Wild Wood Pasture Kappel-Grafenhausen

Name: Wild Wood Pasture Kappel-Grafenhausen
Start: 2023-08-19
End: 2023-09-03
Location: Kappel-Grafenhausen, Germany

Germany Environment Manual work Environment Manual work Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

The community of Kappel-Grafenhausen has initiated a special biodiversity preservation project in 2015: The Wild Wood Pastures! By introducing a small herd of Salers cattle and some Konik horses to the neighbouring nature park Taubergieíen, they are returning to a historic use of land which had been given up in the 18th century. Throughout the year, the animals are roaming freely and grazing in the woods, which leads to a light forest. This allows room for animals and plants that have been pushed out of regular working forests and green lands. The grazing animals are changing the structure of vegetation and wildlife in a way that would be impossible to achieve through human hand. Many threatened species, especially birds and insects, have since returned to the area. Have a look at their website https://www.wilde-wald-weiden-taubergiessen.de/ (in German) to find out more about this project.

💼 What the programme involves

During these two weeks, you will be supporting the development of the Wild Wood Pastures project by helping with different tasks on the area. These will include: • Opening the area by collecting wood residues from the ground. This will foster grass growth and at the same time create hiding places for various animals. • Protecting young oak trees (particularly valuable for the natural environment) by building wooden fences around them to protect them from grazing animals. • Helping to increase the population of wildcats by building litter boxes out of wooden planks specifically for them. The boxes will then be disposed at strategic spots, fitting the environment. • Protecting a specific type of salamander by removing overgrowing hazel bushes from a pond where the salamander is living. (They\'re called Kammmolche in German). Another focus of your work will be to support the monitoring of the garden dormouse, which has been declared animal of the year in Germany in 2023. Your job will be to help determine where the garden dormouse is to be found in the area and in which number. You will: • Help check the tracing tunnels, which have been specifically installed in the forest and refill them with trace paper strips and charcoal paste. • Create special nesting boxes and install them in the forest. These will help monitor the garden dormouse and also increase their diversity in the area. In addition you will use other measuring methods to try and assess more accurately the habitat quality. The work will be led by a professional instructor, so no previous experience is needed. Expect manual work! You will work around 30 hours per week, somewhere between 8am to 4pm from Monday to Friday with a 1-2 hour lunchbreak.

🏠 Accommodation on site

You will be accommodated in the local primary school building in the centre of Kappel. At the time of your workcamp, the school will be closed for summer holidays. Some teachers might still pass by but otherwise, you will have the building for yourselves. Inside, there are sanitary facilities, a kitchen, a big common room and a few school classes where you will sleep on camp beds. Showers will be taken in the school gym right next door. Camp beds are provided, but please bring a sleeping bag. In the village, you will find a bakery and a supermarket; both can be reached by foot. Your group of volunteers will be responsible for grocery shopping and cooking together. The food will be bought with the camp budget and everybody will take turns for cooking, washing the dishes and cleaning. In order to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet, we encourage volunteers to reduce meat and try more sustainable dishes.

📍 About the location

Kappel-Grafenhausen is a small town of 5,100 inhabitants, composed of two parts; the one to the west is called Kappel and the one to the east Grafenhausen. The town is situated right at the border to France, next to the river Rhine and a nature park with beautiful landscape in which you will be working. In addition, you will be very close to the Black Forest, which is perfect for hiking trips. In your free time, you can also do some sightseeing and go visit the cities of Freiburg in Germany or Strasbourg in France, by using public transportation.

⚠️ Requirements

Volunteers should be able to ride a bike

ℹ️ Additional information

This project is great for anyone with an interest in nature preservation and biodiversity. By participating in this workcamp, you are actively supporting biodiversity (UN SDG 15) and combating climate change (SDG 13).

Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.