Coastal conservation in Cornwall
| country: | England |
| location: | Cornwall |
| departures: | 2008: 29 Aug, 19 Sep, 26 Sep |
| price: | From £260 (8 days) excluding flights |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Embracing a distinctive blend of educational activities and practical work, Cornish Wildside will take you to a Cornwall you wouldn't otherwise get to see and introduce you to not only spectacular and hidden landscapes, but to some of the projects that are underway to maintain and improve these habitats and the species they support.
This trip will take you to some of the most spectacular beaches around the Lizard and Falmouth Bay as well as perhaps the north Cornish coast and Helford estuary - some remote, others well used. Wherever we end up there will be dramatic cliffscapes with a mix of remote and easily accessible beaches.
Accommodation
Throughout the week you'll be staying at self-catering Tregedna - a traditionally small Cornish mixed working farm in a listed barn especially converted with large groups in mind - so there's a very roomy living/dining room and a mix of different sized bedrooms with two to six beds or bunks, plus modern showers, and an efficient drying room. Our fruit and veg, meat and dairy products will be sourced from local organic producers - Cusgarne Farm and the Cornish Pig Company are both located in the Bissoe Valley, and ancient Rosuick Farm near St Keverne where old varieties of livestock are farmed and all our tea and coffee is fairly traded.
Tregedna is just a few minutes stroll to the wide sandy beach at Maenporth, and although set amidst rural calm, theres an easy 40 minute walk along the coast path into Falmouth. You'll be guided by experienced group leaders who know the local area well and have a good knowledge of the practical work.
At the end of your holiday we think you'll have had some great exercise, learnt oodles about the Cornish coastline and its wildlife and have had a both relaxing and exhilarating week. And for every booking, approximately £65 is raised for local practical action to further protect and enhance the unique environment of Cornwall.
Throughout the week there will also be visits to and talks by professional and local people involved in protecting marine wildlife around our coasts: Silver Dolphin who raise awareness about the south wests whales and dolphins, and the National Seal Sanctuary at Gweek who rescue and rehabilitate seal pups washed up along the coast. The trips should fuel your enthusiasm and give an insight into the impact that marine pollution has on wildlife. We will also take you on rocky rambles exploring the amazing rockpool wildlife along the Cornish shoreline. There’s plenty to do on your day off: the SW coastal footpath is only a few moments away and Falmouth, Cornwall's largest town, with its National Maritime Museum is within easy walking distance.
This trip will take you to some of the most spectacular beaches around the Lizard and Falmouth Bay as well as perhaps the north Cornish coast and Helford estuary - some remote, others well used. Wherever we end up there will be dramatic cliffscapes with a mix of remote and easily accessible beaches.
Accommodation
Throughout the week you'll be staying at self-catering Tregedna - a traditionally small Cornish mixed working farm in a listed barn especially converted with large groups in mind - so there's a very roomy living/dining room and a mix of different sized bedrooms with two to six beds or bunks, plus modern showers, and an efficient drying room. Our fruit and veg, meat and dairy products will be sourced from local organic producers - Cusgarne Farm and the Cornish Pig Company are both located in the Bissoe Valley, and ancient Rosuick Farm near St Keverne where old varieties of livestock are farmed and all our tea and coffee is fairly traded.
Tregedna is just a few minutes stroll to the wide sandy beach at Maenporth, and although set amidst rural calm, theres an easy 40 minute walk along the coast path into Falmouth. You'll be guided by experienced group leaders who know the local area well and have a good knowledge of the practical work.
At the end of your holiday we think you'll have had some great exercise, learnt oodles about the Cornish coastline and its wildlife and have had a both relaxing and exhilarating week. And for every booking, approximately £65 is raised for local practical action to further protect and enhance the unique environment of Cornwall.
a day in a life of a volunteer
The week will comprise a mix of litter collection/surveying and educational activities. All the marine litter you collect will be surveyed before bagging and the data fed into the Marine Conservation Society's annual waste survey, in order to aid in action to identify litter problems and tackle them at source. Throughout the week there will also be visits to and talks by professional and local people involved in protecting marine wildlife around our coasts: Silver Dolphin who raise awareness about the south wests whales and dolphins, and the National Seal Sanctuary at Gweek who rescue and rehabilitate seal pups washed up along the coast. The trips should fuel your enthusiasm and give an insight into the impact that marine pollution has on wildlife. We will also take you on rocky rambles exploring the amazing rockpool wildlife along the Cornish shoreline. There’s plenty to do on your day off: the SW coastal footpath is only a few moments away and Falmouth, Cornwall's largest town, with its National Maritime Museum is within easy walking distance.
travellers' tales
Go with a free and open mind, be prepared to have fun with your companions and laugh until your ribs ache. (more)
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
 Our coastal conservation holidays help tackle the disturbances caused by both nature and man to the flora and fauna along the UK coast. By carrying out beach surveys of the litter that is either washed ashore or left behind helps us to understand where it comes from and how it affects these fragile ecosystems. Improving access helps to minimise the erosion and disturbance that visitors cause when they visit the UK coastline and also gives the opportunity for the flora and fauna to thrive in these fragile areas. Your holiday will often take place on land owned or managed by other countryside conservation organisations such as the National Trust, National Park Authorities and Wildlife Trusts, and our volunteers' work thus contributes to their management objectives for these sites." Our UK Conservation Holidays offer you a unique opportunity to take part in activities which improve the environment and protect the beautiful landscapes of the UK and their associated wildlife habitats and natural heritage and also leave a worthwhile legacy for future generations. Working with like-minded people in small groups (max: 12) you will share a common goal of ‘getting the job done’ and have fun in the process. Our trained leaders are there to ensure you have a good time, but also to make sure that health and safety rules are followed. In the evenings talks are sometimes held about the site and its importance to the flora and fauna of the area or you could visit a local pub and mix with the locals. If there is a day off, you can visit local attractions thus making sure that local people are benefitting from your visit. We encourage the use of public transport to get to the pick-up point (usually a train station) where a minibus is waiting to take you to the accommodation. Our accommodation is where possible locally owned and run and can vary from a local village hall to youth hostels or barn conversions on working farms. Working closely with local partners and other countryside organisations our work contributes to both local and national objectives for these sites. We work to create a more sustainable future by inspiring people to improve places. We were established in 1959, and have a successful history of environmental conservation volunteering throughout the UK. Through our goals and values we aim to enhance and enrich people’s lives, the communities in which they live and the quality of their environment. |
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