LEG24 - Renovating mountain trails in Madonie Regional Park

Location: Petralia Sottana, province of Palermo, Sicilia region

Date: 01 -15/08

Type: Environmental

Number of volunteers: 12

Age: 18+

Project summary: In the heart of Madonie Regional Park in Sicily, the volunteers will renovate and open mountain trails for the promotion of a responsible and sustainable tourism.

Description

Project: the workcamp is part of a wider project which aims at raising the natural and touristic value of the Madonie Regional Park, through the creation of educational and environmental facilities and activities. The seasonal tourism linked to the winter sports will lead to the reduction and fragmentation of the natural areas with serious environmental damages. The purpose of the project is to divert this direction towards the safeguard of the territory and the valorization of the cultural and historic heritage as key to stimulate innovative quality and new economic trends, in respect of the mountain biodiversity.

Legambiente local group: the local group “Francesco Lojacono” sar born in 2007 in Palermo with the aim of safeguarding and promoting areas with natural and cultural value through awareness campaigns such as “Salvalarte” (save the art) and Solidarity and Environment, for the fruition of natural areas by disadvantaged people.

Work: the volunteers will work at the maintenance and creation of mountain paths inside the Regional park (also using GPS mapping), the creation and installation of touristic signs and fences, removal of weed and fire monitoring. They will also do some renovation work in the Refuge and the surrounding area.

Study part: biodiversity of the Madonie Park, sustainable tourism and ancient traditions of Sicily, Mediterranean genesis and geology, climate change.

Accommodation and food: The volunteers will be hosted in Rifugio Il Grifone, a mountain refugee inside the Park, at 1500 meters above sea level.

Location and leisure: the Regional Park of Madonie, extended for 794 kmq in the north-centre of Sicily, includes the highest and most ancient mountains in the region. The workcamp will take place in Piano Battaglia that is the second highest Sicilian peak (1600 mt), after Etna Vulcan. It is situated in a wonderful natural frame: a wide karstic area in the heart of the Madonie mountains surrounded by an ancient beech forest.

In the free time, the volunteers will explore the Park - also through sport activities - and the villages at its feet, with their traditions and community life.

Specific Requirements: good will and attitude to live in mountains environment.

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

Terminal: nearest airport and train station are in Palermo. Attention: the last bus from Palermo to Petralia Sottana is at 18.30 (at 17 on Sundays).

LEG25 - Don’t Waste Venice

Location: Venezia, Veneto region

Date: 4 – 17/08

Type: Environmental

Number of volunteers: 12

Age: 18 - 65

Description

Project Venice and its Lagoon (UNESCO's World Heritage) with their delicate ecosystem, are attacked everyday by a huge amount of garbage that enhances environmental damage.

Legambiente Venezia and Ispra Chioggia (the local branch of the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) have planned and carried out “Don't Waste Venice”, the first monitoring activity of floating litter in Venice's canals, enlarging the target area from the city to the islands of the lagoon, reaching what is now the Northern Lagoon Regional Park (recently created by Venice's municipality). The The project will gather as much information as possible on the kind of litter and debris found.

The volunteers will participate in the land and water monitoring activities, in the cleaning and maintenance of the smaller islands of the lagoon, many of them abandoned to degradation.

The most part of the activities will be carried out in Certosa Island, situated in a strategic position – at the same time in the port’s entrance and in the city – in the middle between Venice historic centre and high sea. The island hosted a convent from 1200 to 1500, then it was used for military purposes until 1950 when, after a demilitarisation process, was abandoned.

Legambiente local group: For 10 years Legambiente Venezia has been organising workcamps on Certosa island and around the northern part of Venetian lagoon, in order to increase the active participation of young people and citizens and to increase the awareness about environmental issues concerning the fragile lagoon ecosystem. The club is concerned with some global-local environmental problems like cruiser ships passing through the very heart of the city, sustainable tourism, information to the citizens about the environmental problems, arise the consciousness about the importance of lagoon as common good.

Work: The volunteers’ concrete activities will be the monitoring and collection of waste, by boat and on foot in Venice historic centre, beaches and islands. They will also help Legambiente local group in the spreading of informative material to sensitize citizens, tourists and visitors about the respect towards the lagoon. The main aim of the activity though is to start collecting and disposing of floating garbage, as well as sunk and stranded waste within the internal areas of the lagoon, through national and international volunteering activities, involving citizens and tourists and disseminating good practices towards a collective responsibility.

Study part: educational activities on marine litter, nature conservation and monitoring, with the support of ISPRA technicians; study meeting with the Natural History Museum and the Naturalistic Obsevatory of the Lagoon.

