Community and Rainforests Engagement Weeks (CREW)
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Our CREW program is about loving engagement with the rainforests in Moidart by giving it a helping hand to recover, as well as internal reflection and stillness.
On this week we will be going out to the rainforests to remove the invasive plant, Rhododendron ponticum, and to plant native trees. We will be living in the beautiful Samalaman House with the participants of the program, and becoming a small community while we share common space and a daily rhythm together. We will cook and clean together while looking after the wellbeing of our living space. You will have opportunities to connect deeply with nature. Nature may speak back to you in its own intelligent non-verbal language. This will be a week of service and seeking. You will be helping the rainforests in Moidart. The rainforest may help you on your life-path. Please come mentally and physically prepared. Appropriate clothing for physical work outdoors is essential. Bring your journal or any other creative ways that is uniquely yours to nourish your soul journey while on the CREW week. We hope our week to carry a light touch while the physical work might be demanding. Don't let the physical aspect of the week to discourage you from participating. You will not be asked to do more than you can do. This week may spark new connections and encourage growth. When you engage with nature and people from other parts of the world, all sorts of magic could happen. Or you may want to retreat into your own world on our day off (Wednesday) and explore the edge of your own being while immersed in a pristine, wild and endangered rainforest in Glenuig. What can you expect from this week?
TransportYou need to arrive in Glenuig (map above) on Saturday afternoon. We aim to start the programme by 5 pm. The nearest train station is Lochailort. Sharing lifts may be possible. Our programme will complete on the following Saturday before lunch.
FoodWe will share the cooking and home-care for the week as a group. As our community forms and take shape, we will self-organise around our shared space and living chores, such as cooking and cleaning.
We will provide most of the ingredients needed to cook nourishing meals. We prefer to provide local and organic food when possible. Our preference is on the side of vegan / vegetarian food. If you have specific food needs please bring them with you. If you have particular cultural culinary items, please bring some to share with the group. For example, I (Pupak) will bring saffron from Iran. What will you bring? We will not provide chocolate and wine. There is a local store in Glenuig where you can buy these items. Things to bring
Price & PaymentWe are calculating the cost of the week as of May 2026. We are going ahead on the assumption that the cost of commodities will not hike until September.
We have three tiers of payment. 1- £350 ~ covers food & lodging 2- £450 ~ covers the cost of the programme. 3- £550 ~ helps to pay bursary for one more participant. You can pay to our bank account, or use the payment platform below. Our bank account: Trees for Hope, Rewilding the Fertile Crescent Account : 20673701 Sort Code : 16 58 10 Pay by choosing an option belowJoin us as a day volunteer if you live in Moidart & beyond
We welcome you to join our programme as a day volunteer. You will learn about different ways of tackling Rhododendron eradication. This may be something you need to deal with on your own land.
If you live in Moidart, Participating on our weeks are free of charge for the residents in Moidart. Please take a moment and fill the form below. If you don't live in Moidart, we ask you to make a contribution to the program. You decide what to pay. Please bring cash, and fill the form below before joining us. You are very welcome to join us on Wednesday night, at 7 pm for a pot luck dinner. Please bring some food to share. We might spontaneously break out into a Ceilldh, or not. We are looking forward to a meaningful exchange of skills and knowledge with you. Thank you. |
A tiny remnant of the ancient oak woodland still stands here. However this fragile ecosystem is endangered by two threats: overgrazing by deer and invasive non-native Rhododendron ponticum. Both threats need to be reduced for the rainforests in Moidart to have a viable future.
5-12 September, 2026 Samalaman House, Glenuig We are delighted to be accommodated in the beautiful Samalaman House for our CREW week. The owners of this iconic home are keen to see the local rainforests nurtured and protected for all to enjoy. We are most grateful to them for the opportunity to have a warm and comfortable home for our forest restoration week. Focalisers: Pupak Haghighi Rob Pedley TestimonialsTerry Pratchet once wrote : "I have no use for people who've learned the limits of the possible." The meta-crisis and the great turning inviting us to open our imagination wide to another possible way of living in and with nature. On this week, I not only felt that we achieved amazing positive transformation of the land, I also felt we were planting as many thousands of seeds in our own minds and those of our friends and families, fueling the visioning of better futures. I was surprised how easy the physical work was! The week was topped off by the company of beautiful people, lodging and landscapes.
Mr. Russell, September 2025 * My first experience with Trees for Hope has given me my first taste of a direct experience of the positive impact on the regenerative intelligence of nature that even a few people can exercise together. Imagine what is possible as this project grows! Amaleigh, September 2025 |