Eco Caminhos - Permaculture Farm - Eco Tourism Brazil - Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro

My days start and end with laughter out here. I wake up, walk up a steep mountain, and begin woodworking with a breathtaking view of the forested mountain highlands. Thunderstorms announce their presence in low tones, birds advertise their prowess with colour and song, and the endless opportunity for recreational and educational activities is invigorating. The vision for this project extends far beyond the daily routine of working, learning, and living together with a variety of people from the four corners of the world. Woven into the tapestry of the trajectory is a shared desire to make choices that benefit the volunteers, the long term workers, and the community at large. It truly feels as though we all have a helping hand in co-creating a beautiful lifestyle for any who are inclined to put sincere effort into challenging the predetermined goals of our wayward society. Success is measured with personal and community growth; that's something I can stand behind.

I came to Eco Caminhos as a part of my six-month sabbatical, as a short-term volunteer (12 weeks starting the end of January until the end of April 2020). What I was looking for at the farm was primarily to experience the calm life on the brazilian countryside while learning about organic farming and eco construction, seeing more of Brazil, and to improve my portuguese. The latter I could definitely achieve because during my time, there were mostly Brazilians staying at Eco Caminhos, part of them only speaking portuguese, and well - Brazilians like talking a lot! :) When you come without at least a basic level of portuguese, you have to be aware that it will not always be easy to communicate, and for me it was a bit overwhelming at times. Every week, there is a one-hour portuguese lesson, where you can practice the language even more and can come with grammar questions etc. It is not held by a professional teacher though, but by another resident of the farm. The area I liked most and I learned most about was organic farming under the principles of permaculture, and I’m already missing taking care of the vegetable garden, planting and seeing the plants thrive. In some ways I was very lucky being at the farm at the time I was: With the help of hired professionals in agroforestry and eco construction, a lot of progress was realized, and I had the opportunity to work in a lot of different areas. On the other hand, of course, the corona crisis came, which resulted in some safety restrictions. There were less activities than there might have been without the crisis, travelling was either not possible or not recommended, and we ended up spending a lot of time staying at the volunteer houses. As we were living very close together, a bit like a big commune, of course there were a few interpersonal tensions and difficulties. Nonetheless I do not regret staying in Eco Caminhos during that time. As Cardinot is quite secluded, we were relatively save and far away from corona hotspots, and furthermore we could still move freely around and explore the big farm area, enjoying nature. The mountains, forests and waterfalls form a little paradise on earth, with a surprisingly European climate, and I never got tired of spending my days outside. Summing up, I will always remember my stay, and although it was not perfect, I am grateful and happy for my experience and am looking forward to seeing how that little permaculture farm, striving to be self-sustaining, will develop in the future.

EcoCaminhos is a place of growth. Even though it is a relatively young project, it allows you to learn and reflect everyday about yourself. This is, in my opinion, thanks to the beautiful nature that surrounds the place, the repetitive simple yet physical work that is usually done, and to the constant flux of people from around the world that allows you to see yourself in others and to learn from different perspectives. There is room for improvement, as in almost any other place in the world, yet when aligned with the core values of the project, this improvement can happen day by day resulting in an organizational growth, a communal growth and a personal growth. Good place to learn about yourself, test your patience, your commitment and disconnect from society’s excesses.

A very nice place with very nice people. How much you'll get out of this experience is up to you, because there are a lot of possibilities for things to do. Input is always appreciated it seems, which is very good. The days can be a bit long, compared to my other eco-farm experience, which for me is not a problem, but it's something to keep in mind. Overall I'm happy with the experience as a volunteer so far :)

The nature is just stunning, the people will make you feel home. Perfect place to escape from the city and find some peace in these beautiful mountains. The staff can also offer you a lot to learn about agroforestry, biocontrusttion and sustainability in all its aspects, theorically but also practically.