8th Life Panama

Our EcoVillage Project has several opportunities for long-term (preferably 3+ month) volunteers. The learning potential here is enormous, as we are building an intentional community from scratch!

We live at Finca Ubuntu, 21ha of land mostly in its natural state – a mix of rolling grasslands, highly eroded areas and forested gullies, escarpments and galleries along the river and stream. In the past 3 years we built a road and access bridge, planted a 1/2Ha food forest garden, established a number of swales, and built the Bunkhouse in our Rainbow Realm with compost toilet, rainwater capture for shower and sinks and an outdoor kitchen. We also created other water catchment systems, including a lake and installed a well with a pump that services most of the area in which we’re currently working. We start and tend seedlings in our plant nursery, grow annual vegetables and fruits in our raised bed area, and tend fruit trees, root crops, and more in our 1/2Ha food forest garden.

An interest and/or prior experience designing Permaculture interventions in one or more of our areas of need is extremely helpful, and preferably also interest in participating in a Permaculture Design Course (if we happen hold one) while you're here. These courses are quite affordable and while we’d like to hold them regularly, we’ve found it hard to work that into our schedule.


In addition to the key needs which require long-term commitments, there are some smaller projects.

KEY NEEDS -- preferably a 3+ month commitment (1 month minimum):

*️Technology: Website, Positioning, Marketing*️ (Max 2 positions)
These positions require knowledge and experience in Word Press website design and maintenance, SEO, digital/online marketing including social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (and other emerging outlets). Tasks include updating and improving the website, improving and implementing marketing plans, creating/editing content, interacting on social media platforms to increase engagement and followers, troubleshooting technology issues. Ideally also includes taking photographs and videos, and administrative support (e.g., replying to emails, replying and creating engagements on social media platforms).
3-5 hrs per day – 3-5 days/week. Number of hours, days, and meals to be agreed together with scope.

*️Finca Projects; food forest gardens, food production, water systems, power systems*️ (Max 4 positions)

We need to tend the existing food forest, help on water systems and start to look at options for generating electricity. We’re also planning some structures like a ‘rancho’ or ‘gazebo’ type shelter for meetings and training events, swales, dams made of recycled materials, clay, rocks, etc. with spillways, ponds and irrigation channels. We also need detailed topographical maps showing contours, vegetation, paths/trails and roads, and other features of note such as streams, springs (if any), gullies/run-off ditches, changes in elevation, etc. Food production is also a key area for us, as we move from our experimental raised beds to a more formalized and consistent food production scheme.

We hope that people helping at the finca will take primary responsibility for one area and will collaborate with one another as needed. The main areas we need help with are food production, mapping (so we can develop a comprehensive site plan), water systems/swales, etc, buildings, and electricity.

Special Finca Project – starting in April 2023 when the rains start, we’ll be implementing the Zones 1 & 2 design around Rebecca’s home on the finca. It will include swales and other water features, live fences (hedges), compost, kitchen garden, chickens & ducks, perhaps an herb spiral and banana circle.

3-5 hrs per day, 5 days/week. Number of hours and meals to be agreed together with scope.

SMALL PROJECTS:

* cooking & general support - especially if there are multiple workaways here, it would be great to have someone support with the cooking. but even on a daily basis, i would enjoy having someone to share healthy-cooking with as i often don't make the time

* painting – the bunkhouse and the fencing around both the raised bed area and the plant nursery are ideal canvases for amazing murals. This is definitely not a *need* but a really cool *want*.

* ask us if we have any small projects available if you're looking for something shorter term. These projects can vary widely depending on our needs.