Nancy, from Sydney, Australia
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Byron, from California, USA
The Bosque is a place where you can quiet your mind from all the constant noise and distractions of the outside world. And with it's serene location amidst the Michoacán forest overlooking Lake Pátzcuaro, you can't help but feel at one with the world and come away with a greater appreciation for nature's beauty. Brian has a vision for a better planet, and every visitor here takes a little piece of that vision with them and then disperses it out into the world. If we want to improve the way things are, it needs to start with us. And the Bosque is just the place to do that, offering many different opportunities to grow as a person and try new things that may interest you. I highly value the time I have spent here, and I have no doubt that you will too. -Byron, a.k.a. Zig-Zag |
Ben, from England
Soon we were bumping along the rutted road leading up the hill from Eronga and rolling through the iron gates past the big, colorful 'Bienvenidos' sign and into the Bosque village. Next morning we awoke in the midst of 83 acres of mixed pine and oak forest, if you visit the Bosque perhaps the first thing to strike you will be the natural beauty and fecundancy of this Mexican hillside. At knee level there's a thick layer of herbaceous annuals which providing a riot of flowers and color despite the long dry season, above the Pines sore up in straight lines while the Oaks meander and twist, mottled green with lichens and moss and Madrones add flashes of red to the mix. During our first few days here we explored a lot, getting to know the land from it's high points with wide vistas overlooking Patzcuaro lake to the cool gullies, their micro-climates hosting a whole different array of flora and fauna. Whilst we wandered we mapped using handheld GPS and learned about Brian and Marie's plans to understand the land, increase it's biodiversity whilst making it accessible to others through the volunteer program and personal retreats. I've found that the routine of the days here for volunteers strikes a good balance between work, rest, learning and play. People start rolling up at the Casita (the little house volunteers use for cooking and hanging out) from about 7am, people light a fire, yawn, talk about that strange dream they had while they cook up some porridge or eggs. At 8am we meet up with Brian and Marie and jobs are allocated for the day, there's plenty of variety and opportunity to practice old skills or learn new ones. In the few weeks I've been here I've worked on constructing cob huts, done GPS mapping, reorganized the tool shed, built monolithic shelving out of big timber rounds and cut trails, whilst on the play side there's been saunaing, board games, movies, paper making, mask making, painting and reading at least three novels! I can say with confidence that there have been few times when I've had so many good opportunities to do new and interesting things condensed into just a few weeks, my only regret is that I don't have a few more weeks here to do more. In the day to day work and fun of the Bosque Brian and Marie provide direction and leadership helping to glue things together, however the volunteers have plenty of space to come together as a happy, productive and self organising group and to initiate and pursue their own projects. Having the opportunity to use your initiative and creativity with the materials, tools and space at hand is a wonderful thing and something which can be unfortunately uncommon. It's been great to see the Bosque Village as it moves into a new year, the growth here seems to be exponential, each week brings a new high point in the number of people staying, all bringing with them skills and energy and new projects happening. I can't wait to see how this place will grow and change through 2009 on it's path to becoming a thriving and sustainable community of like minded souls. Exciting times! Thanks Brian, Marie, all the other volunteers and people at the Bosque, been lovely to work and mess about with you. |
Allison, from Kansas, USA
I think what I have enjoyed most about living here on the Bosque is the ready exchange of information (the wonderful library and extensive knowledge of Brian and Marie) and the constant social atmosphere. Living here without all of the normal conveniences and distractions means we turn our energies to more original and social-centered (and therefore better, in my opinion) forms of entertainment. I love the evenings we spend around a fire talking about things we read or observed at the Bosque or sharing our personal histories. We also play question games, card games, and tease-the-dogs games among others. I’m also fond of the evening walks we take in pitch dark to explore the night life and track down mysterious sounds (like the black cat we found one night). With regard to working, what is wonderful about this place is the encouragement to work on self-created projects or other projects that may fit your particular interests. The work has been fulfilling and well-balanced between projects. I have been able to really get to know the land here and appreciate what grows here and the other life it supports. I also appreciate working in this cool climate and absolutely love the rainy season. The storms are light or heavy but last less than a few hours and the rest of the day is sunshine. Being located partway up a mountain and around a valley with the lake in the middle, the views are just spectacular. I feel I see a different sky every day – multiple times a day with sunrise, morning, afternoon, sunset and starry nights - each absolutely beautiful against the blue mountains. For this reason I believe those who live here around the lake are very lucky to enjoy such constant beauty. In addition, I have learned a lot about organic food consumption ranging from knowing the native plants and mushrooms that are yummy up to the food preparation itself. For example, here on the farm they practice plant grafting where the advantage of a native plant provides the survival traits necessary with the benefit of bearing fruits of a non-native plant. I will definitely continue investigating these kinds of practices when I leave here. I feel very lucky to have met and worked with four Mexicans from the neighboring towns. They are really nice and fun to hang with and it has been great being able to share opinions, music, idioms and other things that differ or are the same from our respective cultures. I was happy to have their company and at the same time learn and enjoy speaking Spanish. The Bosque is still young, and I am so excited to visit again in years to come to see what comes of the place. I am proud to have made a small contribution to this wonderful place and hope that others will get to experience it, too. I will be back to visit this gem again. |
Adrian, from Wisconsin, USA |
Dani, from England
This silence, it seems, is one of the things that draws in retreat visitors, and manages to prolong their stay. Such was the case with the last visitor, a 55 year old accountant from Mexico City, whom I became friendly with since volunteers and visitors are encouraged to share and care for the same space. After a yearly social gathering at The Bosque, he decided to stay an extra night to appreciate the silence of the forest without distraction. And then another. And then another. He ended up staying with us for almost two weeks! We even managed to get him, a staunch meat eater, to extol the virtues of the vegetarian food cooked here. This is not difficult, as both lunch and dinner (the latter usually soup and bread) are prepared with incredible care, using locally bought fruit and vegetables, some of which come from the gardens here. The food is cooked with no added sugar, and vegan food is available upon request (although it is rare that dairy ingredients are used, since, in an effort to reduce electricity consumption, there is no refrigerator).
