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Green Belt Workcamp - Northern Weinviertel

Camp code:

AT-SCI 10.1

Country:

Austria

Start Date:

20 Sep 2020

End Date:

27 Sep 2020

Topic:

10: Environment protection

Work Types:

Environment / Manual / Restoration, renovation

Number of volunteers:

11

International age:

18 - 99

National age:

16 - 99

Required Language:

English

Motivation letter:

This camp requires an additional motivation letter to explain in more detail why you would like to attend.

Description: The dry grasslands of the so called “Weinviertler Klippenzone” in the European Green Belt along the border between Austria and Czech Republic are the habitat of a lot of different rare plant- and animal species. To maintain these habitats and to avoid invasion of bushes into the grasslands it is necessary to establish regular management. Biotope maintenance like mowing or removing bushes or neophytes will be implemented on rupicolous or steppic grasslands in protected areas - situated amidst a beautiful wine-growing landscape. This helps to preserve rare species like the critically endangered Feather Grass (Stipa tirsa) or the butterfly Mountain Alcon Blue (Phengaris rebeli). 

Type of Work: International and local volunteers will help moving steep meadows and remove bushes from dry rocky grasslands, that are threatened to be over grown by bushes and trees. So they will contribute actively to preserve endangered species. Work will be physical (moving, raking, cutting so-called) and will last for about 5 - 6 hours every day. Warm and weatherproof clothes and boots are strongly recommended.

Study Theme: The participants will learn about plants and animals and about ecological problems in the area. Some ecological initiatives and protected areas along the Green Belt will be presented and possibilities of management will be discussed. They will hear something about wine-production, visit an old castle-ruin and walk along the former Iron Curtain.

Accommodation: We will live in a big room at a Camping-Site in the village of Poysdorf. Please bring your sleeping bag and sleeping mat, as we will sleep on the floor. If you bring a tent, it is also possible to sleep in it. We will most of the time cook for ourselves (breakfast and dinner). Lunch will sometimes be packed, but we will also have lunch at a canteen or restaurant. Additional free-time activities like barbecue are planned depending on the weather.

Language: English

Requirements: A small motivation letter is required.

Approximate Location: Poysdorf is located in the very Northeast of Austria, close to the common border of Austria with the Czech Republic and Slovakia and close to the rivers Dyje and Morava, which form beautiful floodplains in the area. Brno (CZ) and Vienna (AT) are the closest bigger cities.

Notes: | naturschutzbund nö | (Austrian League for Nature Conservation – Lower Austria) is an environmental NGO that supports and maintains protected areas in the region and that wants to contribute to conservation of species and ecosystems in Lower Austria. The work-camp is supported by the local communities of Poysdorf, Staatz, Falkenstein and Wildendürnbach. http://www.noe-naturschutzbund.at/

Organization Description: SCI Austria is the Austrian branch of Service Civil International, founded in 1947 and based in Vienna. We are mainly volunteers who have been on international workcamps ourselves and who want to organize meaningful and critical projects in our country as well.

Camp Photographs