A shared space where people, nature and ideas grow together.
Our Community Garden, located on Rua da Holanda, Carcavelos, is a living, evolving ecosystem shaped by the hands, minds and hearts of students, staff, neighbours, and local residents. What started as a seed in 2023 has blossomed into a co-creative project rooted in permaculture, collaboration and shared care. To learn more about how it all came to life and the people involved, make sure to check our video below.
About & Philosophy
The garden was born from a desire to build bridges between the university and its neighbourhood, between people and the land, between action and reflection. What began as an idea proposed by a student – Johanna Pfeffer – quickly became a shared vision embraced by the DESIS Lab @Nova SBE, committed individuals, and local partners. Since then, the garden has grown into a space of belonging, learning and regeneration.
We base our work on the ethics of permaculture: care for the earth, care for people, and fair share. Inspired by the idea of “intentional adaptation” from adrienne maree brown, we embrace a fluid, collaborative, and human-centred way of living: one where the garden is shaped by us and shapes us in return.
Here, we believe that nurturing soil can also nurture solidarity, that growing food can grow connections, and that permaculture is not just agriculture, but community design.
Activities
Our garden offers a broad and diverse programme designed to bring people together, share skills, and co-create with nature. Some examples of what we offer:
Planting & Gardening
>Seasonal planting and harvests
>Building new planting zones
>Herb gardens, mushroom cultivation, soil enrichment and composting
Nature Skills & Permaculture
Workshops on permaculture basics, biomimicry-inspired design, ecological practices, herbarium creation, and regenerative gardening. Open for all experience levels.
Well-being & Community Life
Yoga sessions, community meals or snack sharing, picnics, seasonal celebrations (e.g. solstice gathering), and relaxed time in nature to connect, reflect, and breathe.
Creative & Reflective Workshops
Nature-inspired arts (watercolour, crafts), storytelling & nature sessions, creative design labs blending expression, ecology and community.
Co-creation & Design Workshops
Participatory design sessions where community members help envision the garden layout, future structures, use of space.
How to Get Involved
We welcome everyone! Whether you’re a curious neighbour, a student, a gardener, an artist, or just someone who wants to connect with the soil and community. You can:
Become a Garden Guardian or Volunteer
Join our regular stewardship teams, contribute a few hours/month, help build and maintain the garden, learn permaculture and biomimicry practices, and share in the harvest and care.
Contact us through WhatsApp HERE!
Join a Workshop or Activity
Check our upcoming events and join planting days, yoga classes, permaculture or art workshops. No previous experience required.
Check our next activities HERE!
Propose a Project or Idea
Have an idea for a nature-based project, experiment, art installation, or community event? Pitch it and we’ll co-create, we’re open to collaborations.
Contact us at erachair@novasbe.pt
Just Show Up & Share
Even if you just want to visit, help occasionally, or learn the garden is a shared space. Share ideas, energy, and community spirit.
Role to Play Volunteer
(for Nova SBE students)
Our volunteer programme organises garden care, infrastructure building, coordination, community bonding and maintenance. Volunteers take on different roles inspired by natural organisms reflecting how nature functions through diversity and cooperation.
Check the Role to Play initiatives available!
Advisory Board
In 2026, the Community Garden at Nova SBE have officially integrated in its governance an Advisory Board that includes representatives of the different stakeholders.
Representatives of the DESIS Lab:
Anne-Laure Fayard – ERA Chair in Social Innovation and DESIS Lab coordinator
Beatriz Bento – DESIS Lab Fellow and Community Garden Project Lead
Representatives of the Guardians:
Cristina Afonso – Guardian and Nova SBE staff
Ned Dwyer – Guardian and local resident
Representatives of Nova SBE students
Nova Growth Club
Representatives of Nova SBE leadership and organization
Miguel Alves Martins – Assistant Dean
Miguel Pina e Cunha – Professor and Vice Dean for Innovation & Impact
Rita Aragão Ramos – Chief Sustainability Officer
Vera Pinto – Head of Community Engagement
Representative of Cascais Municipality
João Diniz – Office Coordinator at Cascais Ambiente (CMC)
Acknowledgements & Partners
We want to thank all individuals and organisations that support the garden from local neighbours and volunteers to institutional partners, for believing in a shared vision of care, community, and sustainability.
Our guardians!
Alessia
Carmel Sharkey
Cristina Afonso
José Marreiros
José Vegar
Ned Dweyer
Rogério Ferraz
Partners
