Our Vision
A regenerated Earth where ecological, social, and economic systems are balanced and working in harmony, resulting in security of quality food and water for everyone and a healthy planet capable of fully supporting all life.
Our Values
Our thinking, decisions, and work align to these closely held values.
Curiosity
We want, and need, to learn and try new ideas and approaches to find creative, impactful ways to do things better. Education and research is a key part of what we do, so that we can apply those learnings to see what works and what doesn’t work.
Collaboration
We believe in the power of working together with people and organizations around the world to significantly boost creativity, understanding, and productivity for all. Sharing our work and learning with others, and using what others share with us, enables success in our local area and ecosystems.
Transparency
Open and honest sharing of the results of our regeneration-focused research and work to earn the trust of others and spread understanding of what we have done and how these results can be applied elsewhere. We will also share information regarding our operations and finances, given our role as a nonprofit and the expectation that we are being good stewards of investments with us.
Inclusion
We are all part of a shared human experience, and embrace the experiences and differences that make each of us unique. We work with a broad spectrum of audiences, each filled with individuals with their own wants and needs, and will actively seek to treat each with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Vitality
We continuously work to improve the overall health, ability, and resilience of both our organization and our local ecosystem. We seek to strategically grow our operations and impact through sound decision making and investments, resulting in improved soil and water conditions locally. Our work and the environment it takes place in are challenging, and this requires us to be resilient in order to deal with the everyday challenges we face.
Stewardship
We work to protect and regenerate the land and waters in our ecosystem, and so believe in careful, responsible resource management. Innovative approaches to this stewardship are needed, actively involving land owners and users while also being careful to incorporate the ecological needs of our ecosystem.
Our Story
Mud Valley Institute was formed in 2010 to support eco-social regeneration educational programs for a local nonprofit here in Lagos, Portugal. In 2021, it re-organized and now develops and presents its own programs and training to empower people, supports academic research, and offers grants for other organizations as well, all in the areas of eco-social regeneration and regenerative agriculture.
Our Goals
Strategic goals guide our efforts and support achieving our mission. They are regularly reviewed to monitor our progress and assure focus.
Create, implement, and support regeneration-focused programs to empower people in Southwestern Portugal
We develop regeneration-focused research, education, and programs to empower people to build a community of change/regeneration agents locally focused on watershed preservation, soil reinvigoration, and healthy food production.
Expand awareness and understanding of eco-social regeneration
We will work to educate the general public about the problems that we are dealing with and addressing, so that everyone can be informed about the seriousness of the situation and how it can be addressed.
Create a sustained impact model
We will actively grow our connections and partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations to establish a strong foundation that will support our work. This includes our collaboration with other Bioregional Learning Centers around the world to expand the impact of everyone’s efforts.
Implement a sustainable business model
We will create diversified income streams and form long-term strategic partnerships to support our financial needs and ensure strong and growing operations. Growing brand awareness of Mud Valley Institute is a key part of this effort.
We support the restoration of degraded ecosystems.
As desertification and human actions continue to negatively impact our local bioregion of the Southwest Algarve, Mud Valley Institute is working to not only reduce these impacts, but actively restore ecosystems in the area through regenerative agricultural practices.
We are creating a Bioregional Learning Center to support ecosystem regeneration efforts.
Mud Valley Institute enables, supports, and expands ecosystem regeneration efforts and education in our local area while also helping organizations in similar bioregions across the globe as a part of a network of these learning centers.