Project: The workcamp will take place in the small Moravian village Tvarozna Lhota, situated in the White Carpathian mountains near the Slovakian border. The region is famous for its folk traditions and beautiful countryside. In the middle of the village the local NGO "Bile Karpaty" is running a center for rural development and sustainability. The NGO also has a farm with old agricultural lands, which are again beginning to be used for breeding sheep and growing herbs and fruit trees. The areal is currently being turned into a retreat for children and tourists – there is a small museum on traditional rural architecture and every year several events take place there.
Work:
The work will be manual. The volunteers will help on the farm – mainly repairing fences, making hay, preparing games for children, cleaning works, weeding in the herbal garden. They will also collect herbs from the surrounding meadows, which are used for the production of herbal teas. On the second day of the camp a little festival of typical fruit products „ Oskeruše" is taking place. The volunteers will help with the technical preparations of the event (putting up stands ie.).
Leisure time:
Trips to the countryside, to folklore events, visits to tourist sights in the surrounding villages and towns. On the last day of the camp, an educational cycling trip around the region will take place. Study part: Learn more about local products, local farming, the history and natural potential of the region.
Accommodation/Food:
The volunteers will be accommodated in the "In-Klub"-building in the verycenter of the village. You will need to bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping mat. Two small bathrooms are available. The volunteers will prepare their meals together – a small kitchen is available in the living area. Bring your national recipes.
Age min:
18
Location:
Tvarozna Lhota (bus stop in the village, next train stop Strazni
Project: The project "Forest Garden" is a recently founded NGO, whose members engage in promoting a sustainable, ecological way of living and a return to nature. The NGO is situated in a tiny traditional cottage house at the very outskirts of a Moravian village. Part of the center is a large garden with some woodlands. In the next years the area is going to be transformed into a center for environmental education. You have the chance to support the project at the very beginning of the work.
Work:
The volunteers will mainly work in the woodlands of the project. During the last winter many trees were severely damaged. The fallen branches have to be removed and the paths must be cleared. Other tasks include cleaning a small river, building an encasement for a spring and helping with gardening. In case of bad weather conditions the volunteers will conduct reconstruction works in the barn.
Leisure time:
Trips to nearby historical towns and and the surrounding countryside, campfire,outdoor sauna, trips to regional museums.
Study part:
Workshops on different types of woodcraft, presentation of traditional regional instruments. The volunteers can prepare a presentation of their own countries/regions (bring pictures, songs etc.).
Accommodation/Food:
Basic accommodation in a cottage (with an outdoor toilet) and in a nearbyfamily house. Bring your own sleeping bag! Its also possible to sleep in tents in the Forest Garden,but the nights can be very cold (in this case its necessary to bring a sleeping mat!) Vegetarian foodonly! The volunteers will assist in preparing the meals – bring your own recipes.
Age min:
30
Location:
Halenkov -Dinotice (next train stop: Halenkov, about 4 km distan
Project: The site of the workcamp are the ruins of the Hartenberg castle with its neglected park.The amazing history of the castle goes back to the 13th century. Its current sad condition is the result of the eviction of the Sudeten German inhabitants after the Second World War and of the communist neglect (the castle was purposely set on fire several times). Today the castle is being gradually reconstructed. After finishing those works the main hall of the castle should serve as the seat of an international environmental institute. The castle is surrounded by a forest and overlooks a fairytale-like valley.
Work:
Your main task will be the preparation of the environmental conference "New conditionsof living for the world in the III. millennium". Besides, you will help with renovation and rebuildingworks on the castle ruins, this work will be physically demanding.
Leisure time:
You can go hiking in the mountainous countryside, go canoeing, make sport or visitone of the famous spa-towns in the region.
Study part:
You will have the chance to meet representatives from Czech non-governmental organizations.
Accommodation/Food:
The accommodation will be very basic! You will sleep in a house nearthe castle in one common room. Please take your sleeping bag and a light mat with you. The toiletand showers will be situated in a container. The participants will cook from common resources ina small kitchen. Bring your local recipes.
Age min:
18
Location:
The castle ruin is situated near the village Hrebeny in western
Project: The workcamp will take place in the small village Kostelecke Horky in Eastern Bohemia with about 140 inhabitants. The village is the seat of a branch of the NGO INEX-SDA, which mainly organizes environmental programs for schools and the public in a complex of rural buildings known as "Blue house". There is a tiny museum on rural lifestyle and a barn for sheep and goats, which European longterm-volunteers are taking care of.
Work:
The work will be mainly manual: The volunteers will perform reparation and maintenance works in and around the center's buildings. Other tasks will include haymaking and gardening. In the first week of the project traditional handcrafts will be shown at a little historical fair, which will take place for the very first time at the center. The volunteers will help with the practical preparation and alternatively with the course of the fair (putting up stands ie.)
Leisure time:
Trips to nearby historical towns (Litomysl, Rychnov nad Kneznou, Letohrad), hiking in the beautiful Orlicke mountains.
Accommodation/Food:
Basic accommodation in the former school of the village. Bathrooms and showers with hot water are available. The volunteers will prepare their own meals. Bring your local recipes!
