📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The "Biviere di Gela" is a natural reserve established in 1997 by the Sicilian Region and managed by LIPU (Italian league for birds protection). Due to its geographical position and climatic conditions, the lake Biviere (the largest Sicilian coastal lake and one of the few remaining natural ones) is one of the most important Sicilian wetlands for thousands of birds (e.g. ducks, heroon etc.) stopping here during migrations or wintering during the colder months. Activities in the nearby, such as intensive agriculture, embankments and drainage for agricultural purposes constitute a continuous threat to the survival of the wetland habitat. Due to financial cutting, the reserve suffers from maintenance and the support received along the year is not as much as should be provided. This is the reason why InformaGiovani with LIPU organised together workcamps to support the maintenance of the natural reserve and to sensitise the local community towards the place.
💼 What the programme involves
Volunteers will support local staff in the maintenance of the site and vegetation for prevention of fire risk, in the maintenance of visiting facilities and information signs to promote and facilitate a sustainable fruition of the area. Maintenance work will be done mainly in the morning.
In the afternoon, volunteers will define a strategy (event/campaign) to raise awareness about the dangerous effect of the intensive agriculture widespread in the territory and massive use of plastic in industrial agriculture and its impact on the local environment.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Accommodation will be partially in a building located inside the Natural Reserve and partially in tens located just outdoor inside the Reserve. Volunteers will sleep in a shared room in bunk beds or in tens. Solar shower and outdoor kitchen will be arranged in the space outdoor. Meals will be prepared by volunteers in group. Food to be cooked will be provided by the host organisation. NO wifi in the building. REQUEST: volunteers have to bring their own sleeping bag (light one).
📍 About the location
During your free time you can visit the small town of Gela and its beaches. Gela is not well connected in terms of public transports. To visit closest main cities (e.g. Agrigento 80km, Noto 110km, Syracuse 150km) during the day off, it is better to take a private local couch whose costs can be shared among volunteers.
ℹ️ Additional information
Interest in raise awareness about environmental issue. ESC project open to European Solidarity Corps Programme/Partner Countries, Ukraine. Age limit 18-30 years old.