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Host rating
70 %
Last replied
4 Jun 2025
Reply rate
60.4 %
Usually responds within 2 days
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Description
Greetings nature and freedom-seeking earth warriors, welcome to our food forest and reforestation project in the Ecuadorian Amazon 🌳
We have been restoring 3.5 hectares of land since late 2023, transforming monoculture plantations and cattle pasture into a high-density, biodiverse organic food forest paradise – a Garden of Eatin’😊 Along with conservation and regeneration of native forest and vegetation, with total liberation for humans and animals as one of our most important core values.
We are here to grow a radical abundance of food, help reforest the Amazon, and live freely in peace with nature. We invite volunteers who are interested in living simply in tranquility while learning about and gaining experience in food forest permaculture and natural building; and who:
✅ Are vegan (***REQUIRED - we do not accept volunteers who are not vegan ***))
✅ Practice natural health and hygiene (no chemical products, pharmaceuticals, etc.)
As you may know, the Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed by humans on a massive level - mostly for animal agriculture. This project is about reforesting this piece of land as well as welcoming other like-minded people to do the same in the surrounding area to create a larger-scale reforested environment as a model to help restore as much of the Amazon as possible.
You will see up close the devastation caused by people for activities that are extremely harmful to animals and the environment, and participate in an effort to create beauty and abundance by working in harmony with nature to provide a home for humans and other animals as well as some of the most interesting and delicious fruits on this earth.
We’re growing some wonderful tropical fruit and other food that we’re happy to share with you as they’re available, from bananas and plantains to pineapples, coconuts, cacao, and several other exotic and rare fruits. We’re happy to share what we know about growing and harvesting fruit and other food, and teach you how to make your own chocolate from the fruit from the trees if you want.
This is a place to slow down and connect with nature and yourself, learn about growing food as a tool for self-sufficiency, experience the local culture, and explore the surrounding Amazon jungle.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Vegetarian or vegan
Sustainability
Farming
Photography
Plant care
Music
Hitchhiking
Languages
Drawing & painting
Gardening
DIY & crafts
Carpentry
Cooking & food
Art & design
Mountain
Dancing
Hiking
Outdoor activities
Nature
Fitness
Camping
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will be surrounded by local Ecuadorian "campesinos" (people living in the countryside), and there are many indigenous (Kichwa) people nearby and in the town of Loreto that you can interact with. You will learn about the culture and lifestyle of the local farmers as well as the culture of reforestation and food forest creation, nature-based living, natural building, and other creative activities.
We can share what we know about the culture and lifestyle in Ecuador, help you with English or Spanish if youre learning, and introduce to you locals in town and the surrounding area. We can also help you learn to play the guitar or percussion if you’re interested.
We welcome people from all walks of life whether you're big, small, young, old, rich, poor, straight, LGBT, and whether you can dance or not. We want to hear your life and travel stories, your views on the world, your thoughts and ideas. We are also happy to share the experiences from our adventures, the knowledge we have acquired, and any insight we can to help you accomplish your goals in life.
Help
Most of the work here is creating and maintaining the garden areas as well as some occasional building or construction:
1. Gardening: Planting, pruning, harvesting, weeding ,composting, chopping grass with a machete, etc.
2. Handcrafting and Construction: Using bamboo or other natural materials from the land to make a variety of items for the house or garden (furniture, tools, housewares, fixtures, structures, etc)
* You don’t need experience, you can learn when you are here
We also welcome your ideas if you think of any projects you would like to do, as long as they help the food forest or living space, You can choose when and what kind of work you’d like to do, spend a few hours in the garden or helping with a project and have the rest of your day free to explore the surrounding area, enjoy the nearby rivers and waterfalls, or do whatever you’d like.
We appreciate your help and the benefits your efforts will have on the environment, but we also want you to enjoy yourself and have a meaningful experience here.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Vietnamese: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
We love learning and helping others with languages. We speak English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, and a little of many other languages. We are happy to teach you what we can and would love to learn some of whatever languages you speak :)
Accommodation
The accommodations are very simple….the volunteer house has a kitchen, electricity, wifi, running water, composting toilets, a Ladies’ Loft, a Bat Cave, and is surrounded by several fruit trees and a small stream.
