NATIONAL PARK FORESTE CASENTINESI

Italy Environment Youth activities Environment Youth activities Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

This international workcamp is going to take place for the 4th year, organised in collaboration with social cooperative In Quiete , coordinated by Foreste Casentinesi National Park and Forestry State Corps. Voluntary activities in Foreste Casentinesi were launched in May 2011 with two national camps. Foreste Casentinesi National Park covers an area on the two sides of the Apennine watershed between Romagna and Tuscany regions. The Park territory is outstanding for the great wealth and variety of flora (1000 species recorded up to now) and fauna, which includes elements of great scientific interest: common deer, fallow deer, roe deer, wild boar, mouflon (mountain sheep) and the wolf, 139 types of birds. In 2015 Foreste Casentinesi National Park joined the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. The main activities of the National Park and Forestry State Corps are the following: study and scientific research, man-environment relationship development, marginal areas recovering and ecological balance protection, safeguard of ecosystems and natural landscapes, sustainable development and local products promotion, didactics (guided tours for school, sensorial path, forestry museum, planetarium etc.). Website (English version available): http://www.parcoforestecasentinesi.it. The social cooperative In Quiete supports the National Park s authorities by providing hiking activities, eco-friendly touristic, recreation and voluntary activities in the protected area, environmental education and training courses on forestry management and bioengineering, design and maintenance of footpaths, information boards, protection and promotion of historical, cultural and natural heritage of the area. Website (only in Italian): http://www.cooperativainquiete.it/

💼 What the programme involves

The team of volunteers will consist of 4 national and 8 international volunteers. The volunteers will support the main activities and the daily life of the National Park Foreste Casentinesi such as monitoring and cleaning trekking paths and facilities, fauna/flora signals advising, fire watching and water source conservation, restoring wildlife habitats, visitors assistance. Please consider that most of the activities will be of control and monitoring but not manual, as nature conservation often requires The detailed program will be communicated on the day of arrival; however, it may be changed according to the meteorological conditions and to the organisational needs. The volunteers will get a short on arrival training and educational supervision during the workcamp. You should have adaptation spirit and be ready to WALK A LOT during the day (also from the accommodation in the morning and back in the evening) and WORK OUTDOOR with rigorous conditions of mountain environment Volunteers must have with them an individual mountain equipment for work: trekking shoes, backpack, windbreaker and raincoat, hat, working gloves, flashlight (preferably frontal), water bottle.

🏠 Accommodation on site

Volunteers will be hosted in the mountain shelters at the Park s disposal and particularly in Corniolo (FC) and in Montanino (AR) guesthouses, structured into shared rooms with common bathrooms. Depending on the activities, weather and activities, some nights may be spent in other refuges or tents. Within all the lodgings, a fully equipped kitchen is available. Breakfast, packed lunch and dinners will be prepared by the volunteers themselves in the accommodation (food is provided by the hosting organisation). The volunteers will cook and clean as a team. You must bring a sleeping bag, a mattress pad and a pillowcase. Please make sure you are comfortable with basic living conditions

📍 About the location

Foreste Casentinesi National Park - Pratovecchio (AR). The workcamp will take place in a quite isolated area, but it may be possible to visit big cities during your free days (both Arezzo and Florence are 50km far). Nevertheless, you will have a great opportunity to swim in a mountain river, make sightseeing around breathtaking landscapes, enjoy ancient paths and local gastronomic traditions of small mountain villages. Please, bring typical games, recipes, musical instruments from your country.

⚠️ Requirements

YAP project-related motivation form is required. This workcamp is recommended for those who love nature, enjoy working outdoors, taking care of the environment and walking a lot. A specific scientific preparation is not required but for everyone s security and the environment s protection the volunteers are asked to follow accurately the instructions of the staff and organisers. You must have a suitable mountain equipment: trekking shoes, backpack, windbreaker and raincoat, hat, working gloves, flashlight (preferably frontal), water bottle.