Project summary: Volunteers will help Legambiente staff on a project about protection end maintenance of the area involving the participation of citizens. The Olona is the main river of the area, it's polluted and source of hydrogeological risk for the inhabitants. The aim of the project is to bring back people to live in balance with the river.DescriptionProject: Volunteers will help Legambiente staff on a project about protection end maintenance of the area involving the participation of citizens. The Olona is the main river of the area, it's polluted and source of hydrogeological risk for the inhabitants. The aim of the project is to bring back people to live in balance with the river.Legambiente local group: Legambiente Varese Onlus, besides giving contributions to main Legambiente national campaigns, cares about the environment of the district of Varese since the eighties. Legambiente Varese coordinates 14 local groups of Legambiente volunteers and is the connection between local, regional and national offices of the association. It carries out several activities such as the management of natural areas, the organization of workcamps, environmental education addressed to youngest generations and promotion of environmentally friendly lifestyles.Legambiente Lombardia performs its activities on a regional basis, with more than 100 local groups. It promotes initiatives against the soil consumption and for the conservation of natural resources. The members are involved in activities such as raising awareness, information, education, scientific issues.Work: Volunteers will support the local community in the restoration of an historical building, in cleanings of woods etc. They will take care of the vegetable garden. They will participate as co-leader in the teenager workcamps and will support in the organization of events as the "Big jump", international campaign for living rivers. Study part: Volunteers will have the possibility to participate in workshops and trainings on environment and sustainability. We'll meet during the camp local expert of flora and fauna and we‘ll see activities of the "protezione civile" about prevention of idrogeological risk.Accommodation and food: Volunteers will hosted in a flat. Food will be provided (environmental friendly diet with local and seasonal products and little meat) and prepared directly by participants. During the short term workcamps they will move in tents with other volunteers.Location and leisure: The Olona Valley is characterized by a typical vegetation of the Lombard moor and it offers different kind of beautiful panoramas; tradition and culture complete the rich painting of the territory that brags architectural presences from the medieval age to the renaissance: an happy marriage between story and nature.In leisure time volunteers will make bike's trips in the area and visit lakes.Specific Requirements: Motivation letter is required.Language: English will be the official language in the camp. Italian speakers are welcome.Terminal: Malpensa AIrport, Malnate and Varese railway station.
Volunteers will be engaged in some seasonal chores such as: picking thelemons and pruning; cleaning and renovation of the green areas; uprooting the old vineyard andits poles; renovation and re-setting of the structures and creative works; creation of fences andmaintenance.
Accomodation & food:
In share rooms in the farm. Showers with hot water available. Volunteers will cook by themselves. They will learn how to make home made bread and pizza in a traditional owen.
Location & leisure:
Volunteers will arrange free time in the surrounding of Partinico and the other small villages around. A very beautiful sea is not far and the city of Palermo is reachable by bus.
Requirements:
Willingness and pleasure to work outdoor. Volunteers shall be really motivated, their sense of creativity will be supported by the local host who will be happy to involve them in different chores according to ability and interest. Interest in outdoor activities and organic farming and environment. Bring rain coat, working clothes, long trousers to work in the field and comfortable shoes.
This workcamp is organized in cooperation with ACARBIO (Associazione Costiera Amalfitana Riserva Biosfera), an NGO engaged in the candidature of the Amalfi Coast as Biosphere Reserve within the MAB-UNESCO programme. Its activities focus on the conservation and safeguard of the natural and cultural heritage of the Amalfi Coast, by promoting any kind of sustainable development with projects regarding the environment, biodiversity, tourism, local tradition, mobility, green energy. Most of the activities are held in the village of Tramonti which is part of the beautiful Amalfi Coast. Tramonti s name comes from the fact it is surrounded by mountains (Intra Montes = among mountains), which makes it a village with plenty of green nature and with agriculture traditions. This is the context in which ACARBIO is promoting actions for a more sustainable approach towards mother nature, one example being the project to build an eco-center for youth activities and workshops about eco-buildings and healthy life styles. This project, that falls within the Make it Green initiatives, already started on September 2015 when over 30 international participants of an Erasmus training, worked to renew an abandoned barn using eco-friendly techniques such as straw-bales, clay, rocks, lime, bamboos and works are still in process. A bio-gas system was also installed. The video of the previous project is available on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEOVudjFCwQ.
WORK:
The activities of this work camp will focus on the continuation of the insulating of and old barn from the inside, taking care of the plastering of the straw bales attached to the walls (covering them with layers of clay, lime, volcanic ash). The volunteers will be involved in the preparation of the mixture with various techniques (with a mixer or using their feet), cutting and sewing of straw bales, clearing of the outside area next to the bio-digester. The volunteers will also work on some maintenance work around the building. There will also be some theoretical presentation to discover more about eco-friendly building techniques and the eco-building world as a whole. International volunteers will work under the supervision of an expert in the field of eco-building. Volunteers will be engaged in work for 6-7 hours a day, for 6 days a week. The hosting organization will also contribute for the free time activities, organizing parties with pizza and traditional music or participating in other local traditional events happening during the Easter holidays or with an excursion.
ACCOMMODATION:
Board and lodging are guaranteed for all participants. Volunteers will stay at ACARBIO’s headquarter, where they will find camp beds or air mattresses, bathrooms, a shower and a kitchen. The place has also free wifi. Participants will be asked to take their sleeping bag with them. The group will be responsible for preparing meals and cleaning the place. The organization will provide all the food that is needed. Public transportations are available for every days movements.