It is a space that, despite the lack of apparently important ‘creature comforts’, people become comfortable in a different way. Both visitors and volunteers are encouraged to respect each other’s privacy and are also encouraged to pursue their own projects, be it a specific meditation programme or time spent in the art studio. It is, however, not a space for people that are not interested in making certain sacrifices, such as having a hot shower every day, or watching a lot of television. The cabanas, as well, become cold at night, but this, for me, was not problematic due to the large amount of blankets and rugs that are provided free of charge. As well as this, only dog lovers need apply- the pack of ten, lively canines could prove overwhelming to those who aren’t overly enamoured with the animals. This, however, should not be a deterrent, especially considering what one can gain from a visit to the Bosque. |
Suzanne, from Minnesota, USA
I've been here at the Bosque for over four weeks now and technically this is my second time here. Marie, Brian and I work so well together that we decided it would be best to spend a bit more time together creating what I think is an amazing project. My first couple weeks were spent learning how to garden, then we moved on to adobe where Jose and I had a good laugh as a I struggled to perfect my adobe bricks, which I did...eventually. Once I communicated to Brian that my true passion lies in the arts he graciously allowed me access to the studio where I was able exercise some creativity on the camp site signs. Shortly after Brian unveiled my new love, THE TOTEM POLE. The totem is an amazing piece of sculpture created by Beto (an employee here at the farm that developed his wood carving skills with the encouragement of Brian). It's a huge piece that measures at over 15 ft in height and has been in the works for over a year now. I've just about completed painting the first side and I am hoping to have is covered with paint and standing before I leave.
The farm is bursting with creative projects. Between gardening, yoga, hiking, cooking, writing, painting, hula hooping, learning the guitar, and the never ending conversations, I'm a bit overwhelmed. This is by far the most enchanted way to spend one's life, eating fresh meals from the gardens and listening to the ravens swoop over head. I have learned more things than I can mention but the most important knowledge is that with every tree I plant and every weed I pull I'm helping to create something truly needed in this world which is a space where we can breath and remember what makes us human. For this I'm sure it wont be the last time I'm seen hiking through these trees.... |
Alyssa, from Massachusetts, USA
Thank you for the incredible experience here at the Bosque. The past month and a half have been filled with great excitement, great conversations, great challenges and even greater rewards. The work you are doing is amazing and I admire all your efforts to share your passions with visitors, WWOOFers, everybody! Thanks for everything. Can't wait to visit again! |
I stayed at Bosque Village for the duration of 2 weeks. It is an awesome place with wonderful people, Marie and Brian. 
I came to the Bosque looking for a place to rest and restore myself, both physically and mentally, after an exhausting two weeks of traveling non-stop. I found not only that, but so much more. I had a good feeling when I was applying to the Bosque Village, and I knew it was meant to be. It was not what I had expected, but during my time here, I grew in many ways that I could not have imagined.
I came to the Bosque Village for three weeks over Christmas and New Year with my girlfriend Sara. We arrived at the lively plaza in Eronga with a mixture of excitement and trepidation about the unknown experience which lay ahead. Any worries however evaporated within minutes as Brian's face beamed out from a table at the local friendly Italian restaurant, cervezas and tortas were ordered while we chatted and got to know the other volunteers currently at the Bosque.
Hello everyone! This is Allison and I’ve been a wwoofer here for almost four weeks starting mid-July. My time here has been a very valuable experience and I feel very lucky to have found the Bosque. 
As a volunteer on 6 or so farms for the past 6 months, volunteering at the Bosque Village has been the most memorable and turned out to be my favourite place to volunteer. I started there not as a volunteer, but for the first 4 days I came for a social event. It introduced me to the vastness of the forest, the large amount of creative and recreational options (which would only expand as time went on, and inspiring the idea that I may want to live in a community like the Bosque one day).
In the silence of this retreat space, in Michoacan, Mexico, I felt as if I was breathing a sigh of relief, able to hear myself think without the noises of traffic and urban life to disturb me. Despite being a volunteer at The Bosque, and consequently spending half my day working on various natural building and sustainability projects, I felt as if I had enough time and space- 90 acres of pine, oak and madrone tree forest- to appreciate the beauty of my environment. The Bosque Village is self-sustaining, powered entirely by solar electricity, and so you are entirely lost after darkness without a headlamp or a torch. However, walking up to bed through the darkness is not an inconvenience, but a way to enjoy the silence of the forest. 
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