Eco Tourism
Volunteering

VOLUNTEER IN BRAZIL AT A PERMACULTURE FARM

Author: bart bijen

  • Interview | Maria found much more than she expected in her experience as short-term volunteer in Brazil

    Interview | Maria found much more than she expected in her experience as short-term volunteer in Brazil

    Maria found much more than she expected in her experience as short-term volunteer

    Maria-Lena decided to travel to volunteer in Brazil to take a distance from her routine in the Netherlands. And she chose the Eco Caminhos project as her new life experience. Her idea when volunteering as short-term was to seek a quiet place with beautiful landscapes and like minded people. In an interview for our site, Maria spoke a little about her experience here.

    What did you expect before you arrived here at Eco Caminhos as volunteer in Brazil?

    I didn’t really expect anything in particular, but I had a wish. My wish was to be away from my life in Netherlands. To really take a distance to find silence, nature and re-evaluate my life. And I was looking forward to be working in the project. Clearly defined physical work, instead of mental work.

    Why did you choose our project instead of another?

    I knew Bart (founder and managing director of the project) in Netherlands and I heard some really good stories about Eco Caminhos from others that have visited the project.

    Did you get what you expected from this new experience as volunteer in Brazil? And what do you take home from this experience?

    I got much more than I wished for. I turned out to be more tired than I realized. Before coming here I thought I could work hard and I wondered: “Why are they including days off in my routine? I want to work, I want to do things”. But I really needed the time off. And I am happy that there was so much space for me, for where I am and what I needed. I could fully reconnect to myself. That reconnection I will take home.

    What do you enjoy most here at Eco Caminhos?

    That is difficult to say. Because you ask me to compare many good things to compete with each other. There are many things that I appreciate here. I always look for silence. It is very hard to find in Netherlands. To be able to be in contact with silence, mountains, nature and a very new nature, a completely unknown nature, with unknown birds, plants and light is a good experience. Literally everything is different from my homeland. And I enjoy it very much.

    This experience as volunteer in Brazil helped you to improve yourself?

    Sure. After this experience life will be more about me. I have lived a life in service of others and I learned a lot from that and enjoyed it too, but there was a point that I knew that I had to make this turn and for me Eco Caminhos has been the right place to make this turn.

    Sometimes it is hard to adapt to a different place. What is your advice for our future volunteers that could have some difficulties?

    For me it took time to adapt. Especially if you come from Europe, I think it takes time to adapt to the climate, to everything that is new. It meant also an encounter with myself and that was very valuable to me. My advice would be to just go with the flow and trust that all is well.

    Your family will arrive here at Eco Caminhos soon. How do you feel about that?

    I look forward to share this experience with them. My daughter currently writes her thesis on different ways of farming. She will be interested in the permaculture, agroforestry and the way this project is set up. My husband is a builder himself. He will want to see the bioconstruction projects for sure. It is valuable to see that projects like these actually happen and function. This gives hope for and a perspective on a new way of living.

    What do you recommend for new volunteers here in Eco Caminhos?

    My first recommendation would be: “Do it”. And maybe: “Stay longer”. I am here for 6 weeks now and I feel more integrated than the first weeks. So it’s a pity that I am leaving now that I really start to connect to the project.

    Volunteer in Brazil

    What were your highlights as volunteer in Brazil?

    The people that embody this project. I encountered true hospitality, interest and integrity. And then I had beautiful moments just working in the horta and in the chicken coop and being very quiet inside. Doing simple work, but with a profound attention. I felt that I was here for me. The work I did here was part of a project, but I did it for me. Those were absolutely golden moments. The day we made the stone arch for the entrance of the chicken coop was a highlight too. We had so much fun together and to have it finished at the end of the day, knowing that it will stay here, imagining the chickens going through…makes me feel that I left my signature here somehow. And we should not forget to mention the food. Everyday the warm meal at lunch was good and healthy. And during the Volunteers Night the food was even more impressive.

    Did you like Maria’s experience? You also can be a volunteer at Eco Caminhos.

    Undecided if it’s worth it? You can also read how Catalin’s experience was.

    Tanja was another of our volunteers who spoke to us about her experience check it out.

  • Mexican Sunflower | First steps for Eco Caminho’s Agroforestry

    Mexican Sunflower | First steps for Eco Caminho’s Agroforestry

    One of the main projects of Eco Caminhos is Agroforestry. And the first step is already being carried out by our team under the guidance of our forest engineer, Bruno Nirello. It all starts with the planting of Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia), the idea is to use this plant’s nutrients and properties to improve soil quality and get it ready for the wide variety of plants and trees that will follow.

    Agroforestry, Mexican Sunflower,

    “After pruning and being applied to gardens and soil, the Mexican Sunflower helps improving the levels of nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium”, explained Bruno, who also stated the reasons to use this plant now, during winter. “Since it is a summer plant, it will not develop much now, but we are already planting so that they will be ready to be used when their season arrives”.

