The Eco Experience Volunteer program with EcoCaminhos is a combined experience, a perfect oportunity for people that want both to discover what it is to work with an environmental and sustainable iniciative and at the same time have a profund and intimate experience of a culture abroad. The program combines two things:
- First, volunteers will be able to learn what it is to live in a and contribute to a self-sustainable Eco-Farm in Brazil in the middle of nature, they will form part of a small but dynamic international community of volunteers passionate about nature and the development of a more sustainable future. Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in the Farm’s projects with Bioconstruction, Organic Farming, Agroforestry, Community Building and Permaculture in general, they will receive introductory presentations and mainly hands on experience in each of this areas or they can focus on the ones they prefer.
- Our Eco Experience program also comes with the oportunity to discover the Brazilian culture directly and in a pretty intimate and unique way, by staying in the house of a local rural Brazilian family volunteers get a honest direct interaction, a chance to live the rural brazilian culture, customs, food and way of life. They are always well known trusted neighbors of Eco Caminhos so you can rest asure knowing you are gonna feel welcome, safe and it will be integrated with all the other aspects of the Eco Experience program. To complement this cultural aspect of the program other activities such as hikes, Horseback trips and city tours are also organized.
What we Expect from Volunteers, and what would their role be?
An Eco-farm such as Eco Caminhos has a lot to be done, although we have grown a lot we still consider we are just scratching the surface of what we believe we can turn into, there is still so much to do. Because of this our volunteers have to be highly motivated, commited to help the world through enviromental practices and very hard working. Our volunteers are nature lovers, open-minded, respectful, inspired and willing to be part of a team of people with a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and personalities.
In Eco Caminhos we work hard, we follow our schedules and give our best because we belive our project is not just for us, it is not just for our enjoyment or confort in our own tiny corner of the world. We want to be an example to follow, a community that inspires, and hopefully a place from wich we can contribute with the healing of the natural world and society as one.
Volunteers can choose on what they want to focus on, depending on their skills and interests they can do more Bioconstruction or more Organic Farming and Agroforestry, or do both equally, but it is expected that from time to time we all work together on a single proyect when needed. Volunteers also do a wide variety of activities together and share a cooking schedule, but in Eco Caminhos we value more willingness to learn and try new things more than already having specific skills.
If you are willing to learn and participate it does not matter if you lack experience in any area, regardless if it is Bioconstruction or cooking, here you will learn, develop those abilities and get support from all other volunteers when needed, here we all want to grow and help others grow, and we hope for future volunteers to have the same attitude.
Location
Eco Caminhos is located in the beautiful inner mountains of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the outskirts of a small rural city called Nova Friburgo. This area of Brazil is well know for being one of the world’s ecosystems with the highest amounts of biodiversity in both flora and fauna called the Atlantic Forest Biome. Eco Caminhos has several waterfalls both inside and around it, pure drinkable rivers all in the middle of truly amazing and imposing mountains, get inmersed in the magic of South American nature and the calmness that comes from it’s deep light blue skies and stary nights.
Starting
During your first week here the different project coordinators will give introductory presentations on the different sustainable practices we apply in Eco Caminhos, after which you will be able to join and participate in the different projects of the Eco Farm, on Bio-construction, Agroforestry and Organic Farming.
Plus
Every week the volunteer coordinator will organize special activities for you, it can be things such as hikes, camping trips to the mountains, horseback riding, city tours among other options. Besides this special activities volunteers have their own weekly ones, such as movie nights, games nights and volunteer campfire nights. Of corse during your free time or weekends you are free to organize your own activities and plans.
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