Folha Verde started in early Autumn 2018 with 19 children, initially in for two days a week (we now open up to four days per week – Mondays-Thursdays).
The idea for Folha Verde came about after a series of meetings during the spring and summer of 2017. In early Autumn that year the project started life in a yurt and a wooden roundhouse on land owned by parents involved in the project – a modest but very positive start for a project that was set to grow and flourish. In mid-October forest fires struck this region of Portugal, resulting in many of the families involved in the project losing their homes and possessions as well as the loss of the sites that were being used for the Folha Verde project. The majority of those involved in Folha Verde were still here and still wanted this project to happen for their children. For a time, many could not put time and energy into making it happen as they were rebuilding the basic structures needed for their life here. After some months there was a rekindling of energy to bring life back to Folha Verde, as well as the confirmation of the Lagar building as a beautiful space for our project.