    Another interesting advantage of the Mexican Sunflower for our project was explained by our agronomist, Anastacia Almeida. “Although it is an exotic species, native to Central America, it serves the major purpose of bringing the necessary biomass to start an Agroforestry project. Plus, due to the fact that it has plenty of flowers, it attracts many pollinators, such as bees, which have a positive impact in all levels of the ecosystem, and this increases biodiversity as a whole and also gives more autonomy to our Agroforestry.”

    Mexican Sunflower, Agroforestry

    The first step to use the Mexican Sunflower in the Eco Caminho’s Agroforestry was done throughout the last couple of weeks when we started collecting several truckloads of this plant. Since then the team has planted hundreds of seedlings by staches, and part of the collected Mexican Sunflowers were grinded and used to fertilize our local vegetable garden and to prepare the soil that will receive the next stages of the project.

    After planting of the Mexican Sunflowers, Bruno already had in mind what will be the next steps for preparing and naturally improving the soil of our Agroforestry project. “Because of winter, we will plant lupine (Lupinus) and black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb). Lupine has the same function as the Mexican Sunflower, but develops better in winter. Black oat, which is also a winter plant, is a forage grass that fixes a lot of phosphorus in the soil”.

    Check out the video that illustrates the process of harvesting and milling the Mexican Sunflowers:

    Are you interested in Agroforestry? You can also be a volunteer.

  • Interview | Working as volunteer in Eco Caminhos was the most important life experience for Catalin

    Interview | Working as volunteer in Eco Caminhos was the most important life experience for Catalin

    Catalin Ghila decided to totally change his live at age 34. The Romanian, who worked as a truck driver in the United Kingdom, grew tired of the lifestyle he had and decided to follow an old dream of visiting Brazil. In the search for some project that fueled his desire for change he found Eco Caminhos. In an interview with our website, Catalin told us a bit about what happened during the six months that he was working as a volunteer at our eco farm in Cardinot, Nova Friburgo. Check out:

    What motivated you to travel to Brazil and be part as volunteer of the Eco Caminhos project?

    So. 10 years ago, or maybe more, I started dreaming about visiting Brazil… I was hooked by Bossa Nova and Sepultura in the same time and this made me curious about visiting this country to see what makes people here create this music.

    And in 2017 I decided that I need to change my life, take a break from everything and start doing something else. I remembered about my dream with Brazil and so I decided that is time to make my dream come true.

    I was a truck driver in the UK at that time and I wanted to do something else, more physical and with a nice group of people. So I started looking for volunteering programs in Brazil where I could do those things I was looking for.

    That’s how I discovered Eco Caminhos, on worldpackers.com. I was amazed with the scenery they have in Cardinot, with the project and the way they presented themselves, so I said to myself that this is the right place for me and what I was looking for, so I applied, got a positive answer from Bart and this is how my Eco Caminhos experience started… an experience that changed my life.

    Was the experience what you expected? Did you manage to find out what the Brazilians have to create songs like Bossa Nova and Sepultura metal?

    Being a volunteer at Eco Caminhos was the best experience I lived so far. To be honest, I got from it much more than I expected…I got new friends, new outlooks on life and I managed to do do things I never saw myself doing.

    And I can say that I found out how brazilians are able to create so many great things…they simply love life, love enjoying it and taking the most out of it. I see brasileiros as being nice people, warm and happy in general. And by being like this they are able to see life differently than we do in Europe.

    What’s your tip for people who are hesitant to get into the project?

    Hesitant? Why be hesitant joining such a great project as Eco Caminhos? People here are great, the location is great, the work is great (even if you sweat and get sunburned, if you don’t wear sunscreen, or get wet when it rains, and get tired of walking uphill to the Eco Lodge)…so there’s no reason of being hesitant joining Eco Caminhos.

    All efforts will pay off somehow because with hard work comes great rewards. So my tip to those that are hesitant about joining Eco Caminhos would be to simply say Yes! to this experience and join. I’m sure that Bart and everyone else will take good care of them and make them feel comfortable there as they did with me and all other volunteers I met there.

    Do you have a favorite place in the ecofarm?

    I guess I like the road. And the bushes. I was the one designated to work on the trenches and cut down the bushes and because of this I can say that these were my favourite places there. But I enjoyed working everywhere and that’s the beauty there, because you can work on different projects and in the end to choose the ones that suit you best. I really enjoyed everywhere on the Eco Farm.

    Eco Caminhos, lifestyle, volunteer

    What were the main difficulties you experienced during your volunteering period at Eco Caminhos?

