Off grid Permaculture Internship Feb-May2025

Mount of Oaks/Monte dos Carvalhos has 10 week programs, in Autumn and Spring for 2 to 4 people, who would like to experience community living and deepen their knowledge and experience on off-grid sustainable living…you will also have the challenge to practice your design skills and present to us at least one design of either a new system or improvement of existing ones.

The Regeneration process on this 5 hectar piece of land started in 2006, when the land was bought through a divine miracle and many people´s generosity before “crowd funding” was even a concept. The land has no private property as it became part of an Association and residents are guardians and part of the ecossystem.
Back when I (Barbara) came here, I could only see plowed fields, a small stone ruin with half roof, some olive trees, some citrus trees and a few pear trees, a tiny little native forest at the top of the hill and a massive pond, and a tiny little forest at the bottom…
Thank God, the seed bank needed to begin the restororation was still here, and with many human, animal, fungi and vegetable help, things started to improve… Now I can say it is an abundant, resilient and restored ecossystem :-) Our first 5 years were mainly filled with daily tasks, getting to know our neighbours and the region, observing the natural system and praying, as that was our main intention for this place…A refuge of peace, rest, healing and prayer that restores land. From 2009 to 2012 we hosted several PDC´s each year, with the great pioneer in Portugal, Lesley Martin…
Today, besides the most important which is a restored healthy no tilled soil, we have already much to inspire others and much to develop still :

– The only existing small ruined was restored to be our common working kitchen now filled with a lot of our delicious produce (olives and olive oil, aromatic herbs, teas, madicine in all shapes and forms and fermented food and drinks )
– different compost toilet systems;
– hot shower w