LOCATION:
Tramonti counts about 4.000 inhabitants and it s divided in 13 small villages, each of them with at least one church. Tramonti is surrounded by mountains and forests, but the coast is only 5 km away. Tramonti played an important role in the history of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi between the IX and XII century. Thanks to its position, Tramonti protected the coast from any enemy attack coming from the mountains behind. Famous places like Amalfi, Ravello and Positano can be visited nearby. Naples and Salerno are about 1 hour away. During the Easter holidays there are several events related to local traditions, both in Tramonti and along the coast.
TERMINAL:
The nearest airport is the airport of Naples. There are public busses that will allow participants to reach the place where they will be staying in Tramonti. The nearest train stations are Nocera Inferiore, Salerno and Naples in this order. From the train station you can take a bus to the Amalfi Coast. Specific instruction on how to reach us will be provided in the infosheet.Airport of Naples. There are public busses that will allow participants to reach the place where they will be staying in Tramonti. The nearest train stations are Nocera Inferiore, Salerno and Naples in this order. From the train station you can take a bus to the Amalfi Coast. Specific instruction on how to reach us will be provided in the infosheet.
SPECIAL REMARKS:
A project-related motivation letter is required. This workcamp is recommended for people who love the nature, who are interested in the topic of sustainable development and want to learn more about eco-buildings, committing themselves directly in the creation of something with their hands, keeping a positive attitude towards interculturalism. No specific experience is required for the project, only a lot of motivation and desire to explore new places and get more in touch with healthy life styles.
Environments activities with children in the school and outdoors. They help in a sport center, too. The volunteers work 30 hours per week that 8:00 AM to 02:00 PM, some day if necessary the volunteers have to work all day, Saturday and Sunday free time.
Accomodation & food:
Volunteers will stay in a flat close to Fondachello s sea (Mascali). They will share a room, in the apartment they have food that they can cook by themselves.
Location & leisure:
The project will take place in two venues: CALATABIANO/FIUMEFREDDO/MASCALI, on the ionico-etnea coast , eastern Sicily the magnificent beach of Marina of Cottone and the Fiumefreddo s natural reserve (5 km to Taormina ,30 km to Catania and 10/15 km to the Etna Volcano) and the other place is BRONTE, a little village near the Etna, worldide famous for the pistachio s production, where the volunteers can leave from to have excursions to the Etna Volcano.
Requirements:
A little bit of Italian is welcome, even if not compulsory.
The activities will be mostly outdoor: taking care of the kitchen garden and plants, preparing and grinding organic wheat, picking fruits and pruning the trees. Volunteers can also be involved in some maintenance work of historic buildings/goods.
Accomodation & food:
shared rooms with bathrooms and showers with hot water. There is also a porch that can be used when volunteers want to eat outside. There is also a big room as disposal for activities and meals. Volunteers, in teams of two, will cook for the group in a common kitchen.
Location & leisure:
he farm is in the town of Quattordio. In the farm there is a private pool, table tennis, free wi-fi, guitar, piano.. 300 meters far from the farm there is the public pool as well and tennis fields. There are bicycles for the volunteers who can ride in cycle path among towers, castles, vineyards. By train is possible to go to Genova and to reach the sea in less than one hour. The farm can organize some activities to learn about how to make bread, the cycle of corn and other typical activities and arts.
Requirements:
Motivated and interested in outdoor activities and environment. Bring rain coat, working clothes and comfortable shoes.
Volunteers will be engaged in some seasonal chores such as: picking thelemons and pruning; cleaning and renovation of the green areas; uprooting the old vineyard andits poles; renovation and re-setting of the structures and creative works; creation of fences andmaintenance; creation of one chicken house.
Accomodation & food:
In share rooms in the farm. Showers with hot water available. Volunteers will cook by themselves. They will learn how to make home made bread and pizza in a traditional owen.
Location & leisure:
Volunteers will arrange free time in the surrounding of Partinico and the other small villages around. A very beautiful sea is not far and the city of Palermo is reachable by bus.
Requirements:
Willingness and pleasure to work outdoor. Volunteers shall be really motivated, their sense of creativity will be supported by the local host who will be happy to involve them in different chores according to ability and interest. Interest in outdoor activities and organic farming and environment. Bring rain coat, working clothes, long trousers to work in the field and comfortable shoes.
Volunteers will be involved mainly in the creation of one organic garden. Planning and creation of one area for growing officinal herbs. Renovation and creation of animal sheds. Renovation of guest-area (some maintenance works, carpentry, art, painting...) according to the need of the farm. Tehy will be involved in every-day activities.
Accomodation & food:
Dormitory (remember to bring a camping mat and a warm sleeping bag). The family will cook for the volunteers who can help and assist to learn some traditional dishes.
Location & leisure:
the local towns are 20 minutes walking distance from the farm and from there it is possible to take public transportation to visit the beautiful and peaceful surrounding.
Requirements:
Interest in outdoor activities and organic farming and environment. Bring rain coat, working clothes, long trousers to work in the field, rain boots and comfortable shoes.Don t forget sleeping bag and sleeping mat
Volunteers will be engaged in some seasonal chores such as: picking thelemons and pruning; cleaning and renovation of the green areas; uprooting the old vineyard andits poles; renovation and re-setting of the structures and creative works; creation of fences andmaintenance.
Accomodation & food:
In share rooms in the farm. Volunteers will cook by themselves. They will learn how to make home made bread and pizza in a traditional owen.
Location & leisure:
n share rooms in the farm. Volunteers will cook by themselves. They will learn how to make home made bread and pizza in a traditional owen.
Requirements:
Willingness and pleasure to work outdoor. Volunteers shall be really motivated, their sense of creativity will be supported by the local host who will be happy to involve them in different chores according to ability and interest. Interest in outdoor activities and organic farming and environment. Bring rain coat, working clothes, long trousers to work in the field and comfortable shoes.
« 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! »
