In 2022, some camps are organising camp experiences for you to participate in. We are hopeful that they will be able to go ahead. Camps will follow the local conditions closely, and may have to cancel activities if the local COVID-19 situation forces them to do so. If you have already signed up for a camp-activity you will be informed when this happens. We will update the website also, when such decisions are taken. Please check your own local authority travel advisory to see if you can travel to or return from the camp after the activity. At all times, when at camps, please observe it’s COVID-19 policy (such as wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, etc).
Pachaland is located on a 4-hectare piece of land in the middle of the countryside, only 30 minutes away from the capital city of Europe: Brussels. The camp’s mission is to turn a landfill into a holistic micro-farm, while developing a restoration lab to learn how new consumer products can tell the regenerative narrative.
Most land restoration projects are focused on water retention and tree plantation in poor soil areas. The situation at Pachaland is a little different. It is located in Western Europe where water and vegetation challenges are fortunately not as dire (yet) as in other regions. The challenge with this little piece of land is that it is polluted. 40 years ago, the owner used to run a gunpowder factory here. Since the factory went bankrupt in the late eighties, the land was left mostly abandoned and used as landfill. Presently, the property is surrounded by conventional farm activities, thus exposed to high quantities of nitrates.
What to expect at Camp Pachaland
2021 is Year 0 for the camp. Expect to experience the actual set up of a new Ecosystem Restoration Camp, with the construction of lodging and all other infrastructure required. You will also have the opportunity to have camp fires, hikes, biking, group cooking and meals and of course taste our delicious Belgian beers. You will learn how to restore an abandoned property into a holistic, beautiful and productive micro-farm while staying in a shared house with the other volunteers. Projects we are currently working on or that will be launched soon include a biochar production unit, water recuperation and retention, improving the experience for paying guests, and construction work.
Who is needed
Camp Pachaland is looking for hard workers, carpenters, photographers and movie-makers, copywriters and social media managers, researchers, ecologists and people with knowledge of permaculture, and team and community managers.
Opportunities For Campers
Volunteers learn and develop their skills according to their interests. They are encouraged to develop their own ideas and work autonomously on a specific project. In their free time, campers can explore the beautiful surroundings by hiking and cycling. There is the opportunity to attend yoga classes, and visit restaurants and bars with legit Belgian beer. Other activities include campfires, group cooking, sports and outdoor games.
Vision and Socio Economic Context
This land deserves some care. The plan is to nurse it back to health and turn it into an abundant, diversified, and productive micro-farm, which will be hosting a number of entrepreneurial projects around ecosystem restoration. The team hopes their efforts and soon-to-come results will inspire many more people to turn around hopeless places while making an income.
Cost To Stay At Camp Pachaland
2 weeks or less: €300/person Over 2 weeks: Free-5 hours of work/day expected. Lodging and food included.
Besides the option to stay in the volunteer house it is also possible to rent a large tent or tiny house for a private and closer to nature experience.
Seedling camp
Organising Partners
Facilities
Camping (basic)-bring your own tent Camping (advanced) Bungalows/Cabins Homestays with families Sanitation (advanced) Cellphone/Mobile signal Wifi Electricity Kitchen (basic/full) Children’s play facilities Swimming facilities
Restoration Activities
Water retention
Tree planting
Composting
Soil restoration
Food planting
Erosion prevention
Cover cropping Agroforestry Regenerative entrepreneurialism Restoration livelihoods Restoration holidays
Latest News from Camp Pachaland
How to apply
Please complete the form below to express your interest in joining the team at Camp Pachaland.
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What you must do to ensure your own safety at an Ecosystem Restoration Camp
Your safety is very important to us. Most camps are in locations that are completely safe for you to travel to. Some camps are in locations where there is civil unrest, higher levels of crime, or in areas where there could be severe nature events (earthquakes, tornados, vulcanic eruptions). We strongly advise you to check with your national authority’s travel advisory service to see if there are specific travel advisories for the region you are travelling to. We strongly advise you to comply with that travel advisory. If there is a negative travel advisory for the area you plan to go to, we want to impress on you that it is your decision to not heed the warnings and go. ERC can then not be liable in that situation if something happens to you.
Work at camps is usually safe. The camp coordinators make your safety their highest priority too. But you will be working with tools and sometimes even (heavy) machinery. Sometimes the terrain can be slightly treacherous. Heat or cold can become a problem for people at work that do not take the necessary measures to prevent injury from weather conditions. Especially in remote locations, all people at an Ecosystem Restoration Camp will need to watch out for eachother’s safety. For this reason we ask you to also sign our Code of Conduct, through which you commit to contributing to a safe environment at camps for all that are there with you. Take yours and all other camper’s safety seriously! Together, while watching over eachother, we can restore our ecosystems safely and successfully.
