Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "family camp" project in Italy

Montevecchio is a small mining village situated 20 km far from the Green Coast, one of the most charming Sardinia places, which includes the Monte Arcuentu-Dune di Piscinas Nature Reserve. The area is very interesting and rich of endangered animals, such as the Sardinian deer and the "Caretta caretta" turtle. Volunteers will collaborate in several activities: path maintenance, signs set up, Sardinian deer monitoring, beach cleaning and fire prevention activities.

5

In a guest house.

Guspini, Cagliari, Sardinia.

Cagliari. Ferry connections from Genoa, Naples and Civitavecchia.

Intergeneration family camps: In 2003 Legambiente started in Italy promoting experiences where parents with young children could participate together in volunteering. The original idea was not just to allow children in voluntary camps but mainly to create a kind of temporary community where adults and children could share the idea of voluntary activity for protecting nature. Nowadays it is rare that parents and children really do something together: work and school take away a large part of the day, leisure time on weekends is mainly for recreation such as sport, walks & cinema. Therefore the family conservation experiences have the ambitious conception to offer a different way of communication between the generations. The group is composed of 15 to 20 participants from different countries, half adults and half children (usually between 5 to 10 years old). It's possible to participate as a whole family or as single parents, and also other relatives (aunts, uncles, grand-parents) can join with their family. This new community share the daily life and the purpose of the voluntary work. Separate bedrooms and common rooms are normally available for mothers, fathers and children. Cooking and cleaning services are provided by participants on rotation. Normally about four-five hours a day are devoted to the practical work for the project. Children can be useful too for easy tasks and they also play and learn by staying in touch with the adults of the project. Then the rest of the time is available for exploring the area with excursions, visits, meeting local people, building deeper friendships with the other participants and for cultural exchange. Language obstacles are normally easily solved by a global communication made of words, gestures and feelings. Parents have the confrontation of different educational approaches and family relationships. Children react very positively to the group dynamics, enjoying the community life and the project ideas. Everybody get to know each other very well, breaking down prejudices and creating the base for a better global understanding.

50 Euro to be paid on arrival.