We are a cultural and arts community that is working towards being self-sustained. The community is situated in the mountains of Monchique, Portugal surrounded by nature. We’d love you to help us become fully sustained!
Permaculture project in Portugal – requirements and tasks
Our community provides an alternative way of living with permaculture gardens, farm animals, sustainability projects, and arts and cultural workshops. It is a great place to come to meet other like-minded people if you are passionate about sustainability and alternative living. We need help to keep it going and we will ask you to dedicate around 24 hours to the work. For most jobs, we start in the morning and you can have the rest of the day to yourself. In summer, we start earlier to avoid the midday heat. We decide on weekly and daily jobs and responsibilities during our morning meetings. We require volunteers to commit to a minimum of 2 weeks.
There are different tasks – helping in the kitchen to cook vegan/vegetarian food with a team of about 10 people, general cleaning, doing dishes, car park maintenance, land cleaning, decoration, and art.
We need help with maintaining an over 14-hectare site with land cleaning (strimming), tree maintenance and pruning and caring for flowers, vegetables, fruit trees, and compost. We’d love to improve landscaping and water systems.
If you have the skills, we’d love you to work with wood and clay to construct new facilities around the site.
If you have something you are passionate about and want to share with others, we would love for you to run a workshop.
Permaculture project in Portugal – what we offer
t is a great place to come to meet other like-minded people if you are passionate about sustainability and alternative living. We hold community meetings throughout the week alongside activities and workshops, such as quiz nights, dance nights, and yoga classes.
We have been running a pizza night every Friday for 8 years, which has become a renowned party that brings together locals and travelers from all over the world. Preparing for and holding this party is part of your role as a volunteer and allows you to develop skills in pizza making, bartending and many other roles.
You will experience living in a community, where everyone works to contribute to the community’s goals. Living alongside people from all over the world, you will have the opportunity to learn about different cultures, languages, and ways of life. This is a place to discover yourself, develop strong friendships with others, and find out what unique qualities, skills, and knowledge you can offer to contribute to the community.
We provide 3 meals a day, which are all vegetarian. There will sometimes be vegan options available, but we cannot guarantee this. We have a variety of accommodation options including caravans, vans, tents, and teepees. You can also bring your tent or you are also welcome to camp in your van. If you intend to stay long-term, you may have the option to move into a caravan or van if this comes available. We are currently working on building some sustainable huts.
The community is surrounded by mountains and nature, including ponds, lakes and streams to swim in, mountains with hiking tracks and beautiful peaceful areas to sit down with a book. There is a nearby town, Marmelete within a 2 hour walk or a short drive. On the weekends, you may wish to day trip to Lagos or Aljezur, which are only 25-30 minutes away by car.
Other volunteering opportunities in Europe
- Help to restore a garden while volunteering in Scotland.
- Become a qualified TEFL teacher on a sponsored cultural exchange programme in Italy.
- Volunteer at a vegan animal sanctuary in France.
- Help to develop a craft business while volunteering in Portugal.
- Help to take care of a home and garden; Volunteer in southern Italy.
- Volunteer in a B&B in France and explore medieval villages.
- Help create a paradise for artists while volunteering in France.
- Work on fundraising projects while volunteering in Germany.
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