Gardening and forestry help in a peaceful spot, Central Portugal

Infos

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  Description

  We live in an oak and chestnut forest, on a very remote and peaceful mountain. We usually have lots of forestry and vegetable gardening jobs to do, and like to approach things in an experimental and exploratory way.
  
  It can be hard work (many brambles) and lots of walking/heavy lifting, but it's so peaceful and there's plenty of time to relax in the forest.
  
  There's a river nearby for dips as well as an open air wood-fired bath/hot shower to get clean after a day's work! The land isn't accessible by car (it's a 10-minute walk down a rocky path) which means that it's not advisable to bring down too much stuff - what comes down, must go up!
  
  ***THE MAIN TASKS AT THE MOMENT (Early 2024): Re-building stone walls, preparing the ground for the foundations of a small house, pulling ivy out of walls, de-barking and treating building wood, vegetable garden preparation.*** If you're happy working alone on a job sometimes that's ideal because sometimes we have to do some paid work (that's how we sustain ourselves) and will have to leave volunteers to do an easy job, alone.
  
  In your free time, there's plenty of exploring to do in the valley areas nearby - I'm happy to give you a lift into town when I'm going. There's a lot of time for rest and reflection here. We are fully immersed in nature.
  
  When you get in touch, please tell me any experience you've had in the past with garden/foresty etc. Also ask any questions you have for us. Look forward to hearing from you! Write in any language you want.
  
  
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  **Also - I want to improve my Portuguese! If your mother tongue is PT (BR or PT), I would like to speak only in Portuguese. (This would also benefit my boyfriend who speaks very little.)
  We can adapt the hours so that you work fewer hours in exchange for this favour. **
  
  **Também - Quero melhorar o meu português! Se a tua língua materna é PT (BR o PT), gostaria de falar só em português. (Isto também seria fixe para o meu namarado porque ele fala muito pouco.)
  Podemos adaptar as horas para que o trabalhas menos horas em troca deste intercâmbio . Obrigada! **

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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

  There's the opportunity to learn about gardening and vegetable cultivation as well as experiencing life in a peaceful mountain valley. We were both gardeners as jobs before and we're adapting these skills to forest maintenence (anyone with skills in this, we'd love to learn from you.) We're open to new members of the community and also I'd really like to improve my Portuguese speaking level (I already speak pretty good Spanish and would love to learn Arabic)

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  Aide

  *Forest maintenance (strimming, raking, chopping and making wood-piles)
  *Making new garden beds, digging in green manure
  *Cleaning chicken run
  *Gardening and digging out roots - there are lots of blackberries (silvas) here!
  *Renovation and upkeep of existing structures
  *Making new buildings and renovating the existing one
  *Digging and re-diverting water channels
  *In summer: cleaning out and fixing the water-tank
  *General around the house stuff: cleaning, cooking, chopping wood
  
  We can find out what your skills and passions are and see how they can be used in daily life here! We work hard but we also love to relax and make our art/personal projects, so we always make plenty of time for this

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Portugais: Intermédiaire
  Espagnol: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  It's the best way to connect with people - speak in their own language :)
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  Hébergement

  THE ACCOMMODATION IS CURRENTLY A TENT - but there are communal spaces with phone chargers, places to sit, a hot shower, etc. If you are two guests, friends, who don't want to share a tent, we can provide a separate tent each.
  
  We can provide three big meals a day and snacks/coffee/tea throughout the day.
  
  We have a pretty effective solar system, so unless it's rainy and grey there is electricity.

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  Autres infos...

  In your time off you could go walking in the nearby wild mountains or you could go to the nearby small towns. If you have your own transport you could also go to Viseu or Porto if you want a bigger city. We can also point you in the direction of some great hikes and cool places.

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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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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

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