Join my ecological sanctuary and explore the beauty of Quindio, Colombia

Details

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  Description

  I am Clement, I am a 29 years old fench guy that decided to dedicate a part of my life to create an ecological laboratory and an ecoturistic sanctuary in Colombia. I share my journey with Telma and Simba, two energetic and affectionate German Shepherd - wolfdog mixes.
  
  I live at an altitude of 3,000 meters, on a finca located along the Camino Nacional, an ancient indigenous trail used by the Quimbaya and Pijao peoples. Later, it became a route taken by Simón Bolívar to liberate Colombia. This path connects Salento, in the Quindío department, to the hamlet of Toche, in the Tolima department.
  
  My finca is a one-hour drive from Salento and an hour away from La Carbonera, the largest wax palm sanctuary in the world. It’s an incredible and well-preserved place.
  
  My land spans about 15 hectares and is located in what is known as the high Andean forest, one of the most important ecosystems after the Amazon rainforest for oxygen production. Unfortunately, this ecosystem is now under threat due to deforestation. The high Andean forest boasts a unique biodiversity in terms of flora and fauna and serves as a sacred refuge for many bird species.
  
  Volunteers will live in a rustic cabin with a dormitory, a small kitchen, a dining area, and dry toilets. The land includes grazing areas for livestock, primary forest zones, water streams, and a waterfall.
  
  Although it feels remote, we are only a 7-minute walk from the main road, which daily transports tourists from Salento to La Carbonera.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  The main idea of the finca is to serve as an environmental laboratory. Although I’m only at the very beginning of this project, it’s important to both share knowledge and learn from everyone who will, at some point, be part of this adventure.
  
  The current projects are focused on reforestation of trees on the land, agricultural work, and eco-construction. I am by no means an expert in these fields and have been discovering them over the past year and a half. If you have specific skills, you are, of course, welcome to contribute — and if you don’t have any, you’re just as welcome.
  
  With the growing environmental challenges that concern the entire world and are only set to intensify, the goal of this project is to inspire and impact as many people as possible. By welcoming them and involving them in the preservation of a small piece of Andean land, we aim to create something that embodies hope and dreams.
  
  With the volunteers I can communicate in English, French, Spanish, Potuguese, a little bit of German.

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  Help

  Here are the tasks a volunteer may be involved in during their stay:
  
  - Agriculture: Planting, maintaining, and harvesting primarily pea and potato crops.
  - Reforestation: Receiving and potting baby trees, delimiting and maintaining reforestation areas both inside and outside the forest.
  -Ecotourism: Assisting with and guiding reforestation activities for wax palms with small groups of tourists.
  -Eco-construction: Helping with small projects to reinforce the cabin.
  -Maintenance: Cleaning shared living areas and work tools.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Portuguese: Fluent
  German: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  Volunteers will sleep in a dormitory dedicated for them.
  
  I bring food up from the village to the finca and also use ingredients from my own crops and gardens for cooking.
  Everything is included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Depending on the number of people (usually no more than three), the idea is to set up a rotation system where everyone takes turns cooking and doing the dishes.

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  What else ...

  At the finca, we take turns cooking like a small family, but volunteers will never be asked to cook for people from outside the finca.
  Cooking time is, of course, counted as work hours.
  
  On rest days, volunteers can explore the finca, which features a waterfall and several wooded areas spread across different levels of the finca. You can also follow the Camino Nacional, Colombia’s historic trail, which connects to the Tolima department.
  With a bit of planning, you can also visit the Santuario de la Carbonera.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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