Välkommen till Greenstones

Greenstones is a course centre on a beautiful island off the West coast of Sweden. The area is well-known for its pure light, clean air and natural beauty. There are currently two families living and working here, each family in their own house. We’re currently in our planning and development phase and are creating a place where people can be inspired, relax, recharge and re-connect with themselves, nature and other like-minded people.

The Greenstones team have a collective background of living and working in eco-villages, new social thinking and down-to-earth practical experiments such as low-cost, eco-friendly housing.

We are building guest houses with natural materials and a heated pool for Watsu (water shiatsu) treatments. We are planning to grow much of our vegetables and fruit ourselves and have bees for honey production. We need volunteers interested in natural construction, renewable energy systems and ecological water management systems.

What to expect
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Projects: Gardening both outside and in a poly tunnel, firewood preparation, grey water system creation and management (including creating a wetland), construction of a spa with natural water cleaning systems. We're converting the small-holding from old cattle grazing fields to a permaculture garden.

Energy: We are aiming to be energy self-sufficient and are installing a solar array and a ground-source heat pump system.

Meals: We eat mostly vegetarian diet (fish on the odd occasion) and have started growing our own vegetables and fruit. We have chickens (for eggs) as well. We have lunch together. You prepare your own breakfast and dinner (usually with the other volunteers). Please let us know in advance if have any special dietary requirements,

Accommodation and facilities: Volunteers have bedrooms in the main house or in a small guest house. You may be sharing with one other person.

We'll also be putting up some yurts for accommodation.

We have a wood-fired hot tub and a solar heated swimming pool where we cool off and relax after a full days work.

Workload: Volunteers usually work 6 hours a day with a swim break after lunch if the weather is favourable.

Languages: At Greenstones we mostly speak English, Swedish and Dutch, but we can also understand and speak some French and German.

Other: We provide bedclothes as well as towels. For the work outside we have gloves, and working trousers available, but please bring your own wellies. All the tools we need for the projects we have here as well.

What we are looking for: People who are not afraid to do some hard physical work outside: chopping wood, clearing brush, building paths, preparing for building sites for the new round houses, building with local materials, pond building etc. People with an interest in learning about and creating renewable energy, natural building and natural water cleaning and management systems.

There are also be general tasks like creating a vegetable garden, helping to build a chicken tractor, weeding, stacking wood and general garden work.

We welcome people who would like to share their experience and skills with us.

Please note: We do NOT accept applications from students needing a summer placement just to improve their English.