The sleeping areas have sleeping pads, bedsheets, pillows, and bug nets, but the house doesn’t have many furnishings, no refrigerator, washing machine, microwave, TV, jacuzzi, etc. Unfortunately we don’t have proper accommodations for couples, the sleeping pads are singles and have separate bug nets (not adequate for two people to share).
There are some beautiful rivers and streams within walking distance that you can enjoy for swimming or cooling off in, as well as a mirador (lookout) with great views of the Amazon rainforest, and we share this land with many birds, butterflies, and other interesting animals and insects. Most of the time it’s quiet here with plenty of time to ourselves, and sometimes we get together to share food, explore nature, play games or music etc.
Since volunteers don't spend so much time working, everyone provides of their own food, which is relatively inexpensive in this area (we usually spend $1-2/day/person), and so you can eat what you like. There’s a food truck that usually comes by once a week and a few general stores in the area that sell some basic things ,we buy from some neighbors, or we can make a trip to town if we need to.
We‘re happy to share the food growing on the land with you, which is usually bananas, plantains, sugar cane, limes, greens, herbs, and sometimes pineapples or other fruits depending on the season. Usually there is food to harvest but sometimes not, it can vary a lot depending on the season, weather, etc.
On this land we don’t use alcohol or cigarettes, and we don’t use animals for any purpose (including keeping them as pets, or eating them or anything they make), use chemicals, or bring unnecessary trash.
We also don’t consume food or products made from animals (meat, fish, milk, butter, cheese, cream, eggs, honey, etc) or use chemical soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, toothpastes, perfumes, etc.
We live very simply, focused on the food forest and respecting the peaceful life around us.
What else ...
We have used WorkAway for several years, both as a host at a different location and as a volunteer during our travels around the world. So we understand and very much value the concept of a help-stay arrangement, and look forward to making your stay here relaxing, valuable, and worthwhile.
If you are interested in learning more, or joining us for some period of time, please feel free to send a message with any questions or letting us know a little about yourself and what draws you to this project. We wish you all the best on your adventure and look forward to welcoming you to this part of the world if you decide you would like to share this wonderful experience with us 😊
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
The electricity is turned off frequently in Ecuador, but if you work online under those conditions you would be welcome to work here.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (31)
She took on a variety of tasks from planting to… read more
Brian is a very kind and interesting person, he really puts his soul and heart into this project and always helped me with the ideas I had for the land. Sunny was going through an adjustment period herself so this is something to be mindful of but she is also very… read more
Brian and Sunny with Wolfy's help have a wonderful project of reforesting the Amazon.
They are lovely and interesting people. I had great talks with them.
I had the opportunity of doing many things : building something in bambou (don't know if that still holds haha), painting, planting,… read more
She was self-motivated and took on many tasks with just a bit of guidance, and often asked what else she could do to help.
She was very productive with maintaining the garden, planting, watering, weeding, helping… read more
Photos
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(5.0)
She took on a variety of tasks from planting to… read more
Brian is a very kind and interesting person, he really puts his soul and heart into this project and always helped me with the ideas I had for the land. Sunny was going through an adjustment period herself so this is something to be mindful of but she is also very… read more
Brian and Sunny with Wolfy's help have a wonderful project of reforesting the Amazon.
They are lovely and interesting people. I had great talks with them.
I had the opportunity of doing many things : building something in bambou (don't know if that still holds haha), painting, planting,… read more
She was self-motivated and took on many tasks with just a bit of guidance, and often asked what else she could do to help.
She was very productive with maintaining the garden, planting, watering, weeding, helping… read more
He also took some great photos and made a very cool video of another… read more
She was very self-driven, creative, strong, intelligent, and funny as hell sometimes. She took charge of the… read more
She was extremely helpful, easygoing, and great company while she was… read more
She jumped right into the work in the garden cleaning up with a machete and helping with the most important weeding. She was also a big help taking care of a lot of the… read more
Brian is happy for you to have autonomy over the tasks you do, especially if you want to mix it up and… read more
She would go out to the garden early in the morning with her tools and come back hours later after pruning the cacao trees. Sometimes covered in sweat, sometimes drenched from the rain, but always with a… read more
It was great to taste all those fruits I've never heard of. And pruning the cacao trees during early mornings (before the day's heat) was really nice. Lots of time for lying in a hammock, too. I was happy about my stay. Even… read more
Brian is a wonderful person - super interesting to talk with and lots of knowledge to share. His passion for reforestation and sustainability is… read more
She has a super wonderful uplifting and positive spirit, a great work ethic, and a very impressive attention to detail.
