ESC: Volunteering at Øhavets Smakke- og Naturcenter

Øhavets Smakke- og Naturcenter (ØSN) is a self-governing institution whose purpose is to preserve and disseminate the South Funen Archipelago's special natural and cultural history. As a cultural institution, ØSN conveys the special natural and cultural-historical values of the South Funen islands, as well as the special vessel culture with smack dinghies, which has been a characteristic mode of transport and for fishing between the small islands and islets. The dissemination takes place in the form of guided tours, external teaching, nature guidance, teaching in sailing, and not least through our museum, which has a beautiful exhibition about Strynø, from the ice age to today, where smack dinghies have a very special role. We also have a camping site with tent spots, glamping tents and apartments for renting. In addition, we rent out equipment and give classes in sailing (kayaks, SUPs, windsurfing, vessels) to give tourists great experiences on the water. We host school classes and teach them about the natural and cultural history of the island, and we take tourists on seal safari to show and teach them about the wildlife of South Funen. ØSN is located on the beautiful little island Strynø with approximately 200 inhabitants. The organisation ØSN is woven into the local island community and represents an environment with a focus on close relations where everyone is helping each other out and knows each other. We usually describe our island community as a miniature society, where we can easily trace and perceive the currents in society. This gives us a unique opportunity to challenge and experiment with our way of living which gives us more freedom to structure life in the best way possible. Our organisation has a focus on eco-tourism and works with presenting sustainable tourism activities. Our organization is almost CO2 neutral and ØSN has a strategic focus on creating a sustainable maritime culture with a focus on green energy systems (we have projects on geothermal energy, solar panels and are currently working on a windmill project), local and organic products, and a focus on taking care of the nature that we are so dependent on. ØSN welcomes a rather broad target group. ØSN hosts and welcomes a passionate community with specialised skills and interests in the maritime world, with a specific focus on vessels and smack dinghies. During the high season, volunteers and passionate sailors gather by ØSN which creates a unique environment. Next to that, ØSN focuses on welcoming school classes and passing on the knowledge we have at the centre to future generations. Furthermore, we each year welcome tourists who are curious about our island life and who are here to enjoy the beautiful nature. We aim at passing on our values, history and culture to every guest at ØSN and to inspire them to preserve and investigate our and their culture and nature. Through sharing our knowledge and culture we attempt to create bridges between different cultures and create a better understanding of where we come from and how that is interlinked with our current society.