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Description
Hey folks,
Please take the time to read all of this profile. I will only reply to people who have done so and it will be clear if you have not. Furthermore, it will give you a good understanding about if this is the kind of project for you.
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
🌳 13 MARCH TO 10 APRIL 2023
☆ SUPERADOBE ECO-BUILD ☆
All my volunteer accommodation spaces are full for this project (please ask to join the waiting list). But I have space to host volunteers travelling in their own campervan.
I'm looking for volunteers who are enthusiastic about learning how to build using superadobe or earthbags.
Our focus during this time will be the completion of our off-grid kitchen.
WHAT YOU COULD LEARN
☆ Building with superadobe;
☆ Soil analysis;
☆ Constructing vertical walls and arches;
☆ Fitting a roof;
☆ Earthen plastering;
☆ Installing solar technology;
☆ Rainwater harvesting;
☆ Greywater treatment systems.
All training will be provided.
INTRODUCTION
Olá! I'm Adam, from the UK. I'm in the process of building a charitable school of nature and am seeking volunteers who are interested in basic off-grid living with the opportunity to practice yoga, permaculture, eco-building and healthy eating with seasonal ingredients.
THE PROJECT
I'm creating a retreat vibe here. We embrace the changing tune of Nature's music more than anything man made. And the silence is golden! It's a safe space that will hold you in a place to listen inwards, to feel and to see more than you would in everyday life. Many people have benefited from being here so far. We do enjoy a good boogie woogie from time to time though!
The project is based on a rustic piece of land in the green heart of Portugal, a riverside paradise 20kms west of Castelo Branco. One year into an exciting, explorative and hopefully an extremely fulfilling project. The long term goal is to create a small non-profit school of yoga and permaculture. My vision includes:
🌱 Building a hillside auditorium for yoga, music events and outdoor cinema (continuing in 2024).
🌱 Superabobe tiny guest houses using as much locally sourced materials as possible;
🌱 Integrating renewable and free energy techniques and technology;
🌱 Growing a food forest of colour, fragrance and edibles and encouraging wild foraging of food;
🌱 Giving back to the community of local people and volunteers, through tree donations and scholarships and subsidised training on our courses.
OUR VALUES AND PRACTICES
🌼 Encourage everyone to develop a grounded sense of being through daily spiritual practice. I practice vipassana meditation and yin yoga, but you may wish to follow your own practice be it tai chi, dance or anything else that brings you into your body and in connection with the greater consciousness.
🌼 Zero waste - we live consciously in consuming as little electricity and water, as possible. We recycle as much as we can and try not to buy non-recyclables. No food is wasted and all vegetable scraps go to composting.
🌼 Organics only - to minimise our impact on nature we use natural soaps, toothpastes, cleaning agents, etc, wherever possible.
🌼 Quiet time - we observe noble silence (mauna) from 9pm to 8am. This help cultivate a sacred space and encourages us to look inwards.
LOCATION
The project is in a very secluded area with both a river and a seasonal stream along it's border. In India, the place where two bodies of water meet is said to be a very special place. It's also got both flat and sloped sections of land with existing fruit trees. It all needs a lot of love and attention. 3kms away is the municipal village, Sarzedas and Castelo Branco is 25kms away.
WEATHER
July to August are hot and dry with temperatures reaching 40-42⁰C. Cooler nights of around 20⁰C. Luckily, we have the river and nice shady trees. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times for the manual work. During winter, night-time temperatures can drop to -12⁰C (on clear nights) and then rise again to be between 11-20⁰C.
VOLUNTEERING
At the moment, due to the rising cost of living, I can only host one volunteer. Your help here will be based upon a well-established karma yoga program, the benefits of which will help you to learn about yourself, relationships with others and perhaps your purpose in life. You will learn a great deal about permaculture and living off-grid as well.
A TYPICAL DAY
I believe in fairness and a good team effort. We'll aim to put in a maximum of 5 hours, 5 days a week. If we run over when a project needs to get done, we'll then do less the next day. Our schedule can change but right now it looks roughly like this:
0630-0800 daily practice (yoga or meditation)
0830-1000 help
1000-1100 breakfast
1100-1430 help
1430-1700 free-time
1700-1900 dinner and cleaning up
Please note: just like being at home, cooking breakfast and dinner plus doing the dishes and cleaning are not included in the 5 hours of help (except for those who are helping in the kitchen during the build). Cooking and washing dishes will be evenly worked on a rota basis.
