2008

Seven social workers had the idea of founding Eco-Adventure.Org

Before that, they worked for other social organizations. Mainly children and youth welfare, in contact with the nature. After several years of experience in managerial positions they decided to found a new organization that ensures 100% efficient flow into social projects. By means of experiential pedagogy, little financial means can lead to maximum success. 

After scout camps, walkabouts, scavenger hunts and the construction of natural huts and tree houses in northern Europe, the idea came to expand: One of the founding members (Christian) came back from his vacation in Sicily. The island had won his heart many years earlier. Likewise, the idea of building something up ala Robinson Crusoe with simple means.

The positive energy of the island that inspired Christian got transferred to his colleagues. They brought their private savings together with the aim of acquiring a small piece of land in the middle of nowhere on the sunny island...

2009

Traveling along the sicilian coast to find a land and finally found the Adventure Hill!

Several hundred kilometers of backpacking around the coast of Sicily and into the interior of the island.

Due to its colorful cultural history, the Sicilian people are among the most hospitable in the world. This resulted in numerous friendships during the trip. Many small pieces of land were also available for purchase. ...In the end, the largest agricultural area was found, in a prime location, close to the most beautiful beaches, with its own drinking water source, numerous fruit trees, olive grove, winery ... just perfect!

The fact, that it was for normal commercial agriculture uninteresting, since many terraces, hardly usable with agricultural machinery... the price was fair.
So much the better for nature adventures. A huge green & wild Adventure Hill!

2010 - 2014

Cleaning up the jungle with natural materials, machete and bare hands. From nothing we started creating something.

Originally, the founders wanted to offer eco adventure tours to Sicily once or twice a year and therefore the plan was to set up a simple base camp on a small piece of land. Now that the property was so big, so were the chances and Christian decided to start a life as a smallholder. His colleagues stayed in normal life, working to earn money, starting a family, building houses in their hometown... in their free time they came regularly to help at the Adventure Hill.

The rest of the time Christian was more alone the first year, in this time his whole life was going on again in his mind as he chopped wood, cleared the jungle, picked up fruits, harvested the garden, collected olives... So he "collected his thoughts". He found back to himself and his inner peace. Going your own way gives you a lot of strength. Living in harmony with the nature is pure enjoyment of life.

In the second year several volunteers came for half the time, in the third year most of the time somebody was there to help. In 2014 alone, hundreds of people came to enjoy a break from their everyday life. Together you can achieve more. The hundred-year-old barn was rebuilt from the ground up, a large composting toilet was built for future school classes and larger groups, the water source was cleaned, the underground canal was renovated and the huge wild land was made usable overall. Teamwork makes the dream work!

At the same time, the focus was always on giving people a break from their everyday life. Decelerating life is more important than building up quickly. Relaxed voluntary progress step by step, between many beautiful trips to natural sites in the area and just being free in nature.

 

2014 - 2019

Preparing the wood for a better base camp, build the first COB and some tiny houses.

Our therapy dog ​​Phoenix especially helped the children, as well as the adults, and he even helped dig around in the garden. ;-) In addition, there arrived a young donkey who was soon called "Hercules" due to its already impressive size and enormous strength. He helped carry the luggage and working material.

We continued to expand the barn, built a pizza hut, improved the outdoor shower, and the cooking hut ... For the storage of other food from our own cultivation, we dug a large hole and built strong stone and a half meter thick underground - almost finished , with 25 cubic meters of storage space...

At the same time, small teams built a small hut under chestnut trees made of wood and reeds, started with a tree house for children and constructed a first COB house, tiny but big enough to accommodate a family. Everything with a amazing sea view to the seven Aeolian islands.

After cutting wood with an axe from the forest and processing it with a machete in the first year, we met the owner of a sawmill on a trip with Phoenix and Hercules. His partners have even larger forests of fine sweet chestnut trees. They felt also in love with our project and help wherever they can! So, luckily, we got a lot more wood, tools and processing options as well as knowledge of how to work on bigger structures. Together with architects, civil engineers and carpenters, the blueprints for the adventure base were created. Many cubic meters of the best lumber was processed into supporting pillars, beams and boards by hand.

...So now finally we are ready to set up a great base camp, inclusive a first treehouse!