Conservation holiday in Germany
| country: | Germany |
| departures: | 2010: 16 Aug |
| price: | From £370 (12 days) excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Conservation holiday in Germany
Join us in the enchanted woods of Harz National Park - a surviving area of wilderness forest, steeped in mystery and tradition, and home to an unholy alliance of witches and naked sledgers. This is a conservation holiday for those who love woods, wilderness and mountains and want to explore a side of Europe so often overlooked.
Who we're working with:
We’re working with local park rangers and volunteer coordinators of the Harz National Park, founded in 2006 from the merging of two state parks in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) and Sachsen-Anhalt. The park authority is responsible for a huge 24,700 hectares of almost completely undisturbed and uninhabited wooded wilderness. Harz National Park monitors this environment through its own research and work. Additionally it acts where man’s actions have in the past, interfered with the natural processes, through regeneration and conservation projects, such as the restoration of dried out bogs, restoration of mountain streams and projects within the forest itself. Unique within a German national park is the reintroduction of the Lynx. A further focus of the work within the national park is to show the general public the true beauty of uncontrolled, wild nature. The park runs a programme of over 2,500 guided tours throughout the year.
Where we're working:
The Harz National Park stretches from the low mountain range near Herzberg in the southern part of the mountains, across the Harz massif to its northern slopes near Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg. It offers the entire range of characteristic ecological systems, variations in height, slopes and rocks. Height varies from 240m to 1,141m on the legendary and mysterious Brocken peak. The park offers an ecologically complex landscape and a range of different vegetation zones. The Harz National Park is virtually uninhabited, but does contain some hamlets. Nearly all the land within the park is forested and belongs to the federal states. Based in foothills near Bad Harzburg we’ll be travelling out to a variety of locations within the park and will have the opportunity to really get a real feel for the majesty and beauty of the place.
Much of the practical work carried out in the park relates to either restoration of natural habitats and maintenance of traditionally managed habitats, or ‘visitor management’ to ensure people can enjoy appreciate and learn from nature whilst having the minimum negative impact on it. This means we’ll be getting stuck into a variety of activities from traditional meadow mowing and hay-making to building and repairing footpaths, bridges, signs and fences. Everything we do will be part of the park’s work plan and the final priorities will be determined nearer time. Expect variety!
What else is there: This project is a dream for lovers of the wild and walking. With a couple of days off during the project there’s plenty of time to make the best of the park’s fantastic trail network – easily the best way to get to know the wilderness. The Park staff have offered us full day or half day guided walks through the national park and visits to Park´s visitor centres to find out more about this beautiful and fascinating area.
Accommodation: The Jugendwaldheim Brunnenbachsmühle – a huge and comfortable outdoor centre near Braunlage at the Northern end of the park. Accommodation is in shared rooms, there’s a comfy sitting room with entertainment for quiet nights in and access nfrom the door straight out into one of the best trail networks you could dream of. A continental breakfast, lunch and dinner are all provided for us. Braunlage, a short walk from the centre is a buzzing natural spa centre with a good selection of shops, cafes, museums etc. that even hosts an annual witches’ festival and last year, the first winter naked sledging event!
Who we're working with:
We’re working with local park rangers and volunteer coordinators of the Harz National Park, founded in 2006 from the merging of two state parks in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) and Sachsen-Anhalt. The park authority is responsible for a huge 24,700 hectares of almost completely undisturbed and uninhabited wooded wilderness. Harz National Park monitors this environment through its own research and work. Additionally it acts where man’s actions have in the past, interfered with the natural processes, through regeneration and conservation projects, such as the restoration of dried out bogs, restoration of mountain streams and projects within the forest itself. Unique within a German national park is the reintroduction of the Lynx. A further focus of the work within the national park is to show the general public the true beauty of uncontrolled, wild nature. The park runs a programme of over 2,500 guided tours throughout the year.
Where we're working:
The Harz National Park stretches from the low mountain range near Herzberg in the southern part of the mountains, across the Harz massif to its northern slopes near Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg. It offers the entire range of characteristic ecological systems, variations in height, slopes and rocks. Height varies from 240m to 1,141m on the legendary and mysterious Brocken peak. The park offers an ecologically complex landscape and a range of different vegetation zones. The Harz National Park is virtually uninhabited, but does contain some hamlets. Nearly all the land within the park is forested and belongs to the federal states. Based in foothills near Bad Harzburg we’ll be travelling out to a variety of locations within the park and will have the opportunity to really get a real feel for the majesty and beauty of the place.
a day in a life of a volunteer
What we're doing: Much of the practical work carried out in the park relates to either restoration of natural habitats and maintenance of traditionally managed habitats, or ‘visitor management’ to ensure people can enjoy appreciate and learn from nature whilst having the minimum negative impact on it. This means we’ll be getting stuck into a variety of activities from traditional meadow mowing and hay-making to building and repairing footpaths, bridges, signs and fences. Everything we do will be part of the park’s work plan and the final priorities will be determined nearer time. Expect variety!
What else is there: This project is a dream for lovers of the wild and walking. With a couple of days off during the project there’s plenty of time to make the best of the park’s fantastic trail network – easily the best way to get to know the wilderness. The Park staff have offered us full day or half day guided walks through the national park and visits to Park´s visitor centres to find out more about this beautiful and fascinating area.
Accommodation: The Jugendwaldheim Brunnenbachsmühle – a huge and comfortable outdoor centre near Braunlage at the Northern end of the park. Accommodation is in shared rooms, there’s a comfy sitting room with entertainment for quiet nights in and access nfrom the door straight out into one of the best trail networks you could dream of. A continental breakfast, lunch and dinner are all provided for us. Braunlage, a short walk from the centre is a buzzing natural spa centre with a good selection of shops, cafes, museums etc. that even hosts an annual witches’ festival and last year, the first winter naked sledging event!
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you 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
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Harz National Park represents an increasingly rare area of true wilderness remaining in Europe. Its value for wildlife, society and individuals is immeasurable and we all have a responsibility to preserve and protect it and areas like it. Our work is directly contributing to the maintenance and management of this important area ensuring that it’s true qualities can be recognised, appreciated and valued in a way that guarantees its continued survival. The park has been working hard to develop its own volunteering networks and activities, and we’re delighted to be playing a part in that too.
As the UK's biggest environmental volunteering charity, our aim is to make the maximum contribution to the communities and places we work in and we always work with a local partner organisation. This is a unique holiday in a unique place. Working directly with a local environmental organisation staff, volunteers and local people you'll have the chance to experience Bavaria in a way no other holiday can offer. Living, laughing and working as a group, you're not only changing the world, you'll change your life. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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