Contribute to our permaculture learning lab and eco-community in Sande, Porto-District, Northern Portugal

Details

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  Description

  Hi there! 🌿
  
  We are Luana, Dennis, and our almost 5-year-old son Inti, one of the founding families of a permaculture living lab and eco-community in Northern Portugal. Together with our extended team and families, we’re reimagining what it means to live harmoniously with nature and each other.
  
  Our story began when we bought this beautiful 3.6-hectare Quinta (farm) near Marco de Canaveses with our long-time friends Sasja, Sophia, and their sons Lamar & Xavi. While they’re still based in Amsterdam, they’re integral to our vision of creating a regenerative, inclusive future for humans and all life forms.
  
  It is a place where nature and community thrive, and we’d love for you to join us on this journey!
  
  --{{Who We Are}}--
  Our team is diverse and ever-growing. Here's a snapshot of our core members:
  - Luana, Dennis, and Inti: The first residents. Luana is a social permaculturist, beginner herbalist, community builder and a true alchemist in the kitchen. Dennis is a youthful spirited “fix-it-all” kind of guy, super handy, and always busy building something.
  - Sarah and Ishi: A retired couple who bring incredible skills—Sarah as a sound healer and masseuse, and Ishi as a permaculture teacher with over 25 years of experience.
  - Leo and Giulia: A joyful family in the process of moving here permanently, spending about half the week on-site. Leo is a designer and permaculture expert, while Giulia brings light and laughter as a full-time mom.
  - Sasja, Sophia, Lamar & Xavi: Long-time friends and co-founders currently based in Amsterdam. Sasja and Sophia contribute remotely, offering their expertise in design, organization, social media, and website management.
  
  We are all united by a shared vision: cultivating a thriving ecosystem and nurturing a supportive, inclusive community.
  
  {{Our Vision}}
  We’re more than just a farm—we’re a living lab for ecological resilience. We practice permaculture principles to regenerate our land and create a sustainable, self-reliant lifestyle.
  
  Our vision for the next 10 years includes becoming a hub within a regional network of permaculture projects, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to learn, share, and connect.
  
  {{Our property features:}}
  - A serene 3.6-hectare forest filled with fruit and nut trees, streams, and abundant wildlife.
  - A common house for workshops, cultural events, and learning co-op for our children.
  - Monthly events that bring people together, including our Forest Care & Pizza Party, Permaculture Design Gathering, and DocuTalks.
  
  
  {{Who We’re Looking For}}
  We’re looking for heart-centered individuals and families who share our passion for ecological living.
  
  Our ideal volunteers:
  - Families with (young) kids to play with Inti and Anouk.
  - People with skills in unschooling, forest schooling, permaculture gardening, agroforestry, animal care, carpentry, natural building, or other practical skills.
  - Creatives like photographers and videographers to help us document and share our journey.
  - Long-term volunteers or responsible individuals looking to become part of a collaborative project.
  Whether you’re here to share your expertise, learn, or simply connect with like-minded people, we’d love to welcome you.
  
  {{Our Journey}}
  We’ve been inspired by community living and permaculture ever since traveling across the Americas (2010–2012) and Asia (2017–2019). Along the way, we worked with intentional communities, eco-villages, and permaculture projects, planting the seeds.
  
  In Amsterdam, we dedicated ourselves to environmental sustainability and social equality through nonprofit work, including Taste Before You Waste, a food waste awareness initiative founded by Luana and Sophia. This project is the next step in this lifelong journey.
  
  {{What You Can Expect}}
  As a volunteer, you’ll be part of our everyday rhythm:
  - Helping with permaculture projects, gardening, building, and caring for the forest.
  - Participating in workshops, gatherings, and cultural events.
  - Sharing meals and stories around the fire during our monthly pizza parties.
  - You’ll also have time to enjoy the beauty of the Quinta, explore the local area, and connect with our wonderful community.
  
  We can’t wait to meet you and share this adventure. If you feel called to join us at, get in touch! 🌻

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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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

  Staying with us offers a chance to disconnect from the fast-paced world and reconnect with the natural beauty surrounding us. We believe in the power of slow living, and here, you’ll experience a unique blend of work, rest, and learning.
  
  We’re passionate foodies and love sharing home-cooked vegetarian meals, often sourced from our gardens or local farms. This is just one of the many ways we share our skills and knowledge with travelers.
  
  We’re eager to share our expertise in a wide range of areas, including:
  - Permaculture & Ecology: From sustainable gardening practices to forest care, water management, and soil regeneration.
  - Natural Building & Construction: Working with natural materials like clay, wood, and stone.
  - Woodworking & Carpentry: Crafting functional and beautiful items from wood.
  - Cooking & Food Preservation: How to create delicious, nourishing meals from scratch and preserve seasonal food through canning, drying, and fermentation.
  - Herbalism & Natural Cosmetics: Beginner herbalism, making homemade creams, oils, and salves.
  - Education & Childcare: Sharing experiences in alternative education methods and activities for children.
  - Community Organizing: Building and maintaining healthy, supportive community structures.
  
  In addition to these skills, you’ll also benefit from the language immersion! We speak Spanish (our primary language), Dutch, English, and Portuguese, so you’ll have opportunities to practice these languages during your stay.
  
