Join me for permaculture gardening in my stone house in the southern Swiss Alps near the village of Loco, Switzerland

Infos

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  Description

  Would you like to help in the large garden around my house in Southern Switzerland? Would you like to participate an attempt to live carbon-neutral? Do you feel like helping me to develop a dreamlike terraced landscape? Do you want to spend an unforgettable time in one of the most beautiful valleys of the Swiss Alps and at the same time not miss out on the 'good life'? Then you could be right with me!
  
  From april 9th until april 22th 2026 I will gather again a small group of volonteers (2 to 4) to intensely work in the garden. This year, the following work is scheduled: Gardening, gardening, gardening, planting perennials, build a dam, pull-out blackberries, repairing stone walls, splitting wood for the winter, various repair work in and around the house.
  
  On a clearing in the middle of wild nature lies an old stone house from the 19th century, a classic Ticino rustico in which a large family used to live together with their animals. Me, Peter, a photographer and climate activist living in Zurich, took over the house eight years ago in a depressing state: for 50 years the owners had filled the beautiful stone house with the most terrible materials and objects imaginable. Anyhow, overwhelmed by the beauty of the terraced nature surrounding the house, and by the magic of the spot, I decided to buy the house and renovate it. Between 2018 and 2021 I have been working with my family (my girlfriend, my daughter and our very lovable Collie-Mix Django) ,friends, professional workers from the valley and Workawayers to redesign the house from scratch. The construction of the house is finished. But a lot of work is waiting in the garden (which has lately been plowed by wild boars). I am especially interested in perma culture gardening. I read some books lately and I am curious to get some things done.
  
  Besides the work we eat together and go - whenever possible - to the river or to other beautiful walks. And in the evening I cook for my guests. Good cuisine is an essential part of 'good life' (I usually cook a vegan mixture of Swiss, Italian and International cuisine with regional, organic ingredients – meet and diary product eaters are welcome too). At the end of the day you sleep very deeply and well in the tranquility of the beautiful Onsernonetal.
  
  I take ecological issues very seriously. It makes no sense for me to work on a CO2-neutral house and fly people in by plane. So, please do not apply if you plan to come here by plane!

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  LGBT+

  

  Animaux de compagnie

  

  Ferme

  

  Végétarien ou végan

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Politique/justice sociale

  

  Culture

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Écriture

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Jardinage

  

  Photographie

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Musique

  

  Histoire

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Livres

  

  Art et design

  

  Architecture

  

  Sports nautiques

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Cyclisme

  

  Nature

  

  Randonnée

  

  Montagne
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  If you decide to spend some time at Casa Tessino you will come into contact with many different cultures and languages. There is always a wild mix of languages at Casa Tessino. Working together on a common goal and living together in a small space automatically brings us together and inevitably brings us into a constant exchange of ideas. The heart of the exchange, however, is certainly the communal meals and the associated discussions. And if someone should get bored anyway, he or she can always explore Switzerland or Italy in the free time. I don't own a car, and when I am at Casa Tessino I don't travel much. But the village is very well connected to the Swiss public transport system, so you can easily travel without a car.

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  Aide

  Between april 9th and 22th, I am planning a gardening event for two to four people. This year, the following work is scheduled: Gardening, gardening, gardening, planting perennials, build a dam, pull-out blackberries, repairing stone walls, splitting wood for the winter, various repair work in and around the house. All are welcome who enjoy and have stamina to help in the garden. People with gardening experience preferred. Looking forward to welcome you in Loco!

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  Langues parlées

  Allemand: Courant
  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Courant
  Czech: Intermédiaire
  Espagnol: Intermédiaire
  Italien: Intermédiaire

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  Hébergement

  The house is large enough to accommodate 6 people. However, one should not expect too much privacy. You can sleep in the small room in the basement, in the big main room, on the sleeping gallery in the same room or in the tree house in the forest. Whichever place you choose, we live in a small space and there is only one bathroom / WC, so, not too much privacy for all of us and especially for couples (normally couples can get the small room with the a double bed in the basement).
  
  * there is WLAN.
  * numerous animals live in the forest around the house. You have to be prepared to meet deer, squirrels, foxes, dormice, chamois but also (non-toxic) snakes. Fortunately, there have been surprisingly few mosiktos so far.
  * the house is situated very close to the sewage treatment plant of the village. In some weather conditions we are exposed to unpleasant smells from there. But they never last longer than a few minutes a day.
  * there is running warm water, there is electricity, there is an outdoor and an indoor kitchen a sauna and a dry toilet.

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  Autres infos...

  The small, romantic village of Loco is only a ten-minute walk away. There is a bank, a post office, a café and restaurant a small museum and a small grocery shop. The village is easily accessible by public transport from Locarno (approx. 10 buses per day, until late). Italy is close. There are fast trains to Zurich. There are wonderful walks and hikes in the area. There is unlimited nature! You can spend lovely days with some food and a good book down by the river. You can collect mushrooms or chestnuts. There are so many things to be done in your time off. Most of all it's an amazing spot in the midst of wild nature. And spring hits one month earlier than elsewhere in northern Europe.

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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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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  I have a gentle dog myself. So it all depends on what pets and how they will be with my dog. But in general all animals are welcome.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Mes animaux

  

  Django (10 ans)

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