With your help, the outdoor areas of several nursery and primary school buildings in the area will be spruced up and decorated. For example, you will be carrying out a playground design project with the inner-city school Max-Planck-Gymnasium, sometimes with the children themselves. Besides this, you will be actively supporting the Youth and Culture Mile during the first weekend of the camp, as part of the "Neckarfest" town festival. Other activities are still being planned. There is also a project week at school in the week before the holidays. There will be another school festival, which you can also help out with.
Accomodation & food:
You will be staying in a former Kindergarten right next to the Mörikeschule school. The group will prepare and cook meals together.
Location & leisure:
Nürtingen has around 41,000 inhabitants and is in the Neckar valley near to the Swabian Alb. Ride your bike through the beautiful landscape, to nearby bathing lakes, along the Neckar or in the biosphere area at the foot of the Alb. In your free time you will also have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor pool, to visit a climbing forest and to explore Nürtingen and the student city of Tübingen. The state capital Stuttgart is only half an hour away by train and offers many possibilities: museums, opera, shopping, planetarium, theatre etc.
Requirements:
You need to be able to ride a bike. There is a registration fee of 50 EUR for participants who are not from Germany.
The main work of the group will be maintenance and clearing works of the meadows, remove plants from historical structures and areas. Besides, there will be several study parts, such as a two day History Lab at the Marienborn Memorial to German Division. You will go on excursions to learn more about the period of the German division and visit places on both sides of the border. You will also help to run a local festival in the village.Die Gruppe wird Pflegearbeiten auf dem Gebiet des ehemaligen Grenzstreifens verrichten, es wird Gras gemaeht, Pflanzen muessen von historischen Zaeunen und Anlagen entfernt werden und aehnliches. Es wird einen umfangreichen Studienanteil zur Thematik geben, unter an der Gedenkstaette Deutsche Teilung Marienborn. Ihr werdet Exkursionen zu verschiedenen Plaetzen der Geschichte machen, entlang beider Seiten der Mauer. Die Gruppe wird ebenfalls an einem Rockkonzert im Dorf helfen.
Accomodation & food:
You will live in the former village hall, in different comfortable sleeping rooms, with a well equipped kitchen. Die Gruppe ist im ehemaligen Rathaus untergebracht, in komfortablen Zimmern. Zur Unterkunft gehoeren ebenfalls eine grosse Kueche und ein Gemeinschaftsraum. Bei schoenem Wetter kann die Gruppe draussen essen.
Location & leisure:
Hoetensleben is a village with ca. 2,500 inhabitants. The locals are looking forward to welcoming the volunteers. Hoetensleben ist ein Dorf mit ca. 2500 Einwohnern. Die Einheimischen freuen sich auf die Teilnehmenden.
Landscape conservation in a beautiful environment and sightseeing in the big city! With this camp on the outskirts of Hamburg you can combine both! Your day's work is in the Fischbeker heathland, an about 770 hectare wide nature conservation area in the southwest of Hamburg. To protect and preserve the heathland, non-native plants (mainly pine trees) have to be removed (by hand). The main purpose of this work is to preserve the special wildlife and vegetation of the heathland – for example saving over 200 types of insects from extinction. Apart from this main task there, you will also close off illegal trails and seed new heath there. In addition, you will cross over to the riverine island Neßsand and free the nature reserve there from trash. A great opportunity to see the big river Elbe from a different angle.
For more information (mainly in German) about the Fischbeker heathland:
http://www.hamburg.de/fischbeker-heide/
Accomodation & food:
You will sleep on camp beds (with mattresses) in the simple furnished seminar house on the premise of the nature reserve centre Fischbeker Heide. You will cook together.
Location & leisure:
The nature reserve centre Fischbeker Heide is a 45 minute trip from the city centre of Hamburg (by public transport). In your free time, you can take trips to Germany's second biggest city, where lots of entertainment and leisure activities await you (www.hamburg.com). The weekends are great for a trip to the beaches on the North Sea or Baltic Sea Coast.
Requirements:
You have to be fit enough for physical demanding work.
A variety of tasks are waiting for your help. One task will be the maintenance of a hiking trail in the forest. So-called neophytes (invasive non-native vegetation) need to be removed in the nature protection area. You will cut and clear those plants. Furthermore, cleaning and clearing of vegetation needs to be done in biotopes like ponds and tarns. You will, most likely, also repair fences and maintain grasslands around fruit trees. Be prepared for hard physical work Due to working in damp and steep areas (ponds), rubber boots and/or sturdy shoes are necessary for working effectively
Accomodation & food:
The workcamp team will stay in a nice community house in the middle of the forest, where you can find sanitary facilities, showers and a well-equipped kitchen. You can have a look at their website: http://moosenmaettleweb.de. There are 4-bed-rooms for you. Due to the position of the house in a very rural area, it is likely that there will not be access to internet and no coverage for mobile phones. Just be prepared to spend three wonderful, adventurous weeks away from your busy and usual everyday life.
Location & leisure:
: Lauterbach is situated in the heart of the Black Forest nature park, close to Schramberg and the town Rottweil. There are many possibilities to hike and experience nature first hand. Just step out the door and find yourself surrounded by beautiful nature On weekends, you ll have the chance to visit Rottweil or the university town of Freiburg.