She helped with many tasks in the garden including weeding, mulching, pruning, and… read more
She was very helpful with several projects from building some bamboo shelves to helping plants trees in the garden, cooking and cleaning around the house, and she painted a spectacularly beautiful mural on a… read more
She helped with many tasks in the garden and nursery, from planting to watering, weeding and pruning, she took on a very important environmental cleanup project, and she was really supportive in preparing delicious food… read more
I came to Brian's looking for a place to connect to to the land, to find a space to relax and feel; WOW did I ever find such an… read more
She’s a really hard worker and very skilled and creative in so many ways. She was amazing at creating her own projects and helping out with everything from very physically challenging work in… read more
I had a wonderful and inspiring experience at Brian’s in many aspects. I could feel from the very first moment his positive charisma, his passion and devotion for the land, plants and animals, and most of all his great empathy, that shows how important the human aspect is for him. He is such a loving-lovely… read more
He is a very deep thinker and brings a profound level of philosophy to almost any conversation. He is also very well-traveled… read more
He has a very wide range of knowledge and experience and was super helpful fixing all kinds of things around the house, keeping… read more
She was very helpful with a variety of tasks, a fast learner, and she always did a really good job. She had virtually no experience when she came here but quickly became… read more
But make no mistake, this is no five-star hotel.
The reason is that Brian is one of those rare people who walks the talk about protecting the environment. For his first 5-6 months since taking ownership of his farm outside Loreto, he’s chosen to go the low-impact route in all avenues.
This includes making… read more
He really helped me see the food growing here in a new way and get more out of what’s already here, and he also… read more
Brian has made a very inspiring and dedicated lifestyle choice. He lives… read more
Mona painted two absolutely stunning murals of some wild jungle scenes of local plants, flowers, and birds in the kitchen and living room. With just a few… read more
He did everything from hardcore machete work in the jungle to climbing and pruning super tall trees, cleaning the garden, making bamboo spoons, fixing a table, making videos, and much… read more
My time there was limited , but we definetely made the most of it. It made me really happy to share… read more
She took on a project making a shelf to hold dishes and cups, she learned very quickly how to work with the bamboo and also had many ideas about how to do the work… read more
His land is a… read more
She did a lot of help in the garden weeding and pruning the cacao trees, making dinners, she helped make a bamboo dish rack, and she also made a very cool bamboo drum for future jam sessions.
We had many… read more
I felt very welcomed. Brian is a very nice person, easy going and always making sure everything's all right for you. I really enjoyed our conversations, Brian is a very open minded person. I learned a lot during my… read more
She was very willing to help with a variety of tasks in the garden and around the house, she made some… read more
first of all, Brian's directions to the property were amazing, very well detailed and easy to follow.
Brian himself is a great guy, very knowledgeable and willing to share his knowledge. This was an experience of how workaway should be.
he was very flexible and let me… read more
His main project was building a table out of bamboo, it was his first time doing something like that but he learned really quickly and it… read more
He did seem slightly… read more
The land is absolutely beautiful, and is located in a small village, where you are able to interact with locals, this gives you an authentic experience most tourists will not get.
It's… read more
offering creative ideas and solutions for various… read more
Brian is just at the start of a revolution and he is a great leader. I found his way of life amazing, the plant based diet, the organic work, and forward thinking.
I admire his patience in teaching me what he has learnt on… read more
He's a hard working guy,… read more
They were awesomely happy and jovial with a positive outlook on everything and… read more
They were very respectful of the land and space, excited and willing to help, and never complained about the physically demanding work they… read more
They were both excited and eager to work, and jumped right into a few… read more
