📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The Sèvre Niortaise is a small river that for a longtime powered the mills of Deux-Sèvres, notably in the villages of Saint-Maixent and La Crèche. Today, as part of the historical heritage of the villages, the preservation of these mills, which are public utilities, is essential in order to preserve their utility, highlight them, and allow the public to access them. In the case of this project, Maison des Bateleurs – Solidarités Jeunesses will work in partnership with the association Syndicale Libre des Riverains de la Sèvre Niortaise (that coordinates the hydraulic activity of 35 mills), an association with whom we've already executed two workcamps (2014-2018) surrounding the restoration of mills within the territory. The association also has an advising role alongside the owners of the mills to recommend strategies to manage natural heritage.
With this project, you will be actively working for the Sustainable Development Goal n°6 from the United Nations: Clean water and sanitation.
💼 What the programme involves
Accompanied by the sound of rushing water, this workcamp will consist of maintaining and restoring the facilities of a Sèvre Niortaise mill: the Bellot water mill. You will intervene by repairing the walls and siding of the roadways by sealing the stones between them. Traditional masonry techniques, like how to work with lime and clay, will be shared with you by the association's volunteers. You will be supervised and accompanied by the owners of the mills during the entirety of the workcamp. You'll also have the opportunity to discover techniques related to hydraulic systems. Moreover, you will have a workshop on how to renovate the wheel which is used for the operation of the mill and then, you will paint it.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Communal, on campgrounds, under tents. Food will be provided for you and meals will be prepared alternately by participants.
📍 About the location
Location: Saint-Maixent, department of Deux-Sèvres, 20km north of Niort.
Leisure activities: The goal will be to exchange the richness of your cultures with the residents and associations of the territory. Excursions throughout the region will be organized collectively according to your wants (visits, the ocean, museums, etc.) You'll also have the opportunity to conduct visits to Marais Poitevin, artistic expositions, etc., but also to La Rochelle, Poitiers, Noirt...