Listen to This Conversation
In this episode of Rumors of Doing Good, Rob sits down with Barbara Leite Cowan & Emma Cowan Leite, who started and help lead Mount of Oaks, an intentional community in the hills of Portugal. Rooted in simplicity, shared life, and connection to the land, their community integrates permaculture, natural building, and spiritual practice into a holistic way of following the way of Jesus while caring for creation.
They talk about how they got started, the vision behind Mount of Oaks, and the journey of building a life and community with intention. Barbara and Emma share insights about living sustainably, nurturing belonging, and creating spaces for healing and transformation.
Whether you’re curious about intentional communities, inspired by sustainable living, or seeking ways to integrate spirituality and care for creation into everyday life, this conversation is full of inspiration and practical wisdom.
Learn more about Mount of Oaks here: https://mountofoaks.org
Intro/Outro music by Skinfiltr8r.
About Barbara:
As the founder of Mount of Oaks in 2006, Barbara has nurtured this space as a place of personal growth and skill development for nearly two decades. Her faith journey began years earlier in a monastic community in Angola, when she returned to her birthplace to visit her parents in 1998. The call to establish a community at Mount of Oaks emerged naturally after many years of dreaming about living off-grid, simply, and in devotion.
Over the years, Mount of Oaks has hosted teachers of permaculture and natural building. Through years of hands-on experience and a commitment to “learning by doing,” Barbara has grown from student to teacher in these disciplines. Her passions have expanded to include holistic land management, edible forest cultivation, and animal husbandry, alongside her deep love of theology.
Barbara oversees the maintenance of buildings and the development of infrastructure using natural materials such as cob and wood, finding joy in hand tools and bushcraft activities. Her vision for Mount of Oaks is that it continues to serve as a refuge from failing systems and a beacon of hope for those seeking a sincere connection to the Divine while serving the collective. She also uses music and song as ways to connect with Spirit and to guide others toward openness and healing.
About Emma:
Emma was born in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, into a mixed marriage between Roman Catholic and Protestant parents who shared a deep love for one another. Now 48 years old, her upbringing on a farm provided an early grounding in what would become central themes of her life: the reconciliation of peoples in conflict, the power of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, and a deep connection to natural cycles and environmental protection. These interests have shaped both her studies and her practice in Northern Ireland and the Middle East and continue to inform her way of life at the Mount of Oaks in Portugal.
Emma moved to Portugal in 2011 to live permanently and contribute to community building, the inclusion of new migrants and refugees, and local development work through the council. At Mount of Oaks, she helps host retreats and has developed the farm’s herbal medicinal work. A naturally social person, she curates gatherings known as “chop and chats,” where people come together to learn the arts of fermentation and herbal remedy-making.
To balance this sociable side, Emma also finds fulfillment in leading silent and contemplative retreats or spending one-on-one time with others while tending the garden. She takes joy in walking the dogs, caring for the horse, paddleboarding on the local lake, and accompanying others in prayer.