  As free spirits and lifelong travelers ourselves, we understand what makes for a great volunteer experience. We know how important it is to foster a welcoming, collaborative atmosphere where travelers feel valued and supported. We also take pride in our relationship with our Portuguese neighbors and our growing network of like-minded locals and internationals. Even though we’ve only been here for a short time, we’ve integrated ourselves into a vibrant community of people working on similar regenerative and sustainable projects.
  
  This exchange is an opportunity to learn practical skills, experience new ways of living, and become part of a dynamic, welcoming community. We look forward to sharing our journey with you!

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We (Luana, Dennis, and Inti) moved onto the land in October 2022, and since then, it has been an incredible journey of regeneration and creation. Now, in January 2025, we’ve cleared a significant portion of the forest and made great progress—but there is still so much to do!
  
  Here are the types of help we currently need:
  
  Ongoing Projects:
  - Forest Care: Clearing overgrown areas, chopping wood for heating, removing brambles, and planting trees and shrubs. This work helps reduce fire risks and regenerate our beautiful forest.
  - Gardening: Maintaining our annual and perennial gardens, expanding garden beds, and improving compost systems.
  - Building and Maintenance: Helping with fencing, building projects, and maintenance of facilities, including structures like the chicken coop and compost toilet.
  - Water System Rehabilitation: Rehabilitating basins, channels, and catchment systems to improve water flow and sustainability.
  - Chicken Care: Feeding, cleaning, and tending to our feathery friends.
  
  Special Skills We Appreciate:
  - Permaculturists and Farmers: People with experience in permaculture or (organic) farming to help with garden design, soil improvement, and planting strategies.
  - Builders and Craftspeople: Skilled individuals who can assist with natural building, carpentry, fencing, and general construction projects.
  - Childcare: If you enjoy spending time with children, we’d love help with our son Inti, a lively and adventurous 5-year-old who loves climbing trees, riding his bicycle and exploring the forest.
  - Kids Project Support: Helping with our growing community kids' project—ideal for those experienced in education or children’s activities.
  - Content Creation: Capturing photos and videos, creating social media content, or assisting with online marketing to help us share our story with the world.
  
  Spring 2025 Focus
  This spring, we’ll be especially busy preparing to host our very first retreat in early July. This will involve expanding facilities, building small structures, and creating a welcoming space for our guests. If you have skills in natural building, landscaping, or event preparation, we’d love your support!
  
  We welcome enthusiastic and adaptable travelers who are excited to roll up their sleeves and contribute to our shared vision of a thriving, self-reliant permaculture learning community.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  Croatian: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Italian: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  Luana is always happy to practice her French or Italian. Dennis really needs to learn more Portuguese :)
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  Accommodation

  We have different types of sleeping arrangements available:
  
  Big tent.
  Comfortable big tent with twin mattress. Access to communal outdoor kitchen, living space and bathroom can be shared with us in the main house.
  
  Middle tent.
  Comfortable middle sized tent with twin mattress. Access to communal outdoor kitchen, living space and bathroom can be shared with us in the main house.
  
  Small tent.
  Best for a single person who likes simple living in contact with nature. We can provide a sleeping mat but you would have to bring your own sleeping bag. Kitchen, living space and bathroom can be shared with us in the main house.
  
  Own tent.
  Flat, shady spaces in the middle of nature there are no lack of. You are welcome to bring your own camping gear and set up camp. Kitchen, living space and bathroom can be shared with us in the main house.
  
  Own Campervan.
  There are flat, easily accessible and shady spaces. We can provide water/refill, and a space to dump your grey water. Kitchen, living space and bathroom can be shared with us in the main house.
  
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  Type of exchanges:
  Full board = A place to sleep/park-up & 3 vegetarian meals a day (mostly organic): max. 5 hours per day 5 days a week.*
  
  Half board = Sleeping / park-up space: max. 3 hours a day 5 days a week. You provide for your own meals, but arrangements can be made to have meals together.
  
  *Families choosing full-board will be asked for an extra contribution (monetary or in work) for the meals of the kids.

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  What else ...

  Our surroundings:
  - The Douro river is 2km away. There are many walking trails and river beaches in the nearby area.
  - The town of Marco de Canaveses is a 15 min. drive, we go several times a week and are happy to share the ride. There you can find nice cafe's and restaurants and many cultural events.
  - The Roman archeological site of Tongobriga is also a 15 min. drive.
  - The bustling city of Porto is a bit more than an hour by train away. We're happy to bring you to the nearest station.

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  We have high speed internet available inside the big house. If you need internet outside the house to be able to work in a quiet spot, the best is to get a Portuguese internet sim-card for €15,- every two weeks.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  There are flat, easily accessible and shady spaces. We can provide water/refill, and a space to dump your grey water. Bathroom can be shared with us in the main house & there is a communal outdoor kitchen available as well. Any vehicle up to 3500kg. can access the property via cobble-stone road. There is one part which is quite steep in the middle of a turn. On rainy days old vans with weak motors can have some trouble getting up. We DO NOT allow people pulling caravans to visit us since they seem to have loads of trouble reaching our place. And it stresses everybody out.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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