Category: Tourism

Canadian students build a park in Nova Friburgo school.

Coming from Canada direct to the neighborhood of Cordoeira – participate in an action in local school, build park and participate in bioconstruction and agroforestry project in partnership with ‘Eco Caminhos’.

In partnership with the social program OFFGRID we are pleased to welcome a group of students from sainteanne school in Canada to help us build a playground in a school in Nova Friburgo – Padre Rafael Municipal School, in the Cordoeira neighborhood.

They came to help us with a lot of love, passion, enthusiasm and happiness spreading throughout our community and also giving us a hand in the mass in our permaculture project at Eco Caminhos.

They are from many parts of the globe we have Hungarians, Russians, Spanish, Indians, Chinese, Italians, English and French all together on a mission that began on Monday, 6, where they will remain until March 22.

This is a great opportunity for them to learn a new language like Portuguese and also about different cultures and customs.

Bart points out that the experience is rich for both students coming from other countries and young Brazilians:

“Here they have the opportunity to know a foreign language and understand that young people on the other side of the world are equal, are only from another culture, with different race and language, but have many similar things and make us believe that the world is much smaller than we imagine”.

The financial resources for the construction of the School Park were part of a donation from the students and they are acting as volunteers. It’s a wonderful gesture!

The OFFGRID project is a bilingual project that follows the vision of development of children and young people through humanized sustainable habits and skills.

João Guilherme Wermelinger, dentist who participates in the ‘Off Grid’ project at Padre Rafael school said he is full of expectations:

“I’m sure it will be days of discovery, hope, diversity and inclusions, served by altruism and also empathy”.

The seven young students from different corners of the world are accompanied by a teacher and will also produce a documentary on sustainable tourism, which is part of the completion of their school program.

In addition to the interventions and benefits of the school in Cordoeira, students will have agroforestry experiences, will learn about Bioconstruction, as well as leisure activities such as trails, and walks in waterfalls of the city.

Opportunities like this are extremely important both for young foreigners who come to make an exchange in Brazilian lands and for the young people here, who start to see more possibilities for a better future, the importance of taking care of our environment using sustainable practices for the greater good of the community and the planet in which we live. It is a fact that this immersion will provide a new worldview to these young people and we believe that we are following the right path in search of a better future.

Tuesday March 14th, 2023
Birdwatching on our Farm in Brazil – an interview with Jean Paul

Jean Paul is 57 years old and lives in the Netherlands. In addition to being a consultant, he is a tour guide and bird watching specialist who travels around the world at least 3 times a year. Jean Paul had already visited Rio de Janeiro on other occasions, but for other purposes. This time, he came with the objective of seeing and catalogging the enormous biodiversity that we have here in the region.

In the interview, Jean talks about what brought him back to Brazil, an online social network called iNaturalist, in which people share photos and information about biodiversity from various locations to help each other learn about nature. He says he was intrigued to discover that iNaturalist works very well in Europe and the United States, but in Brazil, more observations are needed to make the program work. So he decided to come here and start a project to develop the catalog for the region; you can see the project and photographs here.

When we asked him what made him choose Eco Caminhos as the location for this experience, he says that at first, he looked for a place close to Pico da Caledônia, one of the highest mountains in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Due to the existence of a huge variety of vegetation, many water springs, and the presence of wild animals, an area of environmental protection was created in its surroundings by the municipality of Nova Friburgo, known as APA do Caledônia. Eco Caminhos is merely 10 km (6.2 miles) from this area and by contacting us, Jean realized that this was the ideal place for this experience.

Rio de Janeiro is considered to be the city with the largest number of bird species in the world. The farm’s surrounding areas, located in Nova Friburgo, have a similarly rich biodiversity. Just watch! Experts point out that the state of Rio is privileged and, despite its small territory, the state has 730 of the more than 1,919 species registered in Brazil by the Brazilian Ornithological Records Committee. The country is second in the world in avifauna, only behind Colombia.

We are a self-sustaining eco-farm, located in a region of stunning Atlantic Forest mountains in Nova Friburgo in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Without a doubt, we can provide an incredible experience not only for bird lovers but for all nature lovers! Come and have an Eco Experience with us!

Check out our interview video:

Thursday December 24th, 2020
Eco Experience | The unforgettable camping in Três Picos State Park

The routine of a volunteer here at Eco Caminhos is not only about bioconstruction, organic agriculture, and agroforestry, but we also like to carry out various activities together; from movie and volunteer nights, to hikes, trails and camping trips.
In August 2018, we organized a camping trip for the volunteers, including Maria (one of our short-term volunteers) and her family, to one of the most beautiful tourist spots in the region: Três Picos state park.
Três Picos is made up of three granitic mountains encompassed by diverse nature. It is also the largest park in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and covers the municipalities of Teresópolis, Nova Friburgo, Guapimirim, Silva Jardim and Cachoeiras de Macacu.

