Eco Caminhos

A beautiful place with a warm and welcoming community. I learned so much about permaculture and the plants of the Atlantic Forest, and I was able to improve my bioconstruction skills as well. Also I made great friends and felt at home, practicing languages with people from all over the world :) Life-changing experience, where you can truly connect with yourself and integrate the principles of permaculture beyond just understanding nature, but also in the way we relate to others. A moment I will carry in my memory forever. Thank you team!!

Very nice stay, so immersive and impactful. You can get so much from this experience and there’s so much range of jobs and tasks that anyone can find a job to grow in and learn from. Its a great community to be a part of and would recommend to anyone interested in construction, farming, nature, sustainability and anything in between!

As a Civil engineer just finishing studies it was great to see a new part of the world while also learning new skills which may help in the future. Everyone at eco caminhoes had a great vibe and super welcoming and friendly, we were given a nice mix of seeing the local town, understanding the history of the area while learning about agroforestry and bioconstruction methods, and how they plan to teach more people sustainable farming methods.

Great people, landscape, food and developed practical skills in bioconstruction. Also my table tennis ability has massively improved. It's making a huge environmental and social difference to underprivileged young locals and hopefully with the help of more volunteers continue to do so.

I enjoyed my experience at the Eco Caminhos, where I took part in the bio construction of the new Ecolibrium project, and also agroforestry within the farm. The time on the farm was broken up with lots of offsite activities such as hikes and visits into the city which were highly informative. All the staff were amazing on the farm, and the food was even better!

I was originally not supposed to stay an extra three more weeks in Brazil. I had a two week long trip in Brazil but was offered to stay an extra three weeks in EcoCaminhos. I had no idea what to expect since had done very little research about the program. Arriving to Nova Friburgo I felt like I was in a world like no other, but what took me away was the hospitality we received as soon as we arrived at EcoCaminhos. The staff were beyond kind and very helpful when it came to fitting us into our accommodations.The staff were also very attentive to any needs or any itinerary changes if needed. Learning about EcoCaminhos missions regarding permaculture, agroforestry, and bio-construction very fun and interesting. Never in my life could I have imagined that I would learn about reforestation and not only learn but most importantly actually do hands on work toward this mission. Being at EcoCaminhos leaves you feeling closer to nature and most importantly closer to people from all over the world. Thank you for everything EcoCaminhos!

Growing up in a background of farming in Nebraska, I thought I knew what agriculture generally was. Eco Caminhos totally changed my perspective for the better and sparked an interest in sustainability

I learned a great deal at ecocaminhos farm. Bart is such an inspiration and we are so fortunate to hear his knowledge and participate and contribute our own small part to his project and efforts to sustainability. I leave so inspired and with a renewed sense of consciousness of my impact to the environment. The activities were well planned and executed, meals were delicious and staff was super friendly. I enjoyed my experience very much. Thank you ecocaminhos! I will be back.

This is a beautiful place! The people are very friendly and hospitable, the activities were engaging and informative, and everything felt fresh and clean - food, air, water. I learned a lot more about living sustainably and it was a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life. I did some agroforestry including planting and pruning, as well as participating in bio construction. The accommodations were also very enjoyable with all modern amenities and breathtaking views.

This has been an incredible experience learning about agroforestry, bioconstruction, and permaculture. The food and the stay have been immersive in nature and has impacted my view of advocating for sustainability. I accomplished things I would have never thought I could do and he community of people is really amazing. The immersion into the Brazilian and other cultures while being here.

It’s a great place to take a break from the real world, everywhere you look there is green and green and green. It’s so beautiful. You’re always doing something during volunteer hours. There’s waterfalls nearby and other activities you can do like learning about agroforestry and bio construction.

I volunteered with my school. But truthfully, I would come alone! I’ve considered myself a pretty grounded and well connected person but being here for 2 weeks has impacted me in ways I couldn’t have expected. Their mission to create a more sustainable life is no lie. Everything they do here is impacting the Earth in a positive way. I encourage anyone who wants to have a little more meaning in their life and who wants to do better not just say they’ll do better to give Eco Caminhos a chance. Step out of your comfort zone and confront yourself in ways you can’t do anywhere else. I can’t wait to come back.

I enjoyed my time here at Eco Caminhos. The food was very good and healthy. The views are amazing. There are lots of activities to do, very hands on. I learned lot about agroforestry, permaculture and bio construction. All around a great l visit would highly recommend.

