Ecology

Jelena Božić

Workshop holder

Certified permaculture designer and founder of the Mamin Gaj collective. Completed Geoff Lawton’s online PDC and later joined as an assistant teacher. Gained hands-on experience at Terra Alta educational farm in Portugal, focusing on practical methods that blend nature with social innovation. Currently studying to become a permaculture teacher, with a strong belief that a clear vision is the foundation of a sustainable future.

Workshop title

Do Your Own Design

In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the core of the Design Web as a tool for creating regenerative projects, whether it’s a garden, a business, or a lifestyle shift. Through guided exercises, you’ll define your project, uncover key elements, and map out clear, actionable steps. Using a DIY Design Guide, you’ll leave with a personalized outline and a flexible roadmap rooted in permaculture principles, ready to turn your ideas into reality.

Margarita O. Zethelius

Workshop holder

Margarita O. Zethelius is an activist for life. Founder and co-director of Alianzas para la Abundancia and Ubuntu center, in Colombia. She works to create places, programs and life change experiences that bring together care for Mother Earth and the wellbeing for humans. For the last 25 years, she has supported the design and implementation of sustainable community development initiatives. She has served on the boards of directors GEN International, CASA Latina and GAIA Education.

Workshop title

From Ubuntu to Kapwa: Designing for Deep Regeneration in Transforming Food Systems

What can we learn from communities already facing the polycrisis from the frontlines of climate emergency, conflict, and historical colonization? How might indigenous wisdom and traditional ecological knowledge from these places offer critical and vital ways of addressing the polycrisis? What deeper design principles and practices can their experiences enhance the growing call for regenerative cultures in transforming food systems?

Join us in this participatory design workshop with regenerative designers from Cameroon and Colombia, sharing ceremonies, rituals, songs, a guide and experiences on how to weave indigenous and local wisdom into workshops and training on conscious food systems.

Guilherme Weishar

Workshop holder

In 2017 he participated in a Permaculture design course that changed forever his outlook on life. Since then he has dedicated himself to the exploration and implementation of regenerative solutions that work in harmony with nature. He already attended many other courses since then, such as bioconstruction, keyline design, regenerative farming, ecological regeneration, among others. Since 2021 he has focused on the implementation and maintenance of agroforestry systems in Ananda Kalyani.

Workshop title

Syntropic farming: open discussion about the challenges and difficulties

After nearly three years of experimenting with syntropic agroforestry at EcoAtivo—often in collaboration with experienced designers—results have not always matched expectations. This open discussion creates a safe, non-judgmental space to share the challenges, failures, and doubts we encounter in our projects. Whether you’re just starting or have years of experience, this is an opportunity to reflect collectively, learn from each other, and normalize the complexity behind regenerative practices. Let’s move beyond idealized success stories and dive into the realities of making syntropic farming work.

Mátyás Révai

Workshop holder

Humanecologist, community facilitator, environmental researcher, permaculture designer, CEO of PatternWise. He has been working in sustainability for over 15 years and in regenerative consulting for a few years. For two years he was an ecological expert and consultant at Manas Garden, currently he is the head of the Habitat HUB rural innovation space and the international coordinator of the Hungarian Permaculture Association. He is passionate about rural development and biodiversity conservation

Workshop title

Community-based biodiversity projects in Hungary

In Hungary, numerous organizations and individuals are fighting to preserve biodiversity. Communities are increasingly organizing around these initiatives, and the communities themselves are striving to do as much as possible to preserve biodiversity. The projects focus on different objectives, whether it be barn owls, local orchids, native fruit varieties or wetlands. However, they all have one thing in common: they are committed to enriching our environment and work tirelessly to achieve this. Come and learn about their stories!

Regina Csatlós

Workshop holder

Regina Csatlós is a wild food educator, ecological event organizer, and small-scale producer. She co-founded Hungary’s Gyüttment Festival and coordinates catering for both it and the GEN Gathering. With over 10 years of experience in foraging, herbalism, and regenerative living, she now lives off-grid with her family, tending a 4-hectare land, and sharing her passion for edible wild plants and ecological self-sufficiency.

Workshop title

Edible and life-giving wilderness

Reconnect with nature. Rekindle ancestral knowledge. Rethink resilience.
Discover the edible treasures of the wild in this hands-on. Learn to identify, harvest, and prepare wild plants while exploring their nutritional, cultural, and ecological value. This is more than foraging—it’s a deep dive into resilience, local food sovereignty, and regenerative living. Together, we’ll revive ancient knowledge, taste wild foods, and explore how ecovillages can reclaim edible landscapes and empower communities for the future.

Vitália Víg

Workshop holder

Vitália envisions a world where healthy soil nourishes all. For over a decade, she’s taught farmers and gardeners to harness soil biology to heal the land and ourselves. A renowned speaker, she blends science and practical knowledge in an accessible, actionable way. By weaving ancient wisdom and deep ecology into her work, she bridges science and spirituality, believing that caring for soil is key to humanity’s health and harmony with nature.

Workshop title

Healthy Soil for Healthy People and Planet

Healthy soil is the foundation of nutritious food and a thriving planet. This workshop explores how regenerating soils supports human and ecological health. Learn how industrial practices have damaged soil biology—and why restoring it is vital. We’ll examine soil degradation as not just an environmental crisis, but a spiritual one. Grounded in deep ecology and modern science, this session offers practical tools and guiding principles to rebuild soil health and reconnect with nature.

Juliette Moison

Workshop holder

Juliette Moison joined ECOLISE as a Policy and Advocacy trainee. She is pursuing a Masters in Ecological Transitions with a social and political sciences approach in Grenoble, France, where she is developing expertise in policies related to agrifood systems transitions. She has been living in collective housing with solidarity projects and a shared garden, and volunteering for different activist movements where she discovered the power of collective action and advocacy.

Workshop title

Shaping Just and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: From Vision to Action

This workshop held on behalf of ECOLISE (European Network for Community-Led Initiatives on Climate Change and Sustainability) will offer participants an interactive space to explore challenges in current food systems, imagine just and sustainable alternatives, and develop effective advocacy strategies. The aim is to unleash imagination for desirable future food systems and provide tools for framing issues faced by community-led initiatives or engaged citizens into actionable advocacy messages. This workshop builds on ECOLISE’s work as part of the COM4LGD project, particularly its participatory policy positioning on food systems and its advocacy training on climate and environment action.

"I became more aware of the concept of ecovillages and how they embody principles of collaboration, self-sufficiency, and sustainability. Seeing how individuals can come together to create supportive, environmentally friendly communities made me appreciate the potential for positive change. I realized that living in harmony with both people and nature is not just an ideal but a feasible lifestyle.”
ESC Volunteer