Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "festival" project in Netherlands

State Forestry ‘Oudemolen'

The participants will help with the festivities during the celebration week (the first week). There will be nature labour workshops, a day convention, demonstrations and a cultural festival. Many tourists will visit the area during this week. Volunteers can help with activities of promotional, nature, hospitality and organisational activities and work in the nature fields.

The second week they do different activities of nature labour like cutting, dredging, pilling up the paths and haymaking. The cooperation with the local partner has been taking place since several years and they are always very supportive and looking forward to host you in their beautiful area.

Volunteers are expected to bring their own tent, airbed and sleeping bag. There are minimal sanitary facilities and volunteers should expect primitive accommodation in the middle of nature. The group will cook for themselves in a barn that is equipped with all cooking facilities.

The ‘Drentsche Aa' area is a varied old cultural landscape, shaped by an age old interplay of agriculture and nature. The ‘Drentsche Aa' is also the name of the stream that meanders through this area and creates a typical landscape that is declared National Parc. It includes 16 authentic villages. In 2015 the National Parc has a celebration with different activities in de first week of July: ‘The week of the Drentsche Aa'. The partner is the Dutch State Forestry, commissioned by the Dutch government to manage a large part of the nature reserves in the Netherlands.

Volunteers will discuss the recreational program together with the camp leaders. For example they can explore the area by bike, go swimming, visit the city of Groningen, Westerbork transit camp (where Anne Frank was prisoned) and other places in the Netherlands. The camp leaders will have some ideas, but of course it's possible for the volunteers to put forward their own ideas for this program! Leisure time will also be spent on the theme: "Go local, go loco!".

During this activity, the participants will interact with local partner organisations and communities, build capacities to live and work together with people from different cultures, share cultures and have fun!

€55

* Tent, an airbed/mat and sleeping bag

* Old/working clothes

* Rubber boots (working fields can be very muddy!)

* Rain is spread out over the year, so bring warm clothes, a raincoat and a swimming suit!