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Gipsgrueb Community (Ehrendingen AG)

Camp code:

CH-SCI 10.7

Country:

Switzerland

Start Date:

30 Aug 2020

End Date:

12 Sep 2020

Topic:

10: Environment protection

Work Types:

Agriculture / Environment / Restoration, renovation

Number of volunteers:

10

International age:

18 - 99

National age:

16 - 99

Required Language:

English

Child friendly camp

Yes (Minimum age: 4)

Description: The cooperative "Gipsgrueb" is situated outside the village of Ehrendingen, in a small calm valley at the foot of the last mountain of the Jura-range. The over-100-years-old buildings of a former cement factory were left unattended for many years. Since the taking-over by the cooperative „Gipsgrueb“ in 1982 a garden and a farm have been built up on the agricultural land. Both of them have been run since the beginning on the guidelines of organic farming. The total area cared by the cooperative was about 14 ha consisting mainly of extensive pastures and meadows, woods and ponds. Some years ago most of the land was sold to Pro Natura, the Swiss nature conservation society. Today, the farm is run by a local tenant and the garden mainly serves the personal needs of the community members.

Type of Work: You will work 2 x 5 days helping the cooperative in the organic garden, maintaining an old stonewall and maintain shrubs as well as hedges. Working with pruning shears, shovels, pickaxes, rakes. Harvest plums and blackberries, if there are.

Study Theme: You will have a 2-hour session, where you will learn more about the cooperative Gipsgrueb. You can also have a closer look at the thermal- and photovoltaic solar plants.

Accommodation: You will enjoy your sleep in the loft of the barn or in tents. Please, bring your sleeping bags. The accommodation is simple and the sleeping place tends to be rather cool (the project partner is welcome to provide you with additional blankets). It has two showers (one solar shower outside and a usual one inside) and a common room. There is a washing machine on the workcamp location so it will be possible for volunteers to wash their clothes. The group will cook by itself, so bring some good cooking recipes. WIFI is available.

Language: The camp required language is English. The people in the project speak German and English. The local language is Swiss German.

Notes: The cooperative also runs a workshop for solar panels. The latter are used to produce hot water from spring to autumn. In winter, a central heating produces thermal energy by burning the cooperative’s own wood. In addition to the public network, wells on the land owned by the cooperative provide fresh water. At the moment, seven people and a baby girl belong to the living community, trying to turn their ideas and dreams into reality. For excursions in your free time we have a VW bus at our disposal.

Organization Description: SCI Switzerland is a non-profit-organisation which stands for intercultural exchange, sustainable development and non-violent conflict resolution. It is certified with the Intermundo-SQS-label, which guarantees high quality standards in youth exchange. SCI Switzerland has been organizing workcamps and long-term exchanges for volunteers worldwide since 1920. Each year, more than 100 volunteers from Switzerland engage in SCI projects abroad, while around 200 international volunteers work in projects in Switzerland. Swiss workcamps have a main focus on the work and exchange with children and youth living in asylum-seeking centres as well as environmental protection. In that line SCI Switzerland promotes a more environmental-friendly lifestyle in accordance with the goals of sustainable development. Therefore volunteers are expected to be aware of their environmental impact and encouraged to choose more eco-friendly means of transport. Please also check transportation costs within Switzerland before applying for our camps as this is expensive. Enter the place (to be found in the camp title) in the railway website www.sbb.ch. A participation in the camp from the first until the last day is needed for reason of instruction and group dynamic.