1-4 OCT 2026 💧💫 Water Cycle Revival Course in Central Portugal (+ optional experience week)
Following last year’s inspirational weekend course, we proudly present:
A hands-on introduction to small-scale water cycle revival in Central Portugal, led by Raymundo Resink, co-founder @ Miracle Project
↡ Why this course?
↡ What it will give you
↡ What you’ll be doing
↡ Your teacher(s)
↡ Reflections from participants
↡ Pricing, details & signup
🌄 Why this course?
Because we can do more than brace for impact.
In the face of intensifying droughts, fires, floods, and desertification, economies that don’t know when more is enough, and global dynamics that seem to lead to more disconnect and polarisation, it’s easy to become pessimistic and hopeless.
» We need inspiring examples, ideas, and tools. We need to understand that things are not just the way they are, to see ourselves as a keystone species in the healing of the planet, and to build the skills needed to be true co-stewards on Earth.
» This course is an inspirational and practical antidote to the ‘fight against’ climate change and ‘the forces that be’, through the element that connects us all: water.
» Whether you’re a newbie or an expert, whether you live on land or in the city, and whether you (want to) work in ecosystem revival or not, if you feel called to join this course, be welcome!
↡ What this course will give you
↡ What you’ll be doing
↡ Your teacher(s)
↡ Reflections from participants
↡ Pricing, details & signup
💃🏽🕺🏾 What this course will give you
A shift in mindset
- Busting the myths that can keep us stuck in (invisible) degradation loops
- Seeing and embodying natural, abundance-increasing patterns.
Adaptive knowledge
- Mitigating drought–flood–fire risks, thinking like water, and working with water.
- Seeing the bigger picture of water catchment areas, how these areas essentially form ecosystems, communities, and economies, and how our local presence and work are interconnected with everything in our region.
- Do’s and don’ts of water harvesting, water slowing, and water infiltration
- Do’s and don’ts of earthworks like swales, ponds, (beaver) dams, and terraces.
- Do’s and don’ts of (inter)planting, mulching, irrigating and managing.
- Designing with the result in mind, planning for the next season, and learning with agility as you go.
Hands-on skills
- Practice quieting the mind and letting the land speak through you.
- Become a reader of landforms, soils, vegetation, flows, challenges, and opportunities.
- Get introduced to the steps that will take you from dream to design to project.
- Translate principles into action through hands-on field exercises and the building of small water-slowing structures.
Empowerment and connection
Because no one is as smart as everyone, and together we’re much better at being the change we wish to see.
🤲 What Will You Be Doing?
A. Through two presentations with Q&A’s, you will:
- Receive frameworks designed to empower you as a steward, advocate, and/or co-creator of strong, lush, and healthy environments.
- Learn about the principles of rainwater harvesting, how to “think like water”, read the landscape, and implement water-infiltrating structures for the good of your lands and community.
B. On two different project sites, you will:
- Walk and observe the land, map flows, and let the terrain communicate ideas and designs through you.
- Build small water-slowing structures, emergency water outlets, and erosion-stoppers that you can implement immediately in your context—no machinery needed
C. Before you go home, you will have:
- a clear framework and toolbox to begin regenerative (water) work on your own land or within your community
- space to ask remaining questions and get advice on your specific context or project
- received links to sources of inspiration and deeper dives, to help you shape your own learning journey
↡ Your teacher(s)
↡ Reflections from participants
↡ Pricing, details & signup
👩🏽🌾🌱💧 Your Teacher(s)
1. Raymundo Resink
Raymundo completed Syntropic Agroforestry courses in the Netherlands and Portugal, as well as a six-month water-cycle revival training course at WaterStories.com.
Miracle Project is the culmination of his dream: a community-driven ecosystem and people regeneration project. A model site and learning centre, building blueprints for a planet that works for all of life.
Inspired by pioneers like Sepp Holzer (Austria), Brad Lancaster (Rainwater Harvesting, USA), Zach Weiss (Water Stories, USA), Jos Willemsen (Teaming with Life, The Netherlands), Ruben Costa (Planta Floresta, Portugal), Marc Leiber (GrowBack, Portugal), and Ernst Götsch (Syntropic Agroforestry, Brazil), Raymundo has been honing his skills by doing what he loves: learning by doing, and learning while teaching.
2. You, other participants, and the places we’ll visit and work on...
... all part of the teaching. Learning is never a one-way street.
👩🏽🌾🧑🏼🌾 Reflections from Participants
“The presentations were excellent, engaging, and concise—and I loved the group vibe and practical activities. This course gave me the knowledge and experience to tackle challenges on my land with confidence and renewed purpose.”
Adam Thomas, Syntropic Ecosystem Designer and Builder
“Super knowledgeable, sensitive and friendly teachers, and a course that filled me with inspiration, motivation, and the confidence to start sharing what I’ve learned. It has stayed with me ever since, like the opening of a big dam, releasing the water free to run its true and natural course!”
Flor, Land Steward in Central Portugal
“I left, boosted by inspiration and the desire to act. I even decided to explore steering my career (as a copywriter) in the direction of regenerative agriculture.”
Thomas van de Loo
↡ Pricing, details & signup
✍️ Pricing, details & signup
↡ Locations, dates & prices
↡ Proclaimers & cancellation policy
🏡 Locations (Central Portugal)
- Quinta do Amanhã, Coutada (Covilhã), Portugal — Accommodation, theory & inspiration
- Miracle Mountain, Freixial (Fundão), and Centro Águas Vivas, Paúl (Covilhã) — Project sites & hands-on work
» All course locations are within 15 mins. driving distance from each other; we’ll be carpooling with those who drive.
