Join us to restore and create a thriving habitat for wildlife in sunny Salguero do Campo, Portugal

Detalles

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  Descripción

  We are Julian and Mardi & Steve , friends and owners of a small piece of paradise in central Portugal near Castello Branco.
  
  We are fortunate to own a few hectares of beautiful land and have two main objectives: rewilding and restoring the natural habitat for wildlife, birds and insects on the largest part of the land, and on the other side, we are rehabilitating the soil and using permaculture techniques to produce organic fruit and vegetables. We have a small vineyard with ancient vines that we are learning to tend in the traditional way and our equally ancient olive trees are the VIPs on our land.
  
  We live semi off-grid, in that we utilise solar power and water harvested from rain and our own wells, however, we also use gas for cooking and of course, rely very much on the internet for much of our communication and learning.
  
  We started cataloguing the wild fauna and flora last year and so far we have mapped more than 400 species. We aim to plant at least a thousand trees within the next 24 months. In amongst some very old Cork Oaks, we have a number of coppiced Eucalyptus trees who have grown into giants and there are plenty of mature Maritime Pine trees that provide shade and supports a lively eco-system.
  
  As part of our work to restore and create a thriving habitat for wildlife, we want to add plenty mores nests for bats, owls and birds. Already our trees are abundant with wild birds such as Tawny Owl, Blue Tit, European Bee Eater and many other. If you are a bird lover, we would love to work with you to catalogue all the species that grace our land. Our waterways are a haven for amphibians such as a large variety of frogs, fire salamander and lizards and we plan our water use around their needs. The unspoilt swathes of wildflowers, including lavender and rock rose are a playground for more than 30 species of bees, many species of butterfly and even rare beauties such as lacewings visit often.
  
  Nothing goes to waste and we try hard to utilise what nature gives us: we are starting to produce essential oils from pine, eucalyptus and lavender that is so bountiful on the land. During harvest time, we will be processing our own olives and grapes, as well as preserving figs, peaches and other fruit that are harvested from neighboring farms where it would otherwise go to waste.
  
  There is a thriving community of eco-minded people in our area and we often jump out to help each other with projects and share produce, information and skills between us.
  
  We like to keep our own footprint as small as possible and live closely to nature, listening, observing and working with natural processes as closely as we can. For this reason we have not built any permanent structures yet, so our own accommodation will be similar to our guests in either a caravan or a bell tent.
  
  Whilst it can feel as if we are a hundred miles away from civilization, we are around 5km away from the village of Salgueiro do Campo with it's traditional thick-walled Portuguese houses nestled on the hilltop and small cafes and coffee shops where the locals hang out.

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Práctica de idiomas

  Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Ayuda en una granja
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  Intereses

  

  Cultura

  

  Autodesarrollo

  

  Agricultura

  

  Acampada

  

  Arte y diseño

  

  Bricolaje y manualidades

  

  Animales

  

  Tecnología

  

  Sostenibilidad

  

  Cuidado de plantas

  

  Fotografía

  

  Actividades al aire libre

  

  Naturaleza

  

  Deportes de aventura
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  Objetivos de sostenibilidad de las NU que intenta conseguir este anfitrión

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  ¿Que es esto?
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Your time with us will be full of learning opportunities both culturally and otherwise.
  
  Cultural Exchange: Julian is German and Mardi is South African and have lived in London for many years. Both of us have travelled extensively and are happy to share our experiences and stories with you. There will be regular gatherings of friends around the area where you will share food and conversation with a very international group: Portuguese, English, Belgian, Swiss, Dutch and more. We regularly visit local villages on market days, where, together with us you will be able to savor Portuguese customs and produce. In Portugal there are often fiestas and celebrations which we will share with you.
  
  Learning:
  We will share our knowledge and experience of the land with you: the wildlife, their needs and how we interact with them. You will learn with us about food preservation, water optimization and how to best support and rehabilitate the fragile ecosystem around us.
  
  We are in the process of reforesting, so there is a lot to learn about caring for tree saplings.
  
  Due to safety reasons we would not expect you to operate equipment such as chainsaws and chippers, but if you can demonstrate safety awareness and skill we will happily teach you how to work safely with other equipment.
  
  We keep bees which may be of interest to you, but again, we have to put safety first so will need to teach you safe conduct around the bees and can only accept your help if we are satisfied that you are safe.

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  Ayuda

  We have all gained tremendously from our own Workaway experiences, so we want to make sure that your time with us is a learning, enriching experience in exchange for your help.
  
  Whilst we like you to be involved in tasks of your preference, the reality of off-grid life is not all leisurely walks in the forest picking mushrooms and observing butterflies. We do expect everyone to pitch in and help with the tasks that needs doing. Some days it may be physically demanding tasks such as planting trees, harvesting, gardening, cleaning ponds, chopping wood and installing bird nests. There are everyday chores such as cooking, washing up and getting water which we all share in.
  
