Sunseed Desert Technology ecofriendly project and community in Almería

 

 

Sunseed Desert Technology is a non-formal environmental education project and a hands-on practical centre for sustainable living situated in a national reserve in Almería, Andalucía, in the south of Spain.

 

It has been a project since 1986 with an aim of helping develop, communicate and disseminate a sustainable and resilient way of life in our environmental conditions, a semi-arid region and the only desert in Europe.

 

It is a self-managed and dynamic community focused on living and learning together. They use the sun for energy, the river for water, the gardens and local providers for food, and they share all cooking and cleaning to make the community a comfortable place to call home.

 

“We support each other in taking personal responsibility for our impact on the environment, feeling empowered in the knowledge that changes really can be made when one is part of a thoughtful and focused community,” say the organisers.

 

The Sunseed project, which is made up of a transient and ever-changing group of 10-30 people, is located in Los Molinos del Río Aguas, an entirely off-grid village in rural Almería. Sunseed is the only communitarian project located here, off-grid but not completely self- sufficient. The nearest town is Sorbas, around 7km away.

 

The river which gives its name to the place is the only one in the whole province to flow all year round; it carves a narrow valley where natural pools host unique species of flora and fauna, a real oasis in the desert. The village hosts other projects related to sustainability, creativity and deep ecology.

 

There are 7 departments at Sunseed:

 

 

During their stay visitors and volunteers have the chance to work in their department of choice, in order to get a deeper knowledge of the tools and techniques and/or develop a personal project related with the department tasks and Sunseed overall.

 

 

From Monday to Friday, they start the day with a Morning Circle where tasks of the day are offered to the group. Community members join tasks, with the intention of finding a balance between personal interests and continuity of work. On Monday, they take care of the communal space by doing a collective clean of the whole project. On Friday there is a general assembly, and each week sees a variety of communal activities and workshops on everything from sociocracy and degrowth to how to build with cob and caña, to how to make natural ferments and tinctures from foraged ingredients.

 

Visitors and short-term members participate in project activities at least 4 hours a day, while medium- and long-term members contribute at least 6 hours a day. Saturdays and Sundays are self-organised and meant for relaxation, connection and rejuvenation. In order to uphold the wellbeing and mental health of the community, they also host weekly sharing circles where they create a space for deep listening without judgement.

 

This little community is a living project that has sustained this space in a disappearing oasis for nearly 40 years.

 

To learn more or to arrange a visit, you can get in touch using the following contact details: