BRING YOUR LAND TO LIFE
Saturday 15 - Sunday 16 March 2014
Vàrzea da Gonçala are proud to present...
A weekend course, designed to equip the participants with the knowledge and underlying principles of how to transform unused land into a beautiful and productive, fire-resisting, ecosystem, to be appreciated and developed for the next generation, at low-maintenance.
All land has intrinsic potential, though much of the land in southern Portugal is, in terms of ecosystem development, in the pioneer stage, with somewhat depleted soil, largely as a result of past mismanagement and destructive fires.
It requires positive intervention to bring the conditions that will allow a forest-based productive ecosystem to re-establish without the risk of cyclic destruction by fire. A managed maturing forest of the right trees will not burn, whereas wild growth, with a number of highly inflammable species, will burn with an intensity which will take out many years of slowly developing bio-diverse ecosystems, as well as any food trees.
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The course, which consists of equal measure of practice and theory, will cover the following topics:
Observation and assessment of the land's potential, in terms of orientation, water-lines, vegetation patterns, and soil quality.
Evaluating which species can be successfully introduced, and which should be removed.
Assessing the fire-risk, and steps to be taken to reduce it.
Rehabilitation of degraded or eroded areas.
The potential for food-production.
How to maintain the managed ecosystem easily and creatively, whilst annually building its amenity and beauty .
Observation and assessment of the land's potential, in terms of orientation, water-lines, vegetation patterns, and soil quality.
Evaluating which species can be successfully introduced, and which should be removed.
Assessing the fire-risk, and steps to be taken to reduce it.
Rehabilitation of degraded or eroded areas.
The potential for food-production.
How to maintain the managed ecosystem easily and creatively, whilst annually building its amenity and beauty .
The course will be conducted by Chris Lewis, BSc (Ecology), with many years of direct experience with the landscape at Várzea da Gonçala.
Participants are advised to bring all-terrain boots and waterproofs in case of rain. It will the time of full moon so flashlights are not so important.
The price of the course, includes camping facilities, lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday, as well as breakfast on Sunday, is €75 per person.
Dormitory accommodation is available at an extra charge of €10 per person.
For any enquiries, please email at: [email protected], or phone (00351)282995060 evenings.
To book a place we require a deposit of €20 per person. Details of payment methods can be found on the "bookings" page of this website.
The price of the course, includes camping facilities, lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday, as well as breakfast on Sunday, is €75 per person.
Dormitory accommodation is available at an extra charge of €10 per person.
For any enquiries, please email at: [email protected], or phone (00351)282995060 evenings.
To book a place we require a deposit of €20 per person. Details of payment methods can be found on the "bookings" page of this website.