This was an amazing experience getting to learn about nature and how much of an impact our actions have on it. Learning about agroforestry and how much power it has to transform not only the land but the people as well was interesting to learn about even without having any prior experience. After going through this program I have a much better understanding of the effort taken just to have our meals and produce on our tables to consume.

This was an incredible experience! Living in a bio-constructed home and then getting to help build one myself was both rewarding and eye-opening. Seeing agroforestry in action—improving the environment while also supporting the farm’s income—was truly inspiring. The food, the atmosphere, and the people made it even more special. I’d absolutely volunteer here again!

My experience here at Eco Caminhos has been amazing. I have learned so much about sustainable living and practices. The volunteers and staff that are on the farm with you as well make it worth while, between having gatherings and socials, they make it a fun and safe environment.

I have had the best experience here at EcoCaminhos here in Nova Friburgo. I have learned so much and have created valuable memories here. I’ve come to realize how important our environment is and how interesting agroforestry and bio-construction are.

It's a great opportunity to experience permaculture, bioconstruction, and agroforestry in practice, as well as living in a multicultural community. By allowing a week of hands-on experience at the ecofarm, they also helped me so much with my dissertation, in which I address ecovillages and proposals for solutions to the climate crisis. They welcomed me very well, all of them. Juliana, Bart, Geovani and everyone else. Bart showed me around the place. He explained permaculture, agroforestry, and a bit of bioconstruction. During our free time, we played a lot of games at the volunteer house and at the Colmeia, the main house, where we gather for lunch on weekdays. Working in the agroforest helps therapeutically; connecting with nature has something special. The volunteer house is stocked with supplies on Mondays. On Sundays, we can request specific items. This way, we can make our own snacks and dinners. I was lucky enough to have a vegan apprentice, just like me. So we cooked and even made a vegan cake together. At the communal Saturday lunches, they were always considerate of me and made delicious vegan options. It’s definitely a multicultural and welcoming environment where people from various nationalities work and live together.

I spent a week at Eco Cahminos and it was definitely one of my favorite times in Brazil during my month there. I feel like I learned so much in just a week from Bart and the other staff. Everyone is welcoming and really cares about the great work they are doing. The work is tough but very rewarding especially if you have a passion for the environment/sustainable living. This was also a really nice way to get to experience more of the rural areas of Brazil which are really beautiful and peaceful. Definitely a very unique an eye-opening experience I'll always remember!

Ad EcoCaminhos ho trascorso 2 settimane meravigliose! Due settimane dove ho conosciuto gente stupenda, con molta voglia di fare, e molto preparata. Ho imparato molto, con un giusto bilancio di teoria, pratica e divertimento. Il tutto, a diretto contatto con la foresta pluviale Brasiliana. Non potevo chiedere di meglio. Altamente consigliato!

Ich hatte eine super tolle Zeit auf der Farm und hatte jederzeit einen Ansprechpartner. Ich habe viel dazugelernt und mich immer wohl gefühlt. Ich kann die Farm für Alleinreisende sehr empfehlen. Zusätzlich ist das Mittagessen total lecker und man lernt viele Menschen kennen. Es gibt auch einen Portugiesisch Kurs, da die Mitarbeitenden wenig Englisch verstehen.

This was a rich and powerful learning experience that I will never forget. You have the opportunity to learn about agroforestry, bioconstruction, the principles of permaculture and the mission of this organization, all while in one of the most bio diverse places on earth. The hands on work you do and the change that you are making can literally be seen within in a day of work (eg. trimming agroforestry systems). You can interact with people from all over the world, who are all different ages and it really allows you to see and be immersed indifferent perspectives. I highly recommend!

I really enjoyed my stay at Eco Caminhos. I stayed there for a month. They have many activities on the schedule split between agroforestry, bioconstruction and fun events like hiking. I went there to learn more about agroforestry and have to say that I learned a lot in just a month. The practical experience of working in a farm along with the understanding of concepts of Syntropic agriculture was immensly rewarding.

I had the pleasure of enjoying a week-long stay here, and I truly wish I could have extended it. I want to extend my special thanks to Thales and Bart for their incredible support and the wealth of knowledge they shared. When I arrived, I had no idea what to expect, but I left with a heart full of gratitude for having met such wonderful people and for gaining valuable insights into eco-sustainability and eco-construction. Thank you all so much once again.

Expérience exceptionnelle, qui marquera avec certitude mon chemin. Seulement deux semaines à Eco Caminhos, et je reviens avec pleins de rêves, de motivations et une envie certaine d'y retourner. Merci à toutes les personnes formidables que j'ai rencontré pour cette initiation.

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.

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.

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.