“Volunteers in Parks” international - examples

Work camp in the Wadden Sea National Park, Lower Saxony

In July 2007, the Wadden Sea National Park (Lower Saxony) got international support. Eleven participants of a three-week youth work camp from Slovakia, the Ukraine, Italy, South Korea and Germany built a plank trail in the Sehestedter Bog. The work camp was not only successful thanks to the hardworking young people and the organizer, the International Youth Community Service (ijgd), but also thanks to various supporting locals and regional institutions, like the Training school “Meyershof”, whose trainees and staff participated in the constructing activities and guided the work, the German Red Cross, that supplied camp beds, and the lost property office of the town Brake, that lent bicycles to the participants. The 150 meter long plank trail offers nature interested people to investigate the extern bank bog safely, without disturbing the wildlife. Handrail and anti-slip planks allow an easy casual access into this little treasure of the national park also for less mobile people. At the end of the trail a viewpoint was added later on as a further attraction for guests.

Information about the Wadden Sea National Park
Information about the International Youth Community Service (ijgd)

(Quelle: Imke Zwoch)

German-Czech-Polish eco-camp in the Erzgebirge/Vogtland Nature Park

15 young people from Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany spent two weeks together in the 7th eco-camp of the Erzgebirge/Vogtland Nature Park. The varied programme contained practical work on mountain pastures and around the German-Czech meeting centre in Mühlleiten, as well as excursions to landscape attractions in the nature park and to the glass farm in Siebenbrunn, as well as lectures on subjects like trans-boundary nature conservation, landscape management in the Czech Republic and regional weather cavorts within the discussion of climate change. This way the participants got exciting insights into the nature and culture of the region. Besides that the international exchange of the young people was encouraged and found its highlight in the motley German-Czech-Polish evening.

Information about the Erzgebirge/Vogtland Nature Park

(Quelle: EUROPARC Deutschland)