Age min:
18
Location:
Kostelecke Horky (next train stop: Chocen or Plchuvky).
Project: The workcamp takes place in Broumovsko – an East Bohemian region near the Polish border, which is suffering from structural weakness since the 2nd World War. The local "Agency for the Development of Broumovsko" is trying to chance this state by supporting various forms of regional development, such as tourism and cultural events. Their objective is to transform the region into a place, were people want to stay, return or migrate to.
Work:
You will support two different projects. In the first week you will clean several churches in theregion for a series of classical concerts, which are going to take place there during the whole summer. Additionally you will help to repair the wall around the amazing monastery of Broumov – the center of Broumovsko. In the second week you will work in a natural reservation, mainly collecting rubbish and building protections around trees to safe them from being destroyed.
Leisure time:
There is really a lot to do and see in Broumovsko. You can go hiking in the fantastic nature or visit one of the many caves there. Broumov and the surrounding cities are worth a visit (museums, historical sights). Every weekend cultural events will take place in the wide garden of the Broumov monastery. You are also invited to visit one or two classical concerts in the regional churches.
Study part:
Learn more about the past and present development of the region.
Accommodation/Food:
You will stay in a house belonging to the local theater in Broumov. Thereare beds and blankets, so no sleeping bag or light mattress is needed. A common room, a shower, a small kitchen and several toilets are available. The volunteers will prepare their own meals from common resources.
Age min:
18
Location:
In and around Broumov – the center of the Broumovsko region.
Project: The organization "Way to the spiritual world" ("Cesty k duchovnu") is currently building aJapanese meditative Garden in a town not far from Prague. Quite a big part of the garden is already completed. When finishing, the garden will be one of the biggest in Europe and offer the visitors a place for relaxation, meditation and pondering. Part of the garden will be a multifunctional building which will serve as a tearoom, seminar house and accommodation. The work on the hall is beginning this summer.
Work:
You will do some renovation work on some bungalows, which are going to be converted intoa multifunctional visitor building and help in the garden, mainly moving materials, building pathsand cutting grass. The work will be physically demanding!
Leisure time:
Visit Prague, make trips to the surrounding nature and go swimming.
Study part:
Have some lectures about Japanese gardens, food and culture and practice Thai-chi.There might be a multicultural evening, so bring some games, songs etc. from home.
Accommodation/Food:
The living conditions are very basic. Please don't expect too much comfort!You will sleep in tents or in a bungalow at the areal of the garden. Please bring a sleeping bagand a light mat. The food (Czech and Japanese meals) is prepared for you and unfortunately willnot always be suitable for strict vegetarians. You will wash yourself with water from a tank, a hotshower is provided only 2-3 times a week in the city.
Project: The old brewery is situated in the small village of Chric (about 200 people) located in thewestern part of Bohemia (about 80 km far from Prague). The history of the village dates back to the14th century and the brewery was built two centuries later. The production of beer had to be stopped with the beginning of the Second World War. The complex was not restored during communism and has fallen into ruin since that time. Anyway it´s an inspiring place, which the NGO Propolis wants to transform into an educational center for traditional handicraft and a protected workplace for handicapped people. Sometimes in the future the production of beer should be restored, too!
Work:
The volunteers will work mainly on the revitalization of the creek, which is pollutedwith rubbish. Furthermore they will work in the garden and do some demolition and renovationworks inside and outside the building. An important part of the workcamp will be alsothe preparation of a one-day cultural program for locals (villagers and mentally handicappedpeople from near institutions).
Leisure time:
You can take trips to the surrounding countryside or visit some historical places (thecastle Krivoklat, the ruin of the castle Krasov), bath in the river, go on bike tours or play other sports.
Study part:
There are many possibilities to arrange an educational program related to the project – for example a small theater and a handcraft workshop, meetings with people from Nature reservation, from the local museum in Marianska Tynice or with experts working with handicapped people. During your stay you can also learn about the transformation of life in the village during communism.
Accommodation/Food:
You will sleep in the garden by the brewery in tents or inside the building. Take your sleeping bag and a light mat. Volunteers will cook from common resources in the kitchen. Bring recipes of your national dishes.
Age min:
18
Location:
Chric. The place is neighboring the nature reservation Krivoklat
Project: Svojsin with its baroque castle is an ancient village located in Western Bohemia 40kmwest of Pilsen (Plzen). It was founded in the 12th century. The region has a very long and strikinghistory. Czech, German and Jewish people were living here for centuries. World War II, the evictionof the German population and the communist era led to the negligence and devastation of manycultural and historical sights.
Work:
The volunteers will work mainly in the nearby surroundings of the Svojsin castle: theywill help to maintain and clean the park of the castle and sometimes other parts of the village.In case of bad weather conditions you will work inside the various castle buildings, performingmaintaining tasks.
Accommodation/Food:
You will be accommodated in one of the buildings belonging to the castle. Meals will be partly prepared by participants.
« I would recommend participating in a workcamp, especially with VAP, who ensured that I found a project to suit me and provided essential training for me in preparation for my trip. Being part of a workcamp really is a life-changing experience, oh, and it looks great on your CV! »