THINGS TO BRING
For summer & autumn:
• Long sleeved clothes and hat for sun protection;
• Water bottle (fresh spring water will be provided);
• your own hammock;
• Clothes for swimming;
• a good book;
• towel;
• Head torch;
• A notepad and pen.
For spring & winter:
• A good waterproof jacket or poncho;
• Good shoes or Wellington boots;
• Warm clothes as the nights and early mornings can be freezing cold;
• Water bottle (fresh spring water will be provided);
• A towel;
• Head torch;
• A notepad and pen.
AGREEMENTS
To support everyone within this sacred space, I, along with previous and current volunteers have defined some agreements:
• Be kind and respectful to others;
• Be on time for the help required of you;
• Keep silence between the hours of 8pm and 8am;
• No alcohol, drugs or tobacco on the project;
• No food in the accommodations (it will attract ants and mice);
• No meat on the project (we can't store it and don't want to attract wildlife in that way).
The way we live here fosters a process of growth for all involved. I appreciate open communication, a good work ethic, initiative and punctuality. Above all we practice the values of being abundant, enthusiastic, giving, kind and truthful.
APPLICATION
To my delight this project is turning out to be very popular and I find it necessary to ask everyone a series of questions before possibly arranging a informal chat over the phone.
If this volunteering opportunity interests you, please send me your email address and the position you'd like to apply for and I will reply with further details.
SIGNING OFF
It is a privilege for me to offer this opportunity to you, as a budding volunteer. Living off-grid takes acceptance of the way things are, humility and a good deal of letting go. More than that though, this place has something special about it. Wrapped up within a the sounds of bird song, water, wind are gentle reminders of who we really are. Dedication to our practice and the karmic work helps draw those lessons into conscious awareness. It is my wish for you that, through this experience you unlearn something about yourself every day that you are here.
AdamTypes d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre
Pratique d’une langue
Aide avec des éco-projets
Jardinage
Bricolage et projets de construction
Aide dans une ferme
Cuisine/repas pour la famille
Entretien général
Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre
You'll learn a great deal about permaculture. Plus also daily yoga. By the way, if you are also a bodyworker, treatment exchanges would be most welcome.
Aide
Living off-grid is about routine and more routine. Discipline around having the basics handled enables us to enjoy the fun bits of project work - the meditation, yoga, building and permaculture.
With that in mind there is a list of daily tasks that we need help with including collecting and storing firewood, fetching water, cleaning communal spaces and handling food waste for compost.Langues
Langues parlées
Anglais: Courant
Français: Débutant
Portugais: DébutantCet hôte propose un échange linguistique
Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.Hébergement
Essential food ingredients and accommodation included. Don't expect luxury here. Our off-grid style is basic with compost toilets, washing in the river or in our outdoor shower. We also cook our food in our open air kitchen. In other words it's basic and we love it like that.
From November to the beginning of March, we close down for rest and rejuvenation. Then we open up again for spring, summer and autumn.
There are options to stay in a cabin, van, or tents. You'll have a single bed in either one. Of course, you can bring your own tent, van or camping hammock if you wish to.
I offer the essential and basic ingredients for two vegetarian meals a day plus lots of fruit for snacks. If you have any special dietary requirements, please bring your choice of product with you. If you need to buy more whilst here, we do a food shop in Castelo Branco once a week where I can help you to source it locally.
Please note, this is a vegetarian project and we are very much look forward to cooking the most delicious and healthy meals with you. However, if you are a meat eater, Portuguese cuisine is highly meat orientated with some friendly local restaurants in the area or a bit further away in Castelo Branco. You are welcome to dine out at your own expense if you wish to do so.
Until we make an off-grid alternative, I do my laundry in Castelo Branco when it is needed. If you want to join in, we share the cost.
Unfortunately, due to the demands of the project, I am unable to offer exchanges involving children or dogs.Autres infos...