Main work will be in the forest, as maintenance of young stands, field mapping of new trees, planting of rare trees, searching and marking of habitat trees, waters care. Participants will also be doing various manual works to prepare the area around the house of the nature-friends for leisure activities of groups coming from the city. Time of work will be 5-6 hours daily, excluding Saturday and Sunday.
Accomodation & food:
Participants will live in a house with several-bed-rooms, kitchen, bathroom, showers. Cooking, cleaning, shopping etc. will be done by the group itself. Like in each workcamp, accommodation, food and travel-costs for excursions are free as well as materials/copies needed for the lectures.
Location & leisure:
Marburg is a historical and picturesque old university town, 100 km north of Frankfurt/Main. It has 82.000 inhabitants, including 25.000 students. The camp is located approx. 2 km away from the city centre.
Requirements:
As the language course is not for absolute beginners, participants must be able already to communicate in German, at least on a level which ensures simple communication (A2). Participants also must be willing to communicate with each other during the camp in German and not in English or in their own mother tongue for the whole time, not only during the lectures. This is one important part of the concept. Because of the language-course there is an extra-fee of 160,00 EUR to be paid upon arrival. A certificate for participating in the language-course will be given at the end of the camp.
The participants of this Workcamp will help in the conservation of the castle. Thus, the volunteers will do some works from repairing the small wooden bridge to restore the doors and windows. Another task will be to help in the restoration of the stone walls which are surrounding the ensemble. Additionally, the participants will clear up different parts of the ensemble and take care of the green area around by cutting grass and cleaning the ditch, which was previously part of the defensive system around the former water fortress.
Accomodation & food:
simple conditions, shared rooms with beds, warm showers and toilets
Location & leisure:
Ollendorf is situated between Erfurt, capital of Thuringia, and Weimar. The small village is surrounded by a beautiful countryside. Ollendorf Water Castle was probably built in the 13th century as a protective fort at the "via regia". The "via regia" was the most important medieval trading route which ran from Flanders via Frankfurt and Leipzig to Russia. In 1692 the castle had been destroyed by a fire and only the foundations could remain. The current manor house was built in 1694 in a simple rural baroque style, replacing the former castle. Following the decline of the "via regia" in the 19th century, the site was later used for agricultural purposes, and store houses and barns were built. During the last decades, due to long vacancy, the manor fell into disrepair. Since several years Open Houses is active at the Water Castle and could save it from falling apart. Many works has been done since then, both focusing on the restoration of the historical complex and the renaturation of the castle's surroundings. Due to the young people from different countries, who have lived there and have taken part in its restoration during the last years, the castle changed into a place of creativity and open-mindedness. Ollendorf is a good place to start excursions to important historical and cultural places like Weimar and Erfurt which are not far from the village.LEISURE TIMEThe camp places are mostly situated in small villages in rural areas, so the participants should not expect busy places and normal city activities for the leisure time during the working days. Small trips in walking distance are possible in the afternoon. On the weekends it is possible to organise an excursion to nearby cities or to have other leisure activities.
Age:
18-30
Location:
Ollendorf, erfurt, germany
Language(s):
English, German
Airport:
LEJ: Leipzig Halle (Leipzig, Germany)This project is suitable for disabled volunteersVegetarian food will be available
The forest area in the Oberharz region is a nature reserve – but also has recreational areas. As big coherent forest areas, they are significant for climate protection. You will be helping with nature and environmental protection work and thereby contributing to the conservation of habitats for (rare) plants and animals and restoring the balance of nature. Cultivation of young deciduous trees, near-natural design of waters, building hunting facilities, repairing park benches, huts and hiking signs are all part of the group's job. You will work in small alternating groups and get an insight into the ecological, economic and social duties of forestry.
Accomodation & food:
You will share rooms in a youth hostel. You will cook together.
Location & leisure:
The Harz with its mountains, stalactite caves, mining museums and forests is a popular holiday destination and recreational area. The forester will organize a hiking trip to the 'Brocken' for the group. Wildemann itself is a small mountain community of 1.000 residents, surrounded by various hiking trails. Wildemann has an outdoor swimming pool, a glow golf facility and Minigolf. The 19-Lachter-Stollen, a discontinued mine, is worth a day trip too.
Are you a nature lover? Then this is the camp for you! You can spend three weeks living and working in the middle of the forest. You will be helping with numerous conservation activities, such as taking care of the plants and forest, building and repairing protective fences as well as maintaining local habitats, all the while learning about the ecosystems of the forest. For one week of the camp you will get to know the local region and go on excursions.
Accomodation & food:
You will be staying in a leisure centre, which is in the middle of an idyllic forest. Some of your meals will be prepared for you by the accommodation. You will cook dinner for yourselves in the evening.
Location & leisure:
You will be living in the middle of the forest, where you can have a barbecue and sit around the campfire during the evenings. There will be a minibus available for your group, so that you can get to know the beautiful surroundings, drive to the swimming pool and also take trips to the river Rhine, to Koblenz, Mainz or Frankfurt during the camp.
Requirements:
For 3 weeks of the camp you will be working 7 hours per day, including a lunch break. The other week of the camp is set aside for trips and excursions. The accommodation is in the forest, there is no public transport nearby and you will be unable to reach anywhere on foot. You will, however, have a minibus at your disposal.
« 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! »
