A Story from the tree
In late Spring 2025 we heard the loud cries of a cork oak tree standing like a shepherd at the edge of the wild land. Over 20 years of listening to land and place and creating art, architecture and land projects attuned us to hear the call.

We first heard the call that something with the land upon which it stood was changing. After we investigated this with the local mayor we discovered that the land that had been held in the same family for over a hundred years was being prepared for sale. Prepared to be presented to developers to create an intensive cherry farm that would remove the natural landscape of native trees and rocks, creating a project that would affect the natural water table and river system, in fact the entire ecosystem. We got the phone number of the owners and called them, they explained the plan. With the trees in our hearts we said “WE will buy it”. Clear as clear.
The tree then explained that the land was here to become a Rural School of Arts and become a People’s Forest, a place that welcomes humans to be part of an enriching landscape for generations to come. All of this we wrote down and carrying these messages in our hearts we went to meet with the owners. They presented their ideas for the sale and we suggested “What if it was to become a Rural School of Arts? ”

Deeply moved the family replied that it was always their fathers dream to create an art school, the father being friends with the poet Eugénio de Andrade.

“You have heard the energy of the land they said.”

The tree became quiet, knowing that its work as the messenger was done. We gathered as a collective in service to what we heard.