    Getting used to the program, with the schedule… I also had to get used with the people there, the other volunteers and their personalities.I guess this was the most difficult thing for me to do because I was not used to work together with other people and to even live with them. But now I’m happy and thankful for having this opportunity because I learned new life skills and even make good friends.

    How was your first day in Brazil? Did the trip from Rio de Janeiro to Cardinot go well?

    Well…it was my first day on Rio and I was surprised to see how hot and humid is there, but i got used to it in a couple of minutes. The ride with Patrique from Rio to Cardinot was very nice because he is good company and also because I got the chance to see how Brazil looks like. I was very happy with the ride.

    And your last day? Was difficult say goodbye for everyone?

    Oh, yes! I got tears in my eyes and was very difficult to say goodbye to people there knowing that I might never see them again, or at least in the near future. Eco Caminhos was the nicest experience I lived so far and was hard to say goodbye, to end those six months spent there.

    Would like to say anything else?

    I would like to wish all people there to keep up the good work they’re doing and to future volunteers to enjoy the Eco Caminhos experience as much as I did.

    Do you want a different life experience like Catalin? Read more about our volunteer programs.

  • Interview with Tanja Volunteer in Brazil

    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.

  • Rehabilitation at a Brazilian eco farm: “A place where you can find relief and clarity”

    Rehabilitation at a Brazilian eco farm: “A place where you can find relief and clarity”

    Currently, I am 21 years old and I have been working for Eco Caminhos for 9 months. I was born and raised in the Netherlands and faced a lot of problems whilst growing up there. 

    I was someone who placed tremendously high demands on himself and from that, succumbed to severe depression. I thought it was necessary to go to the hairdresser at least every two weeks or preferably every week. I wore expensive clothes and spoiled myself every week, buying new things I had no need for. I was very unhappy with myself, but never wanted to show this to others. My parents, brother and some of my good friends were the only people to know of my problems. I found it very difficult to utter any words to anyone about my issues, despite having been with different psychologists for 4 years. I tried a number of different medications to get myself on the right path, but nothing was able to help me.

    I was a boy who retreated more and more and did not take responsibility. Not only was it a difficult situation for me, but also for my family and my friends. I felt completely stuck, while the people around me still held  high expectations for me. It was after years of struggling with myself that I realized I had to leave everything I knew behind to begin to make a change. 

    Through my father’s best friend, I contacted Bart Bijen (owner Eco Caminhos). I had a good conversation with him and explained my problems. He told me he wanted to help and that his project and way of living in Brazil would be the right way for me to start anew. I finally decided to meet this challenge and booked my flight on March 13th from Amsterdam to Rio de Janeiro. From the day I arrived, I tried all I could to make the most of this opportunity and from that, I have been able to really learn about myself and change my mind as a person. 

    When I was in my depression, I would constantly be looking at social media with every chance I had. But here in Brazil I realized social media platforms for what they really are and decided to remove everything. Online, people are incredibly open to show the positive aspects of their lives and never the negative, and when I would see these people living these dream lives I would then go on to try and strive for the same and would constantly compare myself to others. After I removed it, all of the noise in my head gradually grew more quiet and I felt much happier within myself. 

    A significant change since arriving here is my diet. In the Netherlands I would consume a lot of meat and dairy products. Here in Brazil I was open for change and tried out different methods of nutrition. I took a huge step after a while of debating and I became a vegetarian, which I believe has had a positive impact on my mental state. 

    Here in Cardinot, where the project is situated, I have been able to find the peace I needed to work on my problems, something that I did not have the ability to do in the Netherlands for the last 4 years. 

    The nature here is really awe inspiring and it’s a pleasure to wake up here everyday. The tranquility I feel whilst being in the midst of amazing surroundings here is like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and the people I’m surrounded with are welcoming, open and respectful. We live together with 10 volunteers and the group mentality and togetherness is incredible. The people within the team are eager and always open to help each other with any problems, which gave me a huge sense of relief as I never felt comfortable in the Netherlands to talk about what was going on within myself. 

    I was able to talk more freely about my problems and learned that it’s good to talk about them. It gave me a sense of belonging and often many emotions came loose. I had to cry occasionally, but I have come to realize that this does not make you weak, it is part of what makes us human.

    In my eyes, this is a place where if you’re in a knot and you cannot find a way out, you can find relief and clarity. I am very happy that I made this choice myself and I feel much better now. 

    We also work with Bioconstruction and with Permaculture. It’s a fantastic project and extremely educational. As a team we work very hard together, and at the end of the day you know you are going to sleep feeling accomplished. I’ve found that doing physical work, allows you to let go of the worries within yourself and in turn you’ll feel better mentally. 

    I have learnt so much here and I would not know where I would be now if I had chosen to stay in the Netherlands. Eco Caminhos is a place to move past your issues and grow as a person.

     

    If you want to know more about our rehabilitation services, please visit Rehabilitation – Go back to the basics