Help in nature on a historical and charming location near Lisbon in Coruche, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  We are one hour from Lisbon. We run a historic estate in a beautiful setting that hosts weddings, summer camps and seminars.We are also an operating farm.Mostly silviculture.We farm mostly trees. We are situated in one of the largest Cork Tree areas in the world.Mediterranean forest ecoystems are considered one ofthe most important ecosystems right after Virgin Forests. We also have lots of pine trees both for lumber and also for pine nuts.Cork and pine nut trees are a very sustainable resource as their lifespan is over 200 years and they produce cork and pine nuts during that time.We pride ourselves for beeing an environmentally responsible farm and we enjoy teaching volunteers and visitors about what we do.We are a Forest Stewardship Council certified farm.FSC is a worldwide recognized organization that certifies socially and environmentally respectefull organizations like ours, that harbour and follow, strict guidelines for workers, neighbouring populations and the environment.We are audited on a regular basis.
  
  WE FINISHED BUILING OUR YOGA PLATFORM ON THE LAKE.NOW AVAILABLE TO VOLUNTEERS.
  
  In the past, it was used as an agricultural and hunting grounds for the nobility of Portugal. There is a main house, dormitories, and small houses, as well as a pool, a lake and a large wooded area to explore, offering a glimpse of historic and contemporary Portuguese culture and living.
  
  
  From the agricultural antiques you may be cleaning and organizing, to working in the gardens.
  We need assistance with grounds maintenance and development.
  
  Grounds keeping often includes tasks such as raking, weeding.
  
  
  Decorating and painting, recovering antiques, trail building, cleaning and organizing objects, and planting and weeding around young pine and cork trees.
  
  Please note that we provide accommodation and food in exchange for help.Volunteering does not involve any financial transaction.It is about mutual benefit based on cultural exchange.
  
  We also need help building and rebuilding old structures.
  We appreciate people that share with us their interests and skills.
  
  Every year, after JUNE 26th UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST WE HOST OUR WORLD FAMOUS SUMMER CAMP.
  Therefore most of the help needed during those months is related to the summer camps.Please note that during July and August most of the help is needed for kitchen and dining room work like dooing dishes, cleaning of kitchen and dining room area, however if you prefer to be outdoors, there is plenty of work to be done.Work is usually light and hours are short due to our number of volunteers during this time that varies from 4 to 8.
  You get lots of free time and use of the pool and lake and working hours are usually less than expected.
  
  WE HAVE SPACE FOR LONG TERM VOLUNTEERS.
  
  AT THE MOMENT WE ARE ACCEPTING ONLY VOLUNTEERS 25 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER.
  
  IF YOU ARE NOT A CITIZEN OF A E.U. COUNTRY, YOU SHOULD CARRY YOUR OWN TRAVEL INSURANCE UPON YOUR ARRIVAL.IF YOU ARE FROM ONE OF THE E.U. COUNTRIES YOU SHOULD CARRY YOUR HEALTH CARD.
  
  If you are looking for travel Insurance you can get some information at the Workaway website by clicking on "Information" then clicking on "Insurance" .
  
  TO GET HERE:
  
  GET THE BUS AT "CAMPO GRANDE" METRO STATION.
  
  It is better to take the metro to CAMPO GRANDE station or right at the AIRPORT just down from the arrivals exit(check instructions on the platform.There is also a picture of both bus stops on the picture section).There you catch the bus to Coruche.(FOR TICKET PURCHASE, CASH ONLY ON THE BUS).Once you arrive in Coruche you can take a taxi just down the street from the bus terminal right across from Santander Bank, or we can pick you up depending on availability and work hours.Our taxi man is Oscar and he speaks english.
  We are only 5 minutes out of town.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Travellers can benefit from direct contact with our staff, by learning some of the local habits and ways of living, as well as some portuguese as we have 5 permanent people working full time and 4 of them only speak portuguese .We are mainly a tree farm and we enjoy teaching volunteers about our way of dealing with trees be it at the planting stage or their maintenance and looking after during their lifespan, the benefits that trees exert on the local environment specially during these times of climate change and what our experience tells us about the diferent ways we pursue in order to guarantee their healthy survival and the sustainability of the whole ecosystem.During July and August we host a CISV summer camp and volunteers can socialize with the camp staff from all corners of the world.Coruche, our neighbouring town, has an interesting old downtown area, and a typical Portuguese traditional architecture.Santarém, the next town, has also a rich downtown core and has been a candidate as a world heritage site.Abundant old churches and ancient romanic and phoenecian artifacts and structures are some of the atractions.Another popular activity with volunteers are the local weekly and monthly outdoor markets where you can witness locals in a rich interchange of socializing and bartering.People sell everything from clothes, garments, tools and locally grown chickens, turkeys, ducks and also dried figs and almonds.
  There is a bus stop right at the entrance of our driveway, served by a local bus company, that you can use to get to Coruche or Santarem.

