N Ireland
| country: | Northern Ireland |
| departures: | Please contact us for departures |
| price: | All four projects are £250 excluding international flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Four fabulous volunteering holidays have been organised this season to acquaint you with the amazing natural and cultural highlights of Northern Ireland and much, much more.
Each week is unique and packed to the brim with interesting voluntary work, trips, visits and talks. You get to bask in traditional Irish hospitality, whilst giving something back to the community in which you'll be staying.
Outlines of the breaks are to be found below and all can be booked in the usual way – act sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment!
Nature and Culture of Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland - Co Down. Duration: 7 days.
An exciting week filled with innovative local conservation projects and a chance to sample the countryside of Northern Ireland. Spend three days carrying out practical work in an ethnic local travellers community, working alongside community members. Enjoy a one day visit to the Oxford Island Nature Reserve in the heart of Northern Ireland, including a presentation on local biodiversity. Discover Belfast with a day's shopping and sightseeing and a further day visiting the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. Two evening presentations are also included. Fully catered accommodation is at a very comfortable local hotel.
Trees of our Future, Northern Ireland - Co Down. Duration: 7 days.
Spend your week enjoying the Northern Ireland countryside, collecting seeds from ancient Irish trees, and giving a helping hand to local biodiversity. We will be visiting the Glens of Antrim and the shores of Lough Neagh in our quest for important stands of trees. The seed collection will last for three days. During the rest of the holiday, we will spend a day at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful Clandeboye Estate - one of the most important woodlands in Ireland - and visit several important local landmarks. We also hope to fit in some shopping in Belfast. Two evening presentations on biodiversity will also be held at Clandeboye during the week. Fully catered accommodation will be in Dendron Lodge situated in Clandeboye Estate's delightful courtyard.
Northern Ireland Tree Campaign, Northern Ireland - Co Down. Duration: 7 days.
A week filled with variety for anyone wishing to sample the delights of the northwest of Ireland. As part of our new Northern Ireland Tree Campaign, we will be undertaking three days of woodland management at Gransha Woods outside Derry City. Tree planting, access work, and scrub removal are all on the agenda. As part of this work, we will also be joining up for one day with a group of local Green Gym volunteers, highlighting the health benefits that practical conservation work can bring to those taking part. We will spend a day at the historic city of Derry and a day touring and walking through the beautiful countryside of Donegal. A visit to the world famous Giant's Causeway is also on the agenda, weather permitting. Two evening presentations are included, one on trees and one on local history. Fully catered accommodation is at a very comfortable local hotel.
St. Patrick's Green Gym, Northern Ireland - Co Down. Duration: 7 days.
Spend a week getting healthy while also benefiting Northern Ireland's biodiversity. During this week we will be working with three local Green Gym groups, helping them to carry out important local projects. Green Gyms are projects that focus on the health benefits to the participants, as well as the environmental improvements. The groups include third age volunteers, a local day care centre for those with special needs and others. This is very fulfilling work. As well as three days of work, we will spend a day at an important local nature area and a day visiting the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. A day's shopping and sightseeing tops off the timetable for the week. Two evening presentations are also included. Fully catered accommodation is at a very comfortable local hotel.
Each week is unique and packed to the brim with interesting voluntary work, trips, visits and talks. You get to bask in traditional Irish hospitality, whilst giving something back to the community in which you'll be staying.
Outlines of the breaks are to be found below and all can be booked in the usual way – act sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment!
Nature and Culture of Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland - Co Down. Duration: 7 days.
An exciting week filled with innovative local conservation projects and a chance to sample the countryside of Northern Ireland. Spend three days carrying out practical work in an ethnic local travellers community, working alongside community members. Enjoy a one day visit to the Oxford Island Nature Reserve in the heart of Northern Ireland, including a presentation on local biodiversity. Discover Belfast with a day's shopping and sightseeing and a further day visiting the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. Two evening presentations are also included. Fully catered accommodation is at a very comfortable local hotel.
Trees of our Future, Northern Ireland - Co Down. Duration: 7 days.
Spend your week enjoying the Northern Ireland countryside, collecting seeds from ancient Irish trees, and giving a helping hand to local biodiversity. We will be visiting the Glens of Antrim and the shores of Lough Neagh in our quest for important stands of trees. The seed collection will last for three days. During the rest of the holiday, we will spend a day at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful Clandeboye Estate - one of the most important woodlands in Ireland - and visit several important local landmarks. We also hope to fit in some shopping in Belfast. Two evening presentations on biodiversity will also be held at Clandeboye during the week. Fully catered accommodation will be in Dendron Lodge situated in Clandeboye Estate's delightful courtyard.
Northern Ireland Tree Campaign, Northern Ireland - Co Down. Duration: 7 days.
A week filled with variety for anyone wishing to sample the delights of the northwest of Ireland. As part of our new Northern Ireland Tree Campaign, we will be undertaking three days of woodland management at Gransha Woods outside Derry City. Tree planting, access work, and scrub removal are all on the agenda. As part of this work, we will also be joining up for one day with a group of local Green Gym volunteers, highlighting the health benefits that practical conservation work can bring to those taking part. We will spend a day at the historic city of Derry and a day touring and walking through the beautiful countryside of Donegal. A visit to the world famous Giant's Causeway is also on the agenda, weather permitting. Two evening presentations are included, one on trees and one on local history. Fully catered accommodation is at a very comfortable local hotel.
St. Patrick's Green Gym, Northern Ireland - Co Down. Duration: 7 days.
Spend a week getting healthy while also benefiting Northern Ireland's biodiversity. During this week we will be working with three local Green Gym groups, helping them to carry out important local projects. Green Gyms are projects that focus on the health benefits to the participants, as well as the environmental improvements. The groups include third age volunteers, a local day care centre for those with special needs and others. This is very fulfilling work. As well as three days of work, we will spend a day at an important local nature area and a day visiting the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. A day's shopping and sightseeing tops off the timetable for the week. Two evening presentations are also included. Fully catered accommodation is at a very comfortable local hotel.
a day in a life of a volunteer
The normal working day lasts from approximately 9am to 5pm, depending on the weather and how everyone feels. Tea breaks and a picnic lunch are an important part of the day. The day will normally start with a tools talk from the Project Leader and an explanation of what the project entails and why it is being done. You will be shown how to use all tools correctly and safely, and will be briefed on any safety issues specific to the site.
Although practical conservation work is very rewarding, it can be quite physically demanding, so a reasonable level of fitness is required for all our holidays. During the day, however, you will be encouraged to work at your own pace, taking breaks whenever you need them. At the end of the day, you will return to your accommodation for dinner and relaxation. Most holidays are self-catering and everyone is asked to help out with the cooking, cleaning and washing up. Mucking in with these activities is part of the holiday experience!
Although practical conservation work is very rewarding, it can be quite physically demanding, so a reasonable level of fitness is required for all our holidays. During the day, however, you will be encouraged to work at your own pace, taking breaks whenever you need them. At the end of the day, you will return to your accommodation for dinner and relaxation. Most holidays are self-catering and everyone is asked to help out with the cooking, cleaning and washing up. Mucking in with these activities is part of the holiday experience!
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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Our conservation taster holidays give volunteers a chance to undertake a variety of conservation projects, which will help to conserve valuable wildlife habitats and protect special landscapes. Whatever the activity on the conservation holiday that you choose, you can be sure that your hard work will be contributing to a sustainable future for our planet.Our holidays 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.
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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. |