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6 Feb 2025
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Hey! Welcome!
My place is about natural building, Syntropic forestry (kind of food forest) and rewilding.
I always try to have 2 or more work awayers, so you can go on adventures with other persons when you have your time off.
Natural building:
One of the houses is already functioning. Still a lot needs to be done. General facilities are in place, though rudimental. I want to make them better and beautiful this year. We will be pointing an old schiste wall, cobbing (plaster of clay and sand) two inside walls and build a rocket stove. We are gonna use tadelakt on the bathroom and make it a beautiful room. The the dry toilet house needs to be finished to a beautiful place with making sure there is a basin to rinse your hands. The reed bed filter needs some maintanance and I want to adjust a few things.
Rewilding
In the meantime the planting of the native forest is done (with the help of fantastic workawayers!). 8.000 native trees in 2022 to expand a beautiful riverside forest. Now I need to work in it sometimes to promote the forest and to make sure the wildfires in the summer dont burn everything down. It is plain cutting and pruning. Very enjoyable work. Sometimes we need to dig ponds and ditches. Less enjoyable, but nessecary :)
Syntropic garden and food forest.
Also here we need to do some digging: finishing ponds, swales, Though most of it is almost done, some last details need to be added, some maintenance and mistakes need to be adjusted :)
Syntropic sounds boring. It is not. It is one of the most beautiful methods of restoring a natural forest while providing yourself with food.
Oh , and by the way: My name is Machiel, a biologist and graphic designer and I bought a 4 ha land in the hills of Portugal in 2021. It is a beautiful place, a valley with an old orchard along a stream, an abandoned motor cross park, a small creek half-of-the-year-running down the mountain and some ruined houses. A 3 ha hillside stretches out behind the houses.
You ll learn a lot about reforestation and syntropic forestry, a bit about natural building and how to start a permaculture garden.
UPDATE: The accommodation for work awayers is changed to a big bungalow tent on the land. I will post some pictures later. It is a great place, i was told by the work awayers who stayed there. It really immerges you into nature, hearing the wild boars and deer at night, hearing the rain hit the roof. There are normal beds in it. This is also why I only start hosting from March, since from then on the tent is comfortable.Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You are in a remote area in Portugal. Reforesting and nature is what I can offer. Though there are sometimes some (free) cultural events in a city 20 min by bike from here.
I love a good discussion or a good laugh. I am getting to know more and more people around that are creating such beautiful places, so can take you to other inspiring homesteads as well.
As a biologist i have a lot of theoretical knowledge. I can tell you a lot about reforestry, why and where and how. At the moment I try to pick up practical knowledge about growing food in my area.Help
So if u want lots of different activities, including creating basic utilities, woodworking, designing, garden creating (permaculture, food forest and a few annuals), setting up a chicken coop, a bit of reconstruction and planmaking, this is your spot. Other activities: Levada & pond creation / Weeding the syntropic forest and vegetable garden (most of the weeding is different than it sounds. I actually like doing it, since it does not involve very meticulous selecting of plants). / companion planting in orchard / building the outdoor kitchen, maintainance in the pine forest on the hill, while slowly transforming it into a natural forest.
Normally we start at 8 with yoga and breakfast ,We work till 1, have lunch and then u r off to do what u want. In the summer we might start a lot earlier, at 7 start working. I know it is early, but trust me, you will thank me when the heat starts.
If you want, join with a short run and some stretching (wouldn't dare to call it yoga :) before the work starts.Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: Intermediate
French: Beginner
Portuguese: BeginnerAccommodation
I have set up a big bungalow tent. You can see it as a kind of glamping. It is amazing to sleep on the land in the tent, with a bed and some furniture. I have a small solar panel for recharging your phone. But most of your devices you can recharge in the main house.
If you want, I can provide two smaller tents, An airmattrass for two persons is available. You can bring your own van or tent. There are beautiful spots to set them up.
There is running water and a flush toilet, but not always a hot shower (depends on the sun). I use a dry compositing toilet, wash under a cold shower or swim in a nice small swimming pool very close-by. I love the experience, but you should be aware of that I can only offer these basic facilities at the moment.
If I get the permission, I am gonna build a new place in 2026.
Food I mostly cook, unless u like to help. My cooking is vegetarian, and try to be vegan, though sometimes I add cheese or egg. But not a problem if you are vegan. When the sun is out, i like to use my solar cooker. Washing dishes: No washing the dishes for the cook. Seems fair.What else ...
I have 2 bikes to explore the surroundings. There are many beautiful spots and walks closeby. I am just discovering everything myself. Feel free to join!
I have some games and some books. I love to go mountainbiking, and u r welcome to join. A great café is a 10 minutes by bike.
I have been a work awayer myself last year. Some experiences were great, Others not so. I strive to make it a great time for u, but I am also busy running my company. So be aware I am not always available for activities!
If you come, i can pick you up at the local busstation, where busses go to Coimbra. From there busses and trains go to other major cities. I will provide a document to help you with the travelling details when we are in contact.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
My internet is limitless.
Space for parking camper vans
There are pretty spots on the land where you can park your campervan. I can provide you with electricity if the day has been sunny. Thought in winter you need really good tyres to get up the ramp of the land. But you can park on my dirtroad.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (22)
They are open, friendly… read more
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(5.0)
They are open, friendly… read more
Machiel is a friendly host. He takes care of you, is always willing to help you and makes you feel at home. Machiel has a lot of different talents. He knows a lot about nature and he has a lot of energy.… read more
His vibe was great. Sometimes he is quiet, but never… read more
He not only… read more
I loved that there was always something to do but we were never in a hury. Most of the time there were other workawayers around with whom I got allong well. We often helped… read more
The work was not too hard and I got everything… read more
Anouk's vibe was great. She was chill and took… read more
He lives in a beautiful area and I enjoyed nature there.
Machiel has a big heart for climate change and really wants to commit himself to it. He knows a lot about it and if you're not careful he can't be stopped talking about it ;-) I learned so much!
The combination of work and relaxation was… read more
Machiel is a super host and really made me feel at home straight away. He is a brilliant communicator and tells a great story - a perfect… read more
We… read more
The location of the project is so nice, surrounded by nature and with a small river on the land,… read more
As a host Machiel was… read more
The work can be hard, but is very rewarding, cause you make a visual difference.
When I stayed here, I slept in a house at 8 min walk distance.
This was my… read more
He is highly recommended for anybody who wants a pleasant person around that is… read more
They dealt with the difficulties of the setting up of the farm with grace. That was not always easy, so that was wonderful.
As previous feedback shows, they are a great help… read more
Machiel's land is located in a beautiful valley with amazing views. His house… read more
Thanks for the hard work, Nathan!
The work was not the easiest but for sure really pleasant and we also had time to discover around, walking… read more
Thanks for helping planting the forest, Gonzalo!