Mundekulla ESC 2026: Regenerative hospitality & Rural living

4. Your "Why": What specifically about Mundekulla’s vision—merging regenerative land care, hospitality, and personal growth—makes you want to spend 7 months here rather than at a different ESC project? *

5. Volunteering for me it is: Briefly describe how do you understand and see volunteering activity during ESC project? *

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Choosing your learning path:

Here is description of five departments (pillars) of Mundekulla’s activity.

Regenerative Gardening & Biodiversity
This pillar focuses on agroforestry, syntropic farming, and permaculture to improve soil health and garden productivity. We grow our own vegetables and fruits which are served to our guests and team which includes volunteers and employees.
You will learn how to prepare soil, grow food, and provide a variety of vegetables, herbs, and honey for the kitchen while returning nutrients back to the land.
The work includes physical outdoor tasks such as planting, weeding, mulching, harvesting, and other seasonal manual work in different weather conditions.

Circular Gastronomy & Food Conversion
This pillar contributes to a sustainable food system through vegetarian and vegan cooking and the reduction of food waste.
You will work side by side with a professional chef, experience moments of creative cooking (“la festin”), and learn a wide range of vegan recipes and food-processing methods. You will also learn how to preserve fruits and vegetable for winter / long-term keeping.
At the same time, the daily reality includes high-pressure event logistics, intensive vegetable preparation (the “potato peeling” reality), and maintaining professional kitchen hygiene standards.

Farm maintenance (or eco-building & maintenance)
Activities in this pillar involve the upkeep of regenerative infrastructure and the completion of restoration projects. The work emphasizes the use of eco-materials and long-life asset care to ensure the property remains guest-ready and operationally efficient. You will learn to work with wood and metal, learn practical repair skills, and develop confidence as a “handy” person.

Sustainable Forestry:
This pillar involves the regenerative management of 55 hectares of carbon-positive forest. Volunteers learn about woodland management, balancing operational safety with the restoration of local biodiversity.
Regenerative Hospitality & Customer Excellence
This pillar combines professional retreat management with sustainable tourism values.
You will learn and help to manage guest logistics, prepare activities venues and common areas, and experience the full cycle of reception and hospitality operations. We are also looking to get a marketing genius in our team to help us to bring our social media accounts to the next level.
You will also gain insight into how a high-quality guest experience is created, from advertising to receiving 10/10 reviews!

Personal Leadership & Community (integrated Pillar – for everyone)
While everyone focuses on one operational pillar, all volunteers participate in this pillar through workshops on entrepreneurship (including the opportunity to help run a real café and farm shop), self-leadership, and intercultural dialogue.
This pillar focuses on the “magic” of human development: learning to manage emotions, communicate clearly, and resolve conflicts while living together in a small intentional community.

In 2026, we are focusing on departmental mastery.

You will spend 60% of your time specializing in one area to achieve deep learning, while 40% of the program will include "deep dives" into other areas to give you an overview of the full regenerative cycle.

Note: There are limited places in each department, so if some places are taken but you and we are still a perfect fit, we will find the best way to accommodate your learning path.

6. Which ONE area would you like to specialize in for the majority of your time? And describe why: 1. Regenerative Gardening & Biodiversity 2. Circular Gastronomy & Food Conversion 3. Sustainable Forestry & Facility Management (combined) 4. Regenerative Hospitality & Customer Excellence *

7. Learning through everyday work: While our mission focuses on personal growth and regenerative hospitality & rural living, a lot of everyday life at Mundekulla consists of simple, physical tasks such as peeling potatoes, weeding, or moving chairs to prepare for workshops. We believe that true learning often comes from staying with a task even when it feels repetitive, boring, or difficult, and from focusing on one main role long enough to see real progress. How do you usually stay motivated or find meaning when doing routine or physical work, and how do you feel about staying anchored in one primary role for 7 months to achieve mastery and see the “compounding results” of your effort?*

8. Seasonality of the business: Despite being assigned to the specific area of focus, it is important to note Mundekulla works as a connected ecosystem. Also, Mundekulla is a rural retreat center which is highly affected by seasonality. In spring it will be much more gardening for everyone, in summer, during large events, the entire team of 8 volunteers may be needed to support in the kitchen or with guest logistics. Forest management comes in autumn. Planning will be in place but short notice changes may happen from time to time. Will be you comfortable stepping out of your specific role to support the team’s most urgent needs when they arise? *

9. Remote living & well-being: Mundekulla is beautiful but remote, 12 km from the nearest station and far from city nightlife. Of course, to support you, we will have team outings and on-site social activities. Beyond these organized events, what are your favorite ways to recharge and enjoy your free time in a quiet, rural environment? How would you participate in helping others and organizing on-site social activities?*

Culture of respect:

We have a strict drug- and alcohol-free policy and clear guidelines around consent (physical/sexual and emotional). We also often host silent retreats where a quiet atmosphere is essential.

We expect all volunteers to behave respectfully toward guests, colleagues, and themselves, including keeping intimate behavior private and away from shared or guest spaces.

10. Is this a lifestyle and working culture you can fully respect and commit to for the duration of the project? What challenges, if any, do you foresee for yourself? *

11. Ownership (no passengers): according to our first principle "Idea meritocracy," everyone is a contributor, not just a passenger. Can you imagine and give a short example of you taking responsibility for a project or task in Mundekulla from start to finish? What would you love to learn and bring home after the project?*

12. Interests, gifts, and talents: What specific interest, talent, or gift (e.g., photography, yoga, marketing, music, or a craft) would you like to share with Mundekulla? *

13. Building a shared home (community life): It is important to understand that Mundekulla is a hospitality center where only a few staff members live on-site. However, our ESC program creates its own unique volunteering community: you and your 7 fellow volunteers! You will share a house (actually two!), meals, and a 7-month journey together. What do you believe is most important for maintaining a healthy, respectful, and supportive community life in a shared living environment? *

14. Support & Inclusion: We have a few spots forpeople with fewer opportunities,with economic, social, health, or geographical obstacles. Do you identifywith any of these? If yes, please describe brieflyyour obstacle and what specific support (physical, emotional, or logistical) might you need from us to feel safe and successful during your time here? (Note: Your answer is used only to ensure we can provide the right support) *

15. Driving License: Having a license is helpful in our remote location, though not mandatory. Do you have a valid driving license? If yes, please specify the type:*

ManualAutomaticI do not have a licenseOther

16. Do you have any health conditions or dietary requirements we should be aware of?*

17. Social media link (if any):

If you would like to let us know about anything else (optional):