LEG17 - Altogether to prevent the hydrogeological damage

Location: Chiaverano, province of Torino, Piemonte region

Date: 21/07 – 04/08

Type: Environmental

Number of volunteers: 12

Age: 18+

Project summary: In Chiaverano, a small and nice village at the feet of the Alps, the volunteers will support the local community project to reduce hydrogeological risks and so preventing damages due to possible landslides.

Description Project: The village of Chiaverano is located up on the hills of la Serra Morena and is surrounded by chestnuts trees with old banks made by stone walls that must be maintained and if the case restored because the territory shows evidence of possible hydrogeological damage. The local community has put in place a specific project to avoid possible landslides: beyond the restoring of the walls it is needed an in depth cleaning of the woods and small torrents. The volunteers shall support the local community in this project.

Legambiente local group: The Legambiente Dora Baltea club takes the name from the river that flows through the Morenic Amphitheatre, born by the retirements of the Balteo glacier. All our activities are devoted to the preservation of our territory either monitoring new industrial settlement. We also participate to the national campaigns such as Clean Up the World, Alps Caravanning, Trees Festival. We cooperate with some other local clubs engaged in similar activities involving specifically young people.

Work: The volunteers and local people will be involved in pruning bushes, clearing brambles, and restoring stone walls and fences. The tools and the instructions for a proper use of them will be provided by expert people. Furthermore touristic indications will be developed and put in place. Other activities could be helping experts to organize events and excursions on naturalistic and anthropological themes.

Study part: Integral part of the camp is the knowledge of the environment as well as history of the community and economy developped by the Olivetti company in XX century that has left a strong imprinting.

Accommodation and food: The volunteers will be hosted in a hostel building in Chiaverano village.

The hostel has two large bedrooms, two restrooms, a large kitchen and an outdoor rainproof space. Any care will be taken to reduce the meat consumption and to provide special food should be it asked for religious or personal problems.. WI-FI is not available everywhere.

Location and leisure: Chiaverano is a small village (50 km far from Turin) at the feet of the Alps in the largest European Morenic Amphitheatre. It is surrounded by a fascinating landscape of morenic hills and lakes. They are the usual destination of people loving the nature. The territory is rich of geological and naturalistic witness of the ancient presence of the mankind. From the village it’s easy to reach the highest mountains in Europe by car and then on foot. A visit to Torino, the first capital of Italy, is also possible. The nearest town is Ivrea known in the world because Olivetti typewriters, computers and printers.

Language: English will be the official language in the camp.

Terminal: Airports: Torino Caselle, Milano Malpensa, Milano Linate, Orio al Serio. Ivrea Railway station.

 

LEG18 - Operazione Margherita

Location: Montevecchio, province of Medio Campidano, Sardegna region

Date: 22-31/07

Type: Environmental

Number of volunteers: 20 (mixed Italian and foreign families)

Age: 4 – 99 (family camp)

Project summary: The project aims to restore the environment of the areas Costa Verde (Arbus) and Monte Margherita (Guspini) and to renovate the trails network, that will provide a valuable contribution to local schools for environmental education, and will promote practices of environmentally sustainable tourism.

Description

Project: The goal of the project is restoring the environment of the two areas Costa Verde (Arbus) and Monte Margherita (Guspini) by renovating the walking trails and the watercourses, realization of rest areas, collection of waste and wildlife monitoring. The trails network will provide a valuable contribution to local schools for environmental education, and will promote practices of environmentally sustainable tourism.

Legambiente local group: Legambiente Guspini serves a very important function for environmental education and culture in the mining areas. It runs the Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability (CEAS) in Montevecchio and performs environmental activities since 1996.

The environmental education is the main purpose of the center with activities for schools. Currently, the Center is working with the municipal government of Guspini and Arbus for the construction of nature trails, the organization of voluntary environmental workcamps, the realization of workshops with the schools of the territory.

Work: trails arrangements, realization of rest areas, cleaning of water springs near the village of Montevecchio, collecting trash on the beaches and wildlife monitoring, placing the CAI signs along the paths that lead to the coast from Montevecchio until the Piscinas beach.

Accommodation and food: Volunteers will be lodged in a former school; it has 4 rooms with beds and mattresses, pillows and blankets; 12 bathrooms and showers. There are 1 kitchen, 1 refectory, 1 projection room, 1 multimedia room with internet connection, 1 classroom-conference room for 50 seats, 1 library supplied with text and video tapes on various environmental issues, one on the main film library film productions of Sardinia. The building has architectural barriers and it is not wheelchair accessible.

Location and leisure: Montevecchio is one of the most ancient mining sites in Italy. It is located in the south west of Sardinia - in the Province of Medio Campidano – in the Natural Reserve Monte Arcuentu-Dune di Piscinas. It is 20 km far from the sea (Costa Verde); the beaches, the dunes of Piscinas and shoreline Scivu are famous because of their integrity and the coastal area naturalness.

Specific Requirements: good attitude to walk

Participation fee (No extra fee for children under 5)

1adult + 1 child= 150 euro

1 adult + 2 children = 190 euro

1 adult + 3 children = 200 euro

2 adults + 1 child = 300 euro

2 adults + 2 children = 340 euro

2 adults + 3 children = 380 euro

Language: Italian and English

Terminal: nearest airport is Cagliari; nearest train station is Guspini.

LEG19 - Let’s restart from Malegno!

Location: Malegno, province of Brescia, Lombardia region

Date: 23/07 – 06/08

Type: Cultural/Renovation

Number of volunteers: 12

Age: 18+

Project summary: The workcamp will revive ancient trails once used by farmers and support the restoration of an ancient Convent

Description

Project: The municipality desires to start again the IVS project activities a few years stop, with the same will, the same motivations and above all the same ideal to respect the environment and the nature that surrounds us, in a calm place like Malegno town.

The workcamp will be realized in 2 different areas: a Convent built in 1600 which needs some maintenance work and a little but important trail which passes on a Romanic Bridge on Lanico creek. Lanico is the only river who flows into the town center and run into the bigger Oglio river.

This trail was rediscovered and fixed during the past workcamps: it allowed the connection between two different mountain areas. It lets memories resurface to when it was used from farmers to pass with livestock and wagons.

Legambiente local group: Malegno’s Legambiente voluntary group is active since 2005 with activities of safeguard and cleaning of environment. Among its main battles we can remember the one related to the referendum about the maintaining of public water.

Work: In the first week participants will work in a convent built in 1600 with maintenance works.

During the second week, instead, they will clean and take care of a little trail rediscovered in the past work camp.

Study Part: informal training session will take place about history and local culture of hosting town

Accommodation and food: Participants will be hosted in the convent, in mixed room with private toilette and showers. Internet connection will be available.

Location and leisure: During free time the participants will be accompanied to visit nearby cities of historical and cultural interest, including petroglyphs (Unesco heritage), Roman era relics, Iseo Lake with the biggest island in Europe (Montisola), chief town Brescia and its history.

Language: English will be the official language in the camp.

Terminal: airports of Milano (Linate or Malpensa); airport Orio al Serio; airport of Verona. Nearest train station is named Cividate-Malegno; trains leave from Brescia.