Camp Altiplano, Spain
Camp Altiplano is our first community, located on the high steppe of south-eastern Spain, in the Murcia region.
Discover Camp Altiplano, Spain
Status
Biome
Location
Hectares

Overview & Impact

Camp Altiplano was established in 2017 as the first initiative of the Ecosystem Restoration Camps Foundation. The project is a 5-hectare parcel in the regenerative farm of La Junquera, located on a semi-arid plateau in the Spanish region of Murcia. This semi-arid ecosystem has been severely degraded by deforestation, industrial agriculture, water exploitation and climate change. Their self-sufficient and off-grid camp has welcomed thousands of volunteers and students from around the world to participate in the regeneration of one of Spain’s lowest income regions.

 

Murcia is one of the lowest income regions in Spain with high levels of rural to urban migration caused by lack of employment opportunities, much due to the environmental degradation of the landscape . The camp itself is a 5 ha plot in the middle of La Junquera farm, belonging to Alfonso Chico de Guzman, who is converting his 1,500 ha organic almond and heritage grains farm to a more regenerative system. Restoration work at the camp is also supporting the local Alvelal collective to restore 620,000 ha of degraded natural and agricultural land. Camp Altiplano envisions a healthy, resilient regional ecosystem made up of a mosaic of productive and biodiverse farms, natural areas, and a regenerated economy.

Achievements & Partners

Since 2017, Camp Altiplano has turned 5 ha of land from a degraded cereal field to a mixed system with increased organic matter content and biodiversity, thanks to regenerative management. More than 2000 people from around the world have participated through courses and volunteering programs. Since the inception of the initiative, 20,000 native trees and bushes have been planted, with a 70% survival rate. In 2022, Altiplano harvested their first almonds after planting these trees in 2017, which was a momentous occasion for their regenerative almond agroforestry system. The land at Camp Altiplano is also steadily transforming into a haven for life, with ponds making up a wetland that is home to snakes, toads, frogs and dragonflies. View Camp Altiplano’s 2022 Annual Report.

Camp Altiplano partners with The Regeneration Academy and Alvelal Cooperative.

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Activities that need your support ​

Water retention
Tree planting
Composting
Soil restoration
Regenerative entrepreneurialism
Erosion prevention
Food planting
Community building
Restoration of livelihoods
Restoration holidays
Natural building
Fire prevention

Facilities on site

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