📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The Cognolo refuge is a mountain hosting place belonging the Local municipality of Casperia and managed by ALA association. The refuge was abandoned for 10 years until the organization ALA in collaboration with the work of local and international volunteers started its renovation in 2014. It remains a place of experimentation of innovative and ecological solution. The objectives of this project are to make citizens come closer to local flora and fauna and to promote sustainable and slow tourism in Sabina's mountains. In other words, the work-camp is an educational experience for youth to understand the concepts of consumption, resources, environment and rebuild new relationships with nature and its elements.
💼 What the programme involves
The volunteers will support the local group in different renovation and environmental activities. Volunteers will be involved in the following tasks: creating educational panels to explain the cycle of composting organic matter, dry toilet, etc... restoring an old floor with stones; woodworking and carpentry; gardening; drywall; maintaining a walking path.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Volunteers will be hosted in the local hostel, in rooms with 6 beds. Common toilets and showers. Cooperative organization of meals and cleaning.
📍 About the location
Roccantica(RI) Lazio, Central Italy. Approximately 40 kilometers northeast of Rome, the area called Sabina, where Roccantica is located, is a part of the Apennine chain. The landscape is made of hills covered with olives, which rise towards steeper mountains, with extensive oak woods and small medieval villages, castles and monasteries. It is a landscape that has remained substantially unchanged over time and little affected by modern building development. Roccantica is located on the slopes of the "Pizzuto"mountain at 454 meters. of height.
During their free time, volunteers could make some excursions (hiking, trekking, orienteering, night under the stars) – some workshops (cheese, soap making, hand made pasta, bread and pizza making, etc...) - sports (swimming pool, climbing, low ropes, yoga) – and milking with local farmer to learn to work with mules.
⚠️ Requirements
To be ready to be in small village, no shops To be open minded. To be ready to live a group experience base on life in common, exchange, cooperation, teamwork. To live in isolated place. To do an effort of communication, nobody in the village speak English A project related motivation letter is needed. To be ready for walking and trekkings, here the mountains are the most important natural heritage To come with proper outdoor equipment (trekking shoes, working clothes, etc…)
ℹ️ Additional information
It won’t be possible to visit Rome - The free time activity will be organized by the leaders to allow participants to explore the village and the surroundings.
TERMINAL: Rome airport, then direct train to Poggio Mirteto, or Rome CIA, connection with train and bus.
FEE: €200 for international volunteers; €265 for italian volunteers.