Asociación Castaño y Nogal

Country: Spain

Date: 14 to 30 August 2017

Number of volunteers: up to 10

Volunteers’ age: 23 to 33 years

Fee and Insurance cost: 90 €

Additionally, selected applicants are required to hold a European Insurance Card or personal medical cover.

Overview

Asociación Castaño y Nogal is devoted to preserving and protecting the historic natural and cultural riches and promoting and enhancing rural areas around the biosphere reserve of Os Ancares, and the areas of Cancelada (Becerreá), Navia de Suama and Cervantes, located in the Galicia, the Northwest region of Spain, by recovering and preserving rural architecture and historic natural footpaths as tourism and trail experiences that were neglected for many years. This way the local population as well as nature lovers, mountaineers, hikers can fully explore the region, are able to enjoy it and appreciate its beauty.

 The international volunteer work camps are organised to help maintain the Quintá-Donsal River Trail.

Work required

The work required involves environment protecting tasks to restore and clean the 15km-long river paths along the Donsal and Navia rivers, so they can be used as trekking routes. Tasks include:

• Reconstruction and repair of old existing architectural elements, such as ancient electric power stations, water mills, small wooden bridges

• Cutting off weeds, grass and raking

• Repainting signs along the footpath

The working schedule is for five hours a day, five days a week.

Working clothes will be provided on arrival. Works are of low and medium intensity.

Goals

1. Environmental works to clean and preserve the trail along the Quintá-Donsal river (PR-G 159).

2. Enhance and promote the area, its forest, indigenous vegetation, landscape traditional culture and tranquil lifestyle.

Additional activities

In order for volunteers to familiarise and experience the area’s traditional way of life and culture, several workshops and meetings will be arranged with the local community. Some of the activities include:

• Meetings with local inhabitants and visits to their homes to get to know the lifestyle in rural areas of the Lugo province

• Traditional food workshops to make bread, cheese and honey

• Tours to ethnographic, heritage, cultural and natural landmarks in the region, such as Navia de Suama, Becerreá, Piornedo, Piedrafita do Cebreiro, and the main cities of Lugo and A Coruña

• Additional activities for volunteers and workers

Accommodation

Accommodation will be provided in a single family house with three bedrooms and fourteen bunk beds, two bathrooms, kitchen, an office, a meeting room and a shed. Accommodation is on a shared bedroom basis and female and male volunteers may be mixed.

Volunteers must cook and clean for themselves on a rota basis.

Languages

English and Spanish. Volunteers must have at least a basic speaking and understanding level of Spanish.

Qualifications

We are looking for motivated, mature and experienced volunteers who enjoy working outdoors and have an interest in rural lifestyle, nature, traditions and community development.

For the coordinator role, qualified engineers, architects, biologists are required. 

Location

This is an environment protecting work camp, which will take place in Quintá de Cancelada, Becerreá in the Lugo province, in Galicia, Spain.

This is a rural mountainous area. Average temperatures in the summer are between 21º and 33º C during the day and around 14º C at night.

Registration

Volunteers who wish to take part in the selection process and international work camp must fill in the application form below. Please indicate clearly your level of Spanish. A cover letter indicating why you’d like to join the camp is essential. Please send the form with the complete required information and supporting documents by email to contacto@asociacioncastanoynogal.com.

Selection

Ten candidates will be selected among applicants by a selection committee. Selection criteria are:

• Personal motivation and commitment with nature, the environment and rural lifestyle

• Previous experience in volunteer work

• Volunteer’s expectations and what they would like to get our of the international work camp experience

• Cross-cultural and mixed group. Ideally we are expecting to have volunteers from ten different countries.

The selection process will take place as inscriptions are received. Successful candidates will be notified by email. Candidates must confirm participation and pay the €90 fee within eight days; otherwise their place will be offered to the next applicant in the waitlist.

Additional information and important remarks

1. Take a look at the Association’s Facebook page and website to find out more about our activities, previous work camps and opinions from volunteers

2. Please fill in the registration form with as much information as possible and make sure you send a cover letter stating why you’d like to join the work camp. Please remember to send a copy of your European insurance card or any other relevant health cover

3. If your application is successful, please ensure you confirm participation and pay the relevant fee within the required timeframe

4. Local press may visit to help promote our environment project and activities. Participation in videos, photos or interviews is optional. Photos of working sessions or events may be used on our website. By taking part in the camp, you are explicitly giving consent to the Association to use these materials for the purpose of promoting the work camps.

Additional links

Website: www.asociacioncastanoynogal.com

Contact: contacto@asociacioncastanoynogal.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AsociacionCastanoyNogal/

About us: http://www.asociacioncastanoynogal.com/opiniones.html 

Application form:  click here to download a pdf or a word version

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