Become an EcoAtivo Volunteer: A Month Regenerating Water Cycles in Cova da Beira
August 2026 — Applications open
This summer, EcoAtivo invites you to be part of something bigger than a simple volunteering experience. We’re looking for motivated people for an intensive one-month program, a hands-on mini-internship in water resource regeneration, a unique opportunity to learn by doing, with your hands in the soil and your feet on the ground.
What does it involve?
During August, volunteers will actively take part in regenerating waterways and soil through recognized ecological restoration techniques. Main tasks include:
- Building beaver dams (small wood and stone barriers to retain water and sediment)
- Cutting burnt pine trees and laying biomass along contour lines to reduce erosion and retain rainwater
- Drafting a regeneration plan for the intervention area
- Maintaining agroforestry systems following syntropic farming principles
- Other field tasks related to ecosystem recovery
It’s not just manual labor, it’s also a learning process about hydrology, forest management, and ecosystem regeneration, working side by side with our technical team.
A schedule designed for August heat
We know August is demanding, so we’ve adapted the schedule to avoid the hottest hours:
- Morning: from 6:30 am, about 3 hours of work
- Late afternoon: from 6:30 pm, about 2 hours of work
The schedule is flexible and can be adjusted as needed, always with the goal of protecting the health and wellbeing of participants..
Who we’re looking for
This program involves field work that can be physically demanding. That’s why we’re looking for people who:
- Are fit for outdoor physical work, including uneven terrain
- Have genuine motivation for environmental regeneration and sustainability
- Are available during the month of August
- Have field work experience
- Have the ability and training/experience to safely use a chainsaw (not required)
Prior experience in all areas is not required. Attitude and willingness to learn count as much as technical skill. rience in every area isn’t required — attitude and willingness to learn matter just as much as technical skill.
Accommodation, meals, and community life
During August, volunteers will live at the Ananda Kalyani community, a community and ecovillage located on the outskirts of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park.
Ananda Kalyani is the main local development project in Portugal run by Ananda Marga, a global spiritual and social service organization founded in 1955, whose ideology rests on two complementary pillars: self-realization and service to all. On the ground, this translates into sustainable and regenerative practices that support both personal development and the development of local communities.
What’s included and what you can experience:
- Accommodation included for the entire volunteering period, in a unisex dormitory or in a tent
- Vegan sattvic food included, prepared according to the community’s principles of mindful, balanced eating
- Direct contact with a real project of sustainable and regenerative practices, in harmony with nature
- Opportunity to learn yoga and meditation, for those interested
- Immersion in a community with a clear purpose, in the Serra da Estrela landscape
Why take part?
- Hands-on experience in a real water and forest regeneration project
- Direct contact with bioengineering and ecosystem restoration techniques
- Learning about agroforestry system maintenance
- Outdoor teamwork, with a schedule designed for your comfort
- Accommodation and vegan sattvic food included, living in the Ananda Kalyani community in the Serra da Estrela
- Chance to learn yoga and meditation, if you’re interested
How to apply
If this mission speaks to you and you want to spend August making a difference for our water resources, don’t miss this opportunity. Spots are limited.