  We are currently battling a black rot infestation in our vineyard so we will need help with clearing infected grapes and branches. We are setting up satellite solar pump systems for irrigation, so help with pump stations will be useful. There is always tasks to be done to support our rewilding efforts: young trees that need haloing, collecting leaf litter for composting, setting up shade tents for vulnerable trees, and helping to clear waterways in preparation for winter.
  
  Once our daily tasks are complete, you can take time to learn new skills like distilling essential oils, weaving baskets or mats from Eucalyptus bark, creating micro-habitats for insects and reptiles etc.
  
  During harvest time, we will prepare and preserve fruit and olives and make essential oils from natural products on the land. In addition, helping us plan, asses and investigate the best areas to focus our rewilding efforts on, will be most welcome.

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Afrikaans: Fluido
  Alemán: Fluido
  Inglés: Fluido
  Francés: Principiante
  Portugués: Principiante

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  Any practice with French or Portuguese will be very welcome indeed!
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  Alojamiento

  Sleeping:
  We have comfortable space in a caravan which you will share with at most one other volunteer. We have outdoor showers, compost toilets and an outdoor kitchen that we all share. There are basic comforts which are supported by our solar power, such as a washing machine and fridge.
  
  I set out the very minimum of food we will provide so that you know what to expect and can tell us if this does not work for you. We don't run a hostel, but also not a hotel - so of course there will be treats and shared meals in addition, but please don't expect us to change the way we live, to accommodate for your tastes.
  
  Breakfast:
  You can have breakfast in your accommodation. We will provide you with cereal, bread, spreads, fruit, fruit juice and biscuits. You can make coffee and tea whenever you wish.
  
  Lunch:
  We will provide you with bread, cheese, spreads, olives, seasonal salad ingredients, juice and snacks such as potato chips and biscuits.
  
  Dinner:
  We will eat together and provide a nutritious, cooked meal. We cook most of our food from scratch or at least from the least processed ingredients and everything will be local. We choose a diet rich in animal products so we are not well equipped for vegetarians and even worse for vegans. We invite you to cook for us at least once, as long as you can make do with simple ingredients and don't expect ingredients such as unicorn tears and angel feathers :-)

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  Algo más...

  Helping hours:
  Close to nature we have to listen to her demands: in summer we have to get up very early so that we can do some tasks before it gets hot. Typically we will be up at around 6am and then work for a few hours until 10am or 11am after which we would move into the shade and keep ourselves busy with less strenuous things. There is a reason the Portuguese have a siesta! From around 12pm until 3pm everything closes and most people are taking a nap or hiding from the heat in the shade with a nice cool drink.
  
  Don't worry if you are a night owl and the thought of early mornings makes you shiver! In the evenings it gets cooler at around 8pm. Typically we will go out on the land and get some work done before dark at around 10pm.
  
  Free time:
  You are free to choose which time of day works best for you to help on the land. The rest of the time you can relax in the shade on a hammock, visit the town or hang out at the local swimming beach or pool in the nearest village. If you do not have transport, we will happily let you ride along with us if we are going into town or passing by a beauty spot you may with to visit.
  
  We would expect you to entertain yourself during non-working hours - except of course in the evening when we will dine together and if there are social events happening, we will of course take you with us if you wish. We will spend at least 4 -6 hours every day in each other's company, learning, sharing experiences and talking, so please be mindful that we have our own lives to get on with and can not spend every hour of the day looking after your needs.
  
  Nearest facilities:
  We are approximately 12kms from Castello Branco, a big and vibrant town where you can find all the shopping and restaurants that you could wish for, even a cinema. The old town is breathtaking and you can soak in the ancient castle and local Portuguese cafes and restaurants. On most days, either we or one of our neighbors may be visiting the town, so you will have opportunities to get a lift if you so choose.
  
  There is a local cafe/bar around 1.6kms away, around 24 minutes walk. You can have a drink, some basic pastries and buy cigarettes, not much more. Our nearest village is around 3.5km away, about an hour's walk. There is a village shop, several cafe's and a pharmacy but as with most of rural Portugal, it can be hit or miss whether you find them open or not.
  
  Dietary requirements:
  We choose a diet rich in animal products but we respect other people's choices. We are happy to amend our meals to cook vegetables separately for you, but what we

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas

  Campervans are welcome, we have plenty of space. There are facilities in the town of Castello Branco to empty chemical toilets if this is what you choose, but you are welcome to use our composting toilets instead.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Dos

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  Mis animales / mascotas

  Dexter

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