Eco Caminhos

I had a great experience at Eco Caminhos. In addition to seeing a great view every day on the farm, I was very well received by the staff and the local community is also very friendly. The place is far from the city of Nova Friburgo, but it has a very close bus stop that leaves us in the center of the city. The activities proposed by Eco Caminhos are very interesting and have allowed me to learn a lot about bioconstruction, permaculture and agroforestry.

I spent three weeks with Eco Caminhos with the intention of learning about agroforestry and sustainable living generally. I came away from the experience with that—and so much more. The community here is the biggest strength of this organization. The people are amazing. Being in a multicultural environment with people from all over is an incredible experience. It’s a melting pot where you’re able to learn about different cultures all at once—along with improving your Portuguese, of course. (I recommend coming in with some knowledge of Portuguese. Though it’s not necessary, it will enrich and facilitate your experience. I did, and I am grateful because it helped me forge closer connections.) And despite there being a revolving door of volunteers coming and going, the staff make an effort to get to know everyone. You feel as though they appreciate the time you spend on the farm, limited as it may be. I also enjoyed working with the community members and the staff on the tasks. The tasks were also varied enough each day that I was always doing something different in agroforestry or by a construction. Whether you implement the tasks in your future endeavors after your experience on the farm is up to you. But at the very least, you’re learning about what it means to move sustainably, work hard and slowly toward something, and to promote development in your own community. Anything worth having or creating it’s going to take time and patience and sacrifice. I so appreciate the lessons I learned here because I know I’ll take them with me for the rest of my life.

My two weeks during the month of June at EcoCaminhos were focused on becoming familiar and implementing basic concepts in agroforestry and bioconstruction with like minded individuals. I’m a psychotherapist and social worker in the U.S. and decided to share some time with EcoCaminhos as part of my vacation/self-assigned professional development. Prior to arriving I had little experience with either agroforestry or bioconstruction, outside of some loose early childhood exposure offered by family members. I did spend a few hours learning about various applications of permaculture, agroforestry, and bioconstruction before making the trip. By the time I arrived at EcoCaminhos I had minimal experience with speaking Portuguese with the exception of some DuoLingo lessons. All of my expectations for the experience at EcoCaminhos were met and exceeded. I highly recommend a stay at EcoCaminhos. Bart, the founder of EcoCaminhos, has created an amazingly flexible and fertile environment for learning about and becoming familiar with eco farming. I had a great experience during my two week stay at the EcoLodge. There was a fair amount of flexibility for volunteers to engage with areas of the farm that are of interest to them. I was set up for 3 days of active volunteering (i.e. Mon/Wed/Fri) starting at 7am and ending around 4pm that included coffee and lunch breaks; other packages are offered. The free days were made available for individual or group activities and or time for yourself, which was a healthy balance for me. A typical day of agroforestry included some light or more formal introduction to the work that is the vision of the ecofarm. The remainder of the time was spent putting the theory into practice. For me that included identifying maturing or decaying plant systems or crops that were the focus of a given line, then pruning, planting seeds, distributing biomass, and asking a good amount of questions along the way. Days focused on bioconstruction were similar in approach. I learned a bit about the methods used to construct the buildings situated on the farm alongside other volunteers. I was invited to participate in everything from the mixing of the materials, to applying them to bamboo and wood structures with an adequate amount of guidance. Bart, or a knowledgeable volunteer, was always available during the day to ask questions and contribute to a sense of active learning. They helped me become more familiar with systems in each area of the farm, and helped navigate understanding them from above and below the ground. With that, there was some freedom to make a few independent decisions about how human hands can guide what will happen next to enhance nature’s process without introducing harmful entities into the ecosystems. Bart’s approach with volunteers was both compassionate and direct in a way that demonstrated genuine care for the health of participants and the farm. I sought out EcoCaminhos as a means to re-experience life and revisit healthy living that resonates with me. What I got was a bath for my body and my senses. Starting the day with the coolness of the mountain air, choosing to embrace a breathtaking walk up the hill to begin the work, and using the time on the farm to settle into some meditative routines were experiences I allowed myself to embrace. For me it was visually appealing to be among an abundance of green hills, a scattering of rock formations, and mountains in the distance. At certain times being able to hear the water making its way down the hill offered me some space to imagine. Having the opportunity to eat food grown where I’d planted myself for the day was its own delicious experience. I felt great within moments of arriving. The rotating group of volunteers was a unique factor and was great for socializing. All of the staff, from the less experienced to the permanent personnel, were incredibly helpful and supportive for my time on the farm. I highly recommend EcoCaminhos for persons open to cultivating parts of themselves and making a positive impact in a relaxed environment.