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Be a sheperd in Serra da Malcata Natural Reserve

4.5
(31 reviews)31

The experience

The experience

Shepherding cows in the mountains! The amount of work depends on the season and can be different everyday — but the work entails walking to accompany and turn them around, helping to take care of the babies, etc.

Get to know this traditional way of keeping cows — which has gotten hard to find in Europe — with a free range group that is indigenous to the Serra da Malcata region.


What you offer

30 hours of help per week

What you offer

30 hours of help per week

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Farming: Plant crops, sow seeds and help in outside tasks.

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.

What you get

2 days off per week

Team Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other people.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Requirements

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

Tasks consist of walking with the goats and helping to take care of the baby goats.

Sleeping will be in an old caravan near the goat sleeping place, for overnight protection, about 750 meters from the houses.

There is electricty only in the house, available from solar panels. There is no internet acess in the farm centre, since our system is a satellite one and is very limited.

Don't forget to bring good walking shoes and a sleeping bag.

Activities & Shift

Walking with the goats may be very time consuming. Most of the time you'll be just waiting for them to turn around or so, but your mind must be open for this.

Rules

We start with the sunrise. At sunset we need to help with the baby goats, if it's their season.

You need to bring your own sleeping bag.

We do not provide warm water.

We'll pick you up and take you back to Penamacor in the accorded days.

We'll provide all the food for 3 meals, you do not need to bring yours.

You need to do your own laundry.