Accommodation and food: Volunteers will be hosted in Certosa island in tents equipped with camp beds, kitchen and living tents. Bathrooms and showers are close to the camping site. A low-flesh diet, according to the global environmental problems, will be a commitment for volunteers.

Location and leisure: The UNESCO World Heritage property comprises the city of Venice and its lagoon situated in the Veneto Region of Northeast Italy. In this lagoon covering 50,000 km², nature and history have been closely linked since the 5th century when Venetian populations, to escape barbarian raids, found refuge on the sandy islands. These temporary settlements gradually became permanent and the initial refuge of the land-dwelling peasants and fishermen became a maritime power.

Venice and its lagoon landscape are the result of a dynamic process which illustrates the interaction between people and the ecosystem of their natural environment over time: the city is built on 118 small islands and seems to float on the waters of the lagoon, composing an unforgettable landscape.

Special Requirements: swimming and walking ability, no seasickness

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

Terminal: Airports of Venezia, Treviso or Trieste; Venezia-S.Lucia train station

 

LEG26 - Enhance the biodiversity in Montevecchia

Location: Montevecchia, province of Lecco, Lombardia region

Date: 7-20/08

Type: Environmental

Number of volunteers: 10

Age: 18+

Project summary: Volunteers will be working with park rangers (guardie ecologiche volontarie) to conserve the “Prati Magri” and endorse this breathtaking natural habitat.

Description

Project: Montevecchia natural park is one of the nearest parks to the Milan metropolitan area. Legambiente aims at raising the fruition of the park and conserving at the same time the “Prati Magri”, a natural habitat with a great biodiversity.

The area shows a very high dissimilarity of environments that need a lot of cures. Pathways in particular need maintenance, especially for what concerns the signposting. Equally important are the areas along Molgora river, that periodically needs adjustments, like thin meadows inside the park. There is also a water channel that needs to be cleaned and maintained periodically.

Legambiente local group: Legambiente Lecco is made of young and dinamic people, mostly under 30. The main activity of this Legambiente group is the management of an hostel; moreover, it has campaigned against food waste and for the correct waste management. Take a look at https://it-it.facebook.com/legambiente.lecco for details.

Work: Volunteers will clean the pathways, with particular attention to signposting. They will always be followed by park rangers, who will show them how to properly do the required tasks.

Accommodation and food: Volunteers will be hosted in Ca’ Soldato, a big house in which they will find rooms with camp beds, three bathrooms, a big kitchen. Internet access will not be provided in Ca’ Soldato, but it will be possible to use wifi at the park headquarter, reachable on foot. The ecological rangers will prepare the lunch.

Location and leisure: Montevecchia is located relatively near Milan and its park is hilly, which makes it easily reachable. Inside the park there is a beautiful church, culturally very important, that volunteers will have the privilege to visit.

Specific Requirements: attitude to live and walk in mountains environment

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

Terminal: nearest airports are Orio al serio, Milano Malpensa; nearest train station are Olgiate/Calco/Brivio

LEG27 - Parco Lavino camp

Location: Scafa, province of Pescara, Abruzzo region

Date: 08-22/08

Type: Environmental/Cultural

Number of volunteers: 12

Age: 18+

Project summary: The workcamp will support the restoration and conservation of the area of Sulphureous Sources of the Lavino River and the Mill of the ‘600, within the national campaign “Save the Art”.

Description

Project: The workcamp will support the restoration and conservation of the area of Sulphureous Sources of the Lavino River and the Mill of the ‘600 (within the campaign “Save the Art”). The main actions will be dedicated to the restoration of the Mill, to the cleaning of some features of the paths more attended by the tourists, to the maintenance of the equipped areas, to the cleaning of the contiguous area to the ancient flour mill, fed from the Sulphureous Sources of the Lavino river.

Legambiente local group: Legambiente parco Lavino was born in 2004; in 2006 the municipality of Scafa entrusts the management of the park to it, who restores a building making it a centre for environmental education.

Work:

- cleaning of the paths;

- maintenance of the equipped areas;

- cleaning of the contiguous area of the seventeenth-century flour mill;

- contribution in the organisation of events and manifestations.

Accommodation and food: Volunteers will stay in a guesthouse near the Equipped Park with two rooms, 3 baths with showers, 1 kitchen.

Location and leisure: Scafa is a lovely small village in Abruzzo, near Pescara far about 170 Km from Rome. The volunteers will work in the Sulphureous Sources Park of Lavino.

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

Terminal: Roma International airports; Chieti train station; Pescara airports; Scafa train station