Permaculture near Barcelona
Boodaville is an environmental education / permaculture project run by the awe-inspiring teacher and activist Anna Gurney in the Matarranya region of Spain. On a 1.5 hectare site, with olive groves, pine hillsides and nightingales, the infrastructure for sustainable off-grid community living is being developed.
The project is a collaboration between Anna herself and any permaculture teachers, volunteers, friends and travellers who are interested in getting involved. Over the years the main house, outdoor kitchen and campsite facilities have been built and many people have participated in courses, workshops and retreats. Anna now has a two-year old daughter so there are increasingly activities designed for families too!
WORKCAMPS – week long programs Spring/Summer 2016
Instead of simply paying a professional in euros to come and do building and agricultural work at Boodaville, we use our time, effort and social networks to share these processes with anyone who wants to learn. We host up to 25 people while they take part in workshops, get practical experience and live as a community for a week.
The workcamp model is for people who like the idea of volunteering, but want to ensure they learn skills from an expert, and for people who have studied sustainability/permaculture theory but want to get practical skills and extend their knowledge.
“A really positive aspect to the program is that all the practical work done goes towards the development of functioning demonstration sites. We hope that participants apply what they learn at Boodaville to their own lives, but even if that doesn’t happen immediately on returning home, by taking part in a workcamp they have contributed to the improvement of the environment here in the Matarranya,” explains Anna Gurney
Boodaville Festival
The biggest event of the Boodaville year is the three-day-long music and arts festival which takes place in May / June each year.
With the focus on off-grid activities; fun and games; sustainability workshops; live music and djs; friendship and laughter, the festival is like no other festival you’ve probably ever been to before.
The future of Boodaville
While we work the land, continue with the bio-construction and implement water collection on a larger scale we are looking for people who would like to live at Boodaville as a small community, probably starting in Spring 2018.
The project will be split into four, with a family, or couple, or individual each taking on a quarter share in the project. Most of these people will live at Boodaville full time, but anyone who doesn’t will be there at least 3 months of the year and be seriously committed to taking the project forward.
There will be a small group of long-term volunteers in addition to the permanent residents, and the members of the community (who must share the aims of the project) will collaborate to host regular courses and events to ensure the project is economically sustainable.
Here’s to the future!
¡BOODAVILLE FESTIVAL! May 26 – 29
Retreats / Retiros April 29 – May 1 // June 3 – 5 // July 1 – 3
Workcamps / Campos de trabajo April 16 – 23 // May 7 – 14 // May 14 – 21 // June 11- 18
Curso de Permacultura en Família Julio 10 -18
