📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Val Codera lies among the Retiche Alps, it's shaped by granito stones and is still a wild, natural and unspoilt area despite climate changes and the industrial development of Novate Mezzola town have caused a general soil and rocks erosion at the end of the valley. The association “Amici della Val Codera” is settled in Codera, that can be reached only by foot with a 2 hours walk from Novate Mezzola. It's been working for 35 years to promote in an eco-friendly way the valley. It protects and enhances the valley environmental and cultural heritage (Codera is a rare example of Alpine civilisation), through the rediscovering of traditional agricultural activities, in order to respect local inhabitants and to promote an eco-friendly tourism respectful of the mountains beauty and cultural values
💼 What the programme involves
During the workcamp volunteers will work for 6-7 hours per day and they'll be involved in the following activities: restoration and cleaning of abandoned fields; growing potatoes, beans and spring cabbage, a very typical plant of the area; renovation of wild and abandoned fields through digging; renovation of scaffholding little drywalls; forest cleaning from wild plants; wood collecting; ancient local footpaths cleaning and restoration. Activities will be run in Codera's surroundings.
Vols must bring pictures and documents about ecosustainable development of their own urban or natural environment to exchange experiences and solutions related to climate change and “environmental resistances”, and to promote environmental awareness among local people through the sharing of the results.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Rifugio Osteria Alpina has bathrooms with hot water and dorms with bunk beds. Mattresses, pillows and blankets will be provided but vols must bring their own sheet bags. There are no shops and facilities in Codera Village, which is situated about 2 hours walking from Novate Mezzola. Volunteers of the workcamp will cook together with the local volunteers dinners and take-away lunches.
📍 About the location
The workcamp will be held in Codera, a little village 2 hours walking from Novate Mezzola municipality that is part of Sondrio provincia, in Lombardy (North of Italy). The most important cities nearby are Milano (2 hours by train from Novate Mezzola), Lecco (1 bour y train), Sondrio (about 1 hour and half by train) and Como reachable by bus from Colico in about 2 hours.Light bagagges are suggested.
⚠️ Requirements
Strong motivation to work in a wild area and to interact with the locals; simple manual skills in using agricultural tools; good physical condition. Vols will live far from modern life facilities and the noises and contradictions of contemporary cities and consumerist society. They must share the goal of preserving a challenging but also fascinating and stunning natural reality such as Val Codera.
ℹ️ Additional information
Codera is accessible only through a stairs footpath and it's about two hours walking from Novate Mezzola and the nearest car road. There are no shops in the village.It is possible to buy beverages, local cheese and other kind of food at Osteria Alpina Shelter. Volunteers with special food needs ( celiac, vegan or vegeterian) are kindly required to specify it in the application form. Internet connection and mobile phones might not work well due to localization of the shelter.