Preparations for the trip began with the purchase and preparation of the food we would be taking to the campsite. Our meals consisted of a campfire dinner on the first evening, a large breakfast on the second day which preceded the trail, and some food to celebrate arriving at the peak.
Anyone who knows us knows that good food is always among our priorities. The menu included eggplant burgers, soup, corn for popcorn, potatoes, homemade bread and biscuits and a variety of fruits. Well, we were sure no one would die of hunger!

On the afternoon of August 29, bags, tents and food were ready, and with the team excited we drove to the park entrance. The first hour walk (without guide) led us to the Valley of the Gods (1,700 meters), where the free camping area is situated. It includes bathrooms, refreshing cold showers, a sink, a wood stove and a fire place (no electricity).

A little before the camping area, the park guards base is housed. They were incredibly helpful with information.
Once within the campsite you can choose from several trails, all of which are signposted with information detailing the level of difficulty and expected time of arrival.

We arrived, set up our tents, and took advantage of the late afternoon playing Frisbee. Once it was dusk we lit the fire to do away with the cold and began to eat dinner. We shared luau with lots of singing and guitar along with our campmates.
The next day, we woke up early, had a wholesome breakfast, and opted for the Dragon Head trail (4 km one way, about 1h30min, maximum height 2082m). The day was cloudy, so the view was not as expected but it was a fantastic day for the walk. Upon reaching the peak, there was a some cloud cover accompanied by some strong winds, but it made for an humorous time.
Once the clouds cleared, we were able to appreciate the grandeur of the view, and what incredible view it was.

These occasions bring the group closer together, providing moments of integration, relaxation and fun for everyone. This is another side of the daily lives of the volunteers who come to Eco Caminhos in search of new experiences, contact with nature, and community life.

Are you interested in living with us? Visit our volunteer page and learn how you can be part of our team.

Monday October 15th, 2018
Interview with Tanja Volunteer in Brazil

Tanja, why did you decided to join the Eco Caminhos team?

I wanted to live something different. I was studying in Danemark with a lot of dreams about Living in an organic way. In Danemark I bought organic food and I had many ideas on how I wanted to live in harmony, but I found it difficult because I lived in an urban neighborhood. When I saw the website of Eco Caminhos and I read about the farm I thought it would be the ideal place for me. The farm is located in Brazil, which means a lot to me because I was born in Brazil.

What was your first impression when you arrived at the farm?

When I arrived it was night so I could not see much. I was only aware that the farm was located in a very high place. The next day when I opened the window I was left breathless because the view was so beautiful, I was impressed with the beauty of the place. The team welcomed me with open arms, I went to Bart’s house where I could see the beautiful view of Cardinot and they showed me the waterfall that they have on the farm. I am sure that there is a lot of beauty hidden around the world, and you cannot get to know it if you don’t step outside of your comfort zone.

How is your daily life on the farm?

I work as a short term volunteer, which means that I work three days a week and I have two days off, so my work schedule is flexible. My first task was in the vegetable garden where we planted and watered plants. They wanted to give me a complete experience of the things that you can do in the farm so they asked me if I wanted to participate in the bioconstruction of the chicken coop as well, I thought it was a good idea because I want to build my own house one day. They showed me the ecolodge and the work that they were doing there with bioconstruction, I worked there one day. The life on a farm is very unpredictable, but we always work as a team which means that if something doesn’t work well we will help each other to make it work. It can be anything, like fixing a fence that the cows destroyed, or change the workplace when it rains. Each day is different from the other.

How is the social life on the farm?

When I arrived most of the team members were already there for a long time, they had a structure to which I had to adapt. In the beginning, it was not easy but little by little I discovered that the more I got involved in the activities, like the volunteers night or the movies night the more I got closer to the members of the team. If I had a positive attitude the others had positive behavior towards me. I have made a lot of friends and I am very grateful for that.

What did you learn from this experience?

I learned how my thoughts and actions can become more harmonious. From the beginning, I wanted to live in an organic way and Eco Caminhos gave me the tools to do it. I have gained much more from this experience than I expected. I take with me new friends from all over the world, I feel stronger and I don’t doubt myself anymore. I feel that I have a place in the world and that I have the strength to make my dreams come true.

Read more about the volunteer opportunities Eco Caminhos offers.

Thursday May 10th, 2018