» If you’re coming by plane and/or public transport, we’ll provide you with information on how to get to Quinta do Amanhã.
📆 Dates and times
Thursday 1st of October 16:00: Arrival, dinner and introduction
Sunday 4th of October 17:00: Closing
(Optional) Monday 5th - Saturday 10th of October: Experience week
- Live and work with us for a whole week.
- Discover Miracle Project and its community more deeply.
- Get inspired for your own journey, explore becoming a long-term volunteer, or explore becoming a member of the team.
🌱 Course Prices
- Early bird ticket: €300 — until 1st of August, limited tickets
- Regular ticket: €350
- Solidarity ticket: €400 — this will support our work and ecological regeneration projects in the region. Thank you so much!
Price build-up:
- €120 goes to Quinta do Amanhã for hosting us, providing amenities, and providing meals.
- The rest goes to the Miracle Project Association (team, time, love) and overhead costs. If you feel inspired, you can donate after the course to further support Miracle Project.
🔎 Proclaimers, Cancellation — and book your spot!
↡ Limited availability & memberships
↡ Included in the price
↡ Important to know (& cancellation policy)
🤲 Limited availability & memberships
- We have space for a max of 20 participants. We want to offer a high-quality, personal learning and growing experience.
- Miracle Project members with an annual membership get a 15% discount.
💡 To benefit from the discount, choose your membership here, select yearly payment, and come back to this event page after signing up.
🏕️💧🥗 Included in the price are:
- A bring-your-own tent or camper stay at Quinta do Amanhã
- Basic sanitary facilities (outdoor shower, dry toilets, and the lovely Zêzere river, 7 minutes walking from the Quinta)
- 3 delicious vegan meals per day, starting with dinner on Thursday and ending with lunch on Sunday, all prepared by a dedicated chef who resides at Quinta do Amanhã.
You have the option to upgrade your stay to a caravan or glamping tent
- €20 per night for a single or €30 per night for a double, upon request, limited availability.
- You can indicate your interest in this via the form we’ll direct you to after you complete your payment.
- If you prefer to stay elsewhere, you are welcome to do so, but that will not affect the course price. If you’d like tips on other accommodation options in the region, please let us know via the form we’ll direct you to after you complete your payment.
ℹ️ Important to know:
- There is a common space for theory, evening programs, and relaxation. You will have access to this space at all times outside of the program.
- We’ll divide basic housekeeping tasks — washing dishes & cleaning toilets — among ourselves and all participants.
- We’ll be driving to the other course locations by carpooling in Raymundo’s car and other participants’ cars (max. 15 mins. each way).
- Quinta do Amanhã is a vegan place, and this course is a drug- and alcohol-free time.
- If you wish to bring non-vegan snacks, please do so at your discretion and use them only in the campground or outside of Quinta do Amanhã’s land.
- You can smoke outside Quinta do Amanhã’s land.
Cancellation Policy for this course:
- If you cancel your booking by August 31st, you can choose to receive 70% of the course price back or reserve your spot for the next Water Cycle Revival course.
- If you cancel by September 14th, you can choose to receive 50% of the course price back or reserve your spot for the next course.
- If you cancel after September 14th and depending on your reasons for cancelling, we may offer you the possibility to reserve your spot for the next course.
💃🏽🕺🏾 Book your spot!
Need more info? Feel free to get in touch with us.
Inspired by what you see?
Help other people find our work — and help us build community:
🌄 Full Programme
Thursday, 1st of October:
- 16:00 - 18:00: Arrivals
- 18:00: Dinner
- 19:00 - 21:30: Introduction and short documentary
Friday, 2nd of October:
- (Optional) 07:00 - 08:15: Yoga or Qigong, followed by meditation
- 08:15 - 09:00: Breakfast
- 09:00 - 09:30: Getting to know each other games
- 09:30 - 11:30: Reviving Natural Water Cycles - core approach & principles - Presentation & Q&A
- 11:30 - 12:30: Rain Gardens - example at Quinta do Amanhã
- 12:30 - 13:30: Lunch
- 13:30 - 18:00: Site visit to Centro Águas Vivas and hands-on practice session 1
- 18:30 - 19:30: Dinner
- (Optional) 20:00 - 22:00: Evening program
Saturday 3rd of October:
- (Optional) 07:00 - 08:15: Yoga or Qigong, followed by meditation
- 08:15 - 09:00: Breakfast
- 09:00 - 11:00: Site Analysis & Water Cycle Revival Design - presentation & Q&A
- 11:00 - 17:00: Site visit to Miracle Mountain and hands-on practice session 2 (lunch break in between)
- 18:30 - 19:30 Dinner
- (Optional) 20:00 - 22:00 Evening program
Sunday, 4th of October:
- (Optional) 07:00 - 08:15: Yoga or Qigong, followed by meditation
- 08:15 - 09:00: Breakfast
- 09:00 - 13:00: Site visit to Miracle Mountain and hands-on practice session 3
- 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
- 14:30 - 17:00 Q&A and closing
(Optional) Monday 5th - Saturday 10th of October: Experience week
You can indicate your interest after booking the course; we'll send you more information.
💫 Inspiration Information
Raymundo Resink
Raymundo Resink
Raymundo Resink
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Cover photo: César Couto on Unsplash
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