Protect Our Beaches: Waves of Change

CODE: LEG04

Work:

Throughout the camp, beach surveillance and monitoring will be a core activity, aimed at discouraging littering and promoting respectful behavior among tourists. Volunteers will be present on the beaches to engage directly with visitors, offering guidance and gentle reminders on how to manage waste responsibly.
In parallel, environmental awareness initiatives will be carried out through the distribution of informative materials specifically designed for beachgoers, helping to explain the importance of waste reduction, recycling, and environmental protection in a clear and accessible way.
Another fundamental activity will be the clean-up of coastal areas, with particular attention paid to proper waste separation and recycling, in order to reduce pollution and protect the natural landscape.
Daily life during the camp will be organized collaboratively to encourage a sense of shared responsibility. Participants will take turns preparing meals, working in small teams, and each group will also be in charge of maintaining the common areas of the accommodation, ensuring they are kept clean and orderly, especially after meals.

Accommodation and food

The volunteer camp will be hosted in a cozy three-story villa located just a few steps from the lake. The house features a fully equipped kitchen and a dining room, designed as shared spaces where volunteers can enjoy meals together and spend moments of conviviality and laughter. Bedrooms and bathrooms are shared, embracing the true spirit of community life. Outside, a large garden provides the perfect setting to relax, organize activities, or simply enjoy the sunset. The villa is situated in a quiet area of Onno, close to the village church and the library, making it an ideal location for getting around on foot and for easily reaching the lakefront. There are a couple of bars and restaurant with typical food of the area.
Meals will be vegetarian, featuring plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables and, whenever possible, locally sourced ingredients.

Location and leisure

The camp will take place in a charming little town called Oliveto Lario, overlooking the western shore of the Lecco branch of Lake Como. This area, framed by the waters of the lake and the lower slopes of the Grigne mountains, consists of three different hamlets: Onno, Vassena, and Limonta. The camp will mainly take place in Onno, a quiet and welcoming village with small beaches, stone alleys, and an atmosphere that still retains the charm of the lakeside communities of yesteryear. During your free time, you will have the opportunity to relax on the lake beaches and go trekking along the numerous trails in Onno. In addition, the municipal administration with which Legambiente Lecco collaborates is available to organize small guided tours of the village, allowing participants to discover the most authentic and hidden gems of the area directly through the stories of the residents.

Project hosted by

To convey its values, Legambiente Lecco Onlus participates every year in Legambiente's national campaigns, such as Goletta dei Laghi (Lake Schooner) and Carovana dei Ghiacciai (Glacier Caravan). The association also manages an Eco-Hostel on the top of Monte Barro working with international volunteers; it runs a Piedibus project for the city of Lecco, organizes European projects and international and national volunteer camps, carries out environmental education activities in schools, offers summer camps for children, teenagers, and seniors, and provides training courses, workshops, and sustainability experiences. In particular, in the municipality of Valbrona, a little town bordering Oliveto Lario, Legambiente Lecco runs an amphibian rescue campaign every spring, specifically for the common toad Bufo Bufo, involving hundreds of local volunteers.

Directions to meeting point

Since you have chosen to take part in a project focused on environmental sustainability, we kindly ask you—if possible—to choose a low-impact means of transportation to reach us. While flying may seem like a very convenient option if you are coming from far away, its environmental impact in terms of emissions is significantly high.
1) From Malpensa Airport: take a shuttle bus ("Malpensa Shuttle Air Pullman" or "Malpensa Bus Express") to reach the train station Milano Centrale. There's a shuttle bus every 20 minutes.
1b) From the train station Milano Centrale take the train in the direction of Lecco. Please notice that the train will be indicated with the name of the final destination that usually is Sondrio or Tirano.
2) From Linate Airport: take a shuttle bus ("Star Fly") to reach the train station Milano Centrale. There's a shuttle bus every 30 minutes. From Milano Centrale follow point 1b.
3) From Orio al Serio Airport:
Use the bus service from the airport to Bergamo train station. From there, take the train to Lecco: departure every hour, journey takes 35 minutes.
4) From train station Milano Porta Garibaldi:
take the train in