Would you like to make an important contribution to the conservation of moors and heaths and their animals and plants? Then this workcamp in the beautiful countryside of northern Germany between Bremen and Hamburg is the right place for you.
With your workcamp group you will work in six protected areas. In the fauna-flora habitat (FFH - protected habitat of animals and plants according to EU law) and nature reserve (NSG) "Bullensee und Hemelsmoor", you will decussate pines and birches (remove non-native plants) in order to create a habitat for endangered and moor-relevant plant species such as Bult peat moss, cranberry and smooth snake. In the landscape conservation area (LSG) "Stellingsmoor", your group will clear sensitive bog areas to preserve bog development and habitat for the protected smooth snake. In addition, you will protect rare and endangered plant species such as orchids, thyme or lung gentian by partially raking out matted vegetation. In the “Swatte Flag” nature reserve (NSG) you will remove young willows to preserve an important spawning ground for the moor frog.
In the fauna-flora habitat (FFH - habitat of animals and plants protected under EU law) and nature reserve (NSG) "Bullensee und Hemelsmoor", you will remove sawn-off trees from former peat cutting areas to create habitats for endangered and moor-relevant plant species such as bult peat moss, cranberry and smooth snake. In the "Elmer Berg" nature reserve, you will remove young pine trees from the heathland in order to optimize the heathland and improve the habitat of the sand lizard. You will also protect rare and endangered plant species in the "Wolfsgrund" and "Esseler Moor" nature reserves by partially raking out matted vegetation. In the "Stellingsmoor" nature reserve, your group will clear sensitive moor areas in order to preserve moor development and the habitat for the protected smooth snake.
All activities are professionally supervised by the staff and volunteers of the NABU Ecological Station Oste-Region. In addition to the practical work, you will learn a lot about nature conservation and environmental protection in general as well as the natural habitat of moors and heaths and their protection in particular from the staff and volunteers. You will learn a lot about the local flora and fauna, their relevance for the ecosystem and the various measures to protect them.
Cooperation partners for this workcamp are the European Union-funded Integrated LIFE Project "Atlantic Sand Landscapes" (Project Team Lower Saxony in the Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN)), the Rotenburg Office for Nature Conservation and Landscape Management and NABU Bremervoerde-Zeven.
Accomodation and food
You will stay in the Badenstedt school hostel, a self-catering house with 4 and 6-bed rooms in the middle of nature. The house has a large kitchen, toilets, communal showers and two common rooms for eating and group activities.
You cook together. Money for shopping will be provided. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please indicate any intolerances when registering.
Location and leisure
In your leisure time, you can enjoy your quiet accommodation and the beautiful surroundings by playing sports and spending evenings together around the campfire.
There is a table football in the house and outside there is a goal wall, a basketball hoop, a table tennis table, a football pitch with two goals, a barbecue and a campfire area with seating.
After work,you can also take the hourly bus to the neighbouring town of Zeven within 10 minutes.
At the weekend trips to Bremen and Hamburg are worthwhile.
Project hosted by
Ecological NABU Station Oste-Region (German: Ökologischen NABU-Station Oste-Region)
The Ecological NABU- Station Oste Region is an institution of NABU Lower Saxony. The station provides local support to the Rotenburg and Stade districts in their management of protected areas. Its core tasks are primarily the recording of animal and plant species, the initiation, planning, implementation and success monitoring of maintenance and development measures, as well as the planning and implementation of species protection measures.
The station not only works closely with the nature conservation authorities, but also with the Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) to coordinate and initiate necessary measures.
LIFE-Project "Atlantic Sand Landscapes" (Project Team Lower Saxony in the Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN)) (German: LIFE-Projekt „Atlantische Sandlandschaften“ (Projektteam Niedersachsen im Niedersächsische Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz (NLWKN)))
The LIFE Project "Atlantic Sand Landscapes" is the first LIFE Project in the field of "Nature" of the European Union in Germany. With this transnational project, the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony aim to contribute to reversing the trend in the loss of biodiversity and valuable natural areas. The habitats and their animal and plant species are to be either brought into a favourable conservation status or at least a significant improvement in their status is to be achieved.
Directions to meeting point
Meeting point and time: at accommodation until 6:15pm on 21/09/2024
Directions to Meeting Point:
From Hamburg airport (travel time to workcamp 2,5 to 3,5h)
From Hamburg airport take S-Bahn S1 (direction Wedel or Hamburg-Blankenese) to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Hamburg main train station, about 24 min travel time). The S1 is running every 10min.
From Hamburg main station (travel time to workcamp 1,5 to 2h)
At Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Hamburg main train station) you have two options: you can take (at least at 3:15pm) the train ME RE4 in direction Bremen Hbf and get off at last station Bremen Hbf (travel time 69min). You can also take (at least at 3:45pm) the ICE or IC to Köln (Cologne) and get off at the station Bremen Hbf (travel time 54-56min).
From Bremen airport please take the tram line 6 (direction "Universität") to the stop Bremen Hbf (main station) ((travel time 16min).
From Bremen Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) (main train station)
At Bremen Hbf (main station) take the bus 630 in the direction “Bahnhof Süd, Zeven” and leave the bus at the station “Bademühlen Großes Holz” in Badenstedt (Zeven) after 65min.
From bus station “Bademühlen Großes Holz”
After leaving the bus, walk 200m in the opposite direction of travel along the road. On the other side of the road is a red brick building, your accommodation, the Schullandheim Badenstedt.
More Information about train and bus connections: www.bahn.com.
Additional comments
Please note: There is a special Teenage Fee of 150€ for international volunteers who applied under 18 in this camp
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Project name: Animal and plant protection in northern German moor and heathland areas