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  Help

  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
  All year
  
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
  TOTAL WEEKLY HOURS-25:
  WE WORK 4 HOURS PER DAY, 6 DAYS A WEEK, INSTEAD OF 5 HOURS PER DAY 5 DAYS A WEEK.WE FIND THIS WORKS BEST AND WE LEAVE THE 25TH WEEKLY HOUR FOR ANY EXTRA TIME WE MIGHT NEED HELP FOR, WHICH HAPPENS ONCE IN A WHILE.
  SO IN TOTAL, VOLUNTEERS WORK 24 HOURS PER WEEK AND WE RESERVE THAT EXTRA HOUR FOR SOME OCASIONAL HELP WE MIGHT NEED BEYOND THE WEEKLY 24 HOURS.IF VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR EXTRA TIME SPECIALLY DURING WEDDINGS OR EVENTS, WE COMPENSATE THEM WITH THE CORRESPONDING TIME OFF.
  
  We continue to have some fun projects!
  After Children summer camps are over we need to repair lots of things like:
  -window shuter repairs, painting walls and windows, restoring antiques specially wooden ones etc.
  -tree planting, weeding tree saplings, shrub pruning, leaf raking, mowing the grass, cleaning rooms, working in our organic vegetable garden.
  
  we have 2 dogs and 1 horse, and need help with daily care for them too!
  
  We like help and commitment but we also like our volunteers to have a great time and a positive experience.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Portuguese: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  WE PROVIDE ALL ACCOMODATION AND FOOD.We provide all bed linens.If you want you can bring your own towel.Volunteers do most of their own cooking.
  Accommodation consists of:
  -A rural house, with 4 bedrooms -2 beds each +wc and living room - small kitchen --Another 2 bed room house , sleeps 6 .

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  What else ...

  We need help all year around!Garden work, pool maintenance, cutting grass
  help with dogs, and the horse.Tree planting in the Fall and early Winter as we plant pine and cork trees in our mediterranean forest .Watering those same trees in the Summer.Quince picking.Help our two permanent staff on different home chores, helping with their daily duties.Coruche is a nice litle town with all the amenities.Supermarkets, farmacies, cafes,etc.There are a few bars if you feel like an evening out, Almeirim is a nearby town with the famous Stone Soup.That is an amazing soup, like you never ate before.Santarem(30 km away) is an important historic site as well as Evora which is a Unesco world heritage site.There is nature around, lots of places to bike and walk, star gaze at night etc.Lisbon is only one hour away by car.
  
  TO GET HERE:
  
  For bus schedules download the app MyRibatejana.
  
  To get from Lisbon Airport to Coruche
  I HAVE WHATSAPP
  
  
  Firstly, you will either need to take a metro, a taxi or bus to CAMPO GRANDE, or catch the bus right at the airport.THERE IS A BUS STOP RIGHT AT THE AIRPORT. There you will need to catch the 901 bus to Coruche.
  Here is the tricky part! When in Campo Grande, the 901 bus stop will be hidden away.You should see sign that reads ´´Ribatejana´´ and ´´Coruche´´.THE 901 BUS USUALLY PARKS IN LANE 17.You might need to ask one of the bus drivers from other bus companies where this lane 17 is.There are pictures of both bus stops in our profile pictures.
  Once on the bus, do not worry about having to get off it. The stop you need will be the last stop.
  For bus schedules simply download the app "myribatejana" and you will be able to get any schedule by date.
  Once on the bus, give me a ring and someone will try to pick you up if we are not extremely busy .If we can't , you can take a taxi just down the road across from the SANTANDER TOTTA BANK . Better yet, you can contact our usual taxi driver as he gives volunteers a better fare.Our taxi man is Oscar, his number is +351917615559 and he has whatsapp and speaks english.
  
  If you are driving-in Coruche you look for the road to SANTAREM and once at the edge of Coruche you will see the INTERMARCHÉ store on your left.
  We are 5 kms from town, on the right.
  Look for a sign on a big tree
  I HAVE WHATSAPP
  Looking forward to meeting you!

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  We have internet.It is not super fast and and the speed goes up and down sometimes but we had volunteers that use it for their own online projects and heard no complaints

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  Space for parking camper vans

  WE CAN ACCOMODATE MID SIZE CAMPERVANS AND PROVIDE POWER AND WATER AGAINST A SMALL FEE

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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