Nomads bei sich auf.

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  Platz zum Abstellen von Camper Vans

  We don't have any flat land, ourselves, but smallish campervans can park on the edge of the village, adjacent to the village swimming pool. And for bigger vans there is always the 'baldios' (common land), with a splendid view of the surrounding countryside.

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  Hier sind Haustiere in der Regel willkommen

  Dogs are welcome ONLY if they can be guaranteed not to chase free range cats and chickens or to fight with the resident dogs.

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  Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal

  mehr als zwei

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