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Creative and Productive Mountain: Eco-Placemaking in Soajo

| Raiz Minhota Cooperativa Integral, CRL | News , Eco-placemaking

On March 29th, our eco-placemaking workshop took place in Soajo, a rural mountain environment, organised by Raiz Minhota Cooperative.

As part of the European RurALL project, in close collaboration with the Common Lands Community of Soajo and with the support of the Soajo Parish Council. Based in participatory sessions with the local community, a join-decision was made to address the common lands territory creative and productive potentials. Besides the ongoing activities of reforestation and control of invasive species, we have identified communities’ assets and potentials that could inspire and benefit the relationship of younger generations with rural life in the mountain. The focus was therefore in empowering local communities in the creative use of two abundant mountain resources: wood and wool. 

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Re-inventing ecological and communitarian practices with wood and wool 

39 participants, aged 4 to 85 years old, gathered in Casa do Povo, the local communal space. We started the day with a mushrooms production collective activity for the inoculation of logs of wood, for a chosen place in the common lands, to become a living laboratory for the local inhabitants. In the afternoon a hands-on wood with 6 groups continued, with great enthusiasm by the participants.

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Living laboratory

Then we went to a chosen place in the common lands’ forest, to implement together the inoculated wood logs as a living laboratory. The place is now open to anyone to come to observe the evolution of the mushrooms growing. It will continue to be developed as a living laboratory by the Common Lands Community, with more activities around mushrooms, reforestation and nature observation. 

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Hands-on wool

We finished the day with a hands-on wool activity, to value another abundant but under-appreciated resource of this mountain, celebrating this ancient wisdom with a local group of senior women spinners and polyphonic singing. Younger and older generations gathered together in a circle, very eager to share and learn the arts and crafts of wool.

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A rich communitarian process

The result from this full day of activities was a rich process of eco-placemaking with the local community, reaching several objectives:

  • collective decision-making and inter-generational community work;
  • empowerment of mountain communities in taking collective ownership of their common lands, on an ecological approach;
  • development of new skills and re-inventing together creative and regenerative uses of local resources;
  • inspiring creative and productive rural jobs related to forest and mountain resources, to attract younger generations;
  • valuing ancient wisdom as well as innovative practices to foster more ecological ways of rural living and community caring;
  • implementing a living laboratory in a common lands forest, that will continue to grow, with the active participation of the community and the common lands association.

The participants, partners and organising team were very pleased and satisfied with this day, were communitarian organisation, collaboration and innovation opened up a new common place and opportunities for learning and sharing that will continue to grow.

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