Help me regenerate a piece of land and developing a permaculture project in Ayia Marina Chrysochous, Paphos, Cyprus

Infos

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  Description

  Hello there, I'm Olivia a Cyprus born naturalist. Last year I bought a piece of land in one of the most beautiful places on the island - for me - on the edge on the forest yet a kilometer from the sea at 90m elevation and I’ve been living here since spring. I’m on a mission to regenerate the land, protect and enrich the soil, create living examples of how we can produce food without compromising our health and the health of the environment, as well as practice living in more harmonious ways with my natural surroundings. I’ve begun creating an edible food forest that will one day produce an abundance of food and provide habitats for animals, insects and humans. The climate here is subtropical which allows for the cultivation of subtropical plants and trees. My goal is to deepen my connection with nature, provide a space for education where we can learn more about the cycles and rhythms of nature, and understand how our intervention can enhance her flow.
  
  Sadly Cyprus is on the verge of desertification, as several destructive ignorant practices are being carried on. Worldwide there are different movements happening that aim to make farming a more sustainable practice as well as protecting the natural environment in general, and there are beautiful mind-blowing permaculture projects going on, yet here, the movement is still relatively sporadic and slow. There is definitely a need and desire to bring back ancient knowledge in a relevant up-to-date manner for where we are today.
  
  I have a deep passion for studying plants, not only in growing, observing and helping them flourish but also learning about their medicinal properties and how they can be used to help support us on our healing journeys. I make various herbal remedies, an endeavor of mine that is on hold at the moment as I do not have a good storage and work space on the land.
  
  I have been studying permaculture for a few years as well as other practices that lay under the permaculture umbrella such as natural farming, syntropic farming, Korean natural farming and more.
  The vision for this place is to create a space for community to gather, to connect to one another and nature, to carry out workshops and retreats. Basically a place to learn connect and grow. The idea is to one day have naturally built small rooms to host volunteers, workshops participants and/or visitors and have shared spaces such as kitchens, toilets and showers.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Volunteering as a workawayer myself gave me the opportunity to experience different possibilities and ways of living, as well as the opportunity to learn a lot about things that interested me – farming, natural building, permaculture etc. It is during that period in my life where I realized this is how I want to live. I want an outdoor kitchen, I want to walk barefoot, I want to grow my food and my medicine , live in a house I make with earth and connect deeper with mother nature. And I want to be able to do this with more people. Collaborating with like-minded people to consciously co create is a magical process where you can learn way more than practical skills. So this is my way of giving back to this community as well as develop my dream space doing what I love.
  
  I have a lot of enthusiasm about what I do and I’m very keen to share my knowledge on soil, plants, herbes, permaculture, regenerative detoxification and much more.
  
  The place here is beautiful, peaceful, relatively isolated but not too secluded. You get colorful vibrant sunsets as the land is west facing, you can see the sea in one direction and the forest in the other.

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  Aide

  I need help with the maintenance of the space, planting, chopping and dropping plants that have overgrown, seed saving, fixing and adding supporting structures for the plants, moving rocks, organizing and tidying up the space, creating big and small structures to make the workspace and living space more practical and efficient.
  Skills and knowledge in construction, making and building are very welcome. I have some electrical and manual tools and some basic knowledge - I’m also learning as I go, day by day.
  
  In November and December I will be making a foundation, platform and floor for the yurt that will arrive the latest in January.
  
  Some projects that will be happening during the next few months include:
  >making a shower
  >making a food cellar
  >upgrading the tool shed
  >creating a covered space that is protected from the rain
  >upgrading in the van (storage space, cupboards and shelves) – mostly woodwork.
  
  I’m looking for volunteers that are enthusiastic about this kind of work even if they don’t have much experience in it.

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  Langues parlées

  Greek: Courant
  Anglais: Courant
  Espagnol: Débutant

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  Hébergement

  Camping is the only possibility at the moment. I can provide a tent, mats, sheets and covers etc..
  
  At the moment I live in my van and facilities here are very basic. There is:
  > a tool shed which is also the kitchen for the time being. There is a gas stove and a juicer.
  >a small 12v fridge is available
  > a compost toilet with a beautiful view.
  > There is water from the village dam for cleaning and showering - with filters.
  
  The land to begin with was quite bear and dead, with mostly shrubs and an occasional almond or pine tree on the edges. There is now some shade, but not much space protected from the rain. There will be a yurt coming in soon as well.

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  Autres infos...

  The forest is right here so you can go on hikes and walk along the dirt roads.
  The sea is 20-25min walking. I like to often go for swimming so we can sometimes go together. There are beautiful beaches to be explored.
  
  I have a bicycle that you can also borrow, however if something breaks on your watch you are responsible for the repair costs.
  
  At the end of the coast - 30min drive - there is a National park, called Akamas, which is beautiful and wild.
  
  There are bus connections to the village from the nearest town which is Polis Chrysochous. I can pick you up from the bus stop and bring you to the land
  
  There is no Wi-Fi on the land but I have unlimited data and I'm happy to hotspot you when needed.
  There are small supermarkets 5-10 minutes away by car and a town with bigger shops and amenities 15 minutes away. I usually go into town every few days if not more often. I have a bicycle you can also borrow.
  
  I have a solar panel which is sufficient to charge devices and support a small fridge.
  
  I like to do work on the land pretty much every day - intensity will vary - but sometimes I also like to take my days off where I just rest, observe and calibrate myself. I have a movement practice I like to do every day, usually in the morning. I like to listen to podcasts and music throughout the day.
  
  I sometimes go rock climbing to crags roughly 30 min away - so bring your climbing shoes if you climb!
  
  Every couple of weeks I might visit friends or family in other cities so I may be away for 2-3 days sometimes.
  
  I eat a fruit based, whole food vegan diet. Basically mostly fruits and usually one vegetable meal a day. I do not welcome meat on my land. If you require vegetarian options we can discuss it. I'm happy to provide vegan food/ingredients - plenty of fruit, plenty of herbes and spices to yummy up your food, as well as other dry foods. If you are happy to eat what I eat, I'm happy to prepare more. I can also sometimes make something different, but I may not always have the time and energy to make something extra. So expect to sometimes prepare your own food.
  
  I enjoy company, cooperation and interaction with others but I definitely need some alone time for myself during the day.
  
  If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask!

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  Plenty of space for a campervan

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week