GETTING HERE:
We're sited in the region of Castelo Branco. Val Chiquiero is the closest village which is about 25 minutes from Castelo Branco town. I can offer pick up and drop off in Castelo Branco for a contribution of €20 (must be arranged in advance). Alternatively, there is a bus from Castelo Branco via the N233 that passes by Val Chiquiero. From there the project is a 30 minute walk away or we can pick you up by prior arrangement (again with a fuel contribution).
Sarzades is about 2h15 by car from Lisbon (via the toll roads). From Castelo Branco it's 25 minutes.
The closest airport is also Lisbon Portela Airport. From there, there is the options of both buses and trains to get to Castelo Branco.
By train from Lisbon Airport is real easy. Take the airport metro to Lisboa Santa Apolonia train station. You need to buy a metro card, it's simple and cheap. At the train station buy a train ticket for Castelo Branco (I've read that online systems are unreliable).
If choosing bus, take the 509 bus (operated by Comboios de Portugal) from the airport to SETE RIOS STATION. Tickets for Castelo Branco can be bought from the ticket office. I understand that Citi Express is the bus company.
Other ways may include car-sharing apps like BlaBlaCar, although I have not used this app in Portugal.
THINGS TO DO
As well as the river on my land, there are three 'river beaches' all within 5km distance. There are two small villages with local amenities, both 3kms away. For horse lovers, we collect manure from a friend's stable twice a week, where you can spend time around five beautiful horses and a pony. We'll also do a fortnightly trip to the city for Monday's market. The Garduhna and Estrella mountain ranges are to the north, about an hour drive away. The historic village of Monsanto and the Spanish border are a little bit further.
There will be daily yoga practice which is orientated towards increasing our inner fire during winter. Plus, if you wish to have a traditional and professional Thai massage, you can book one with me.Informations complémentaires
Accès Internet
Accès Internet limité
Nous avons des animaux
Nous sommes fumeurs
Familles bienvenues
Espace pour garer des vans
The parking space is down a track on a flat terrace suitable for a medium-wheel base campervan.
Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?
Un
Nombre d'heures attendues
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (16)
His dogs are lovely and calm companions. They did excrete anywhere they felt the need to which was an extra thing to clean up.
Overall, we enjoyed the energy he brought… read more
The accomodation Is very good and cosy. Tasks are equally shared among everyone. The possibility to join yoga/meditation sessions Is… read more
it's amazing how such a magical energy of a place is attracting even magical people to come! the place and people were full of regardfulness!
even though the rain… read more
Feedback
Ce sont des évaluations supplémentaires en option lorsque les membres laissent un feedback. La note moyenne pour chaque option est affichée.
Exactitude du profil:
(5.0)
Échange culturel:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
His dogs are lovely and calm companions. They did excrete anywhere they felt the need to which was an extra thing to clean up.
Overall, we enjoyed the energy he brought… read more
The accomodation Is very good and cosy. Tasks are equally shared among everyone. The possibility to join yoga/meditation sessions Is… read more
it's amazing how such a magical energy of a place is attracting even magical people to come! the place and people were full of regardfulness!
even though the rain… read more
I volunteered with Adam for 11 weeks and loved every minute. I learnt so much about permaculture, eco building and just generally living off the land in a sustainable way that it has really inspired me and… read more
Adam is very kind hearted, humble and a great Yoga… read more
The project is still in its early stages and you can be inspired by Adams vision and determination to create a beautiful place!
The access for campervans (<6m/3,5t) is pretty easy going! Less than 5minutes of non-asphalted… read more
Thank you Nella, you're most welcome back here anytime.
Adam is a great host, we had lots of deep conversations and plenty of banter, he always listened and is obviously caring towards others. I enjoyed our morning yoga and meditation and exploring Adam's beautiful land...
What a special two weeks! I… read more
Adam provided me space to express myself creatively and contribute to the project, while also guiding, mentoring and sharing knowledge as we went!
He is focused on fairness while allowing everyone's particular talents to flow into the project, and non-possessive about things are done, while keeping an… read more
We waited until the right experience compelled us to travel across the ocean to another country.
It turned out to be more than we could have expected.
Words are inadequate to describe the heart of the man and what he is doing.
Anyone willing to join Adam in his vision with his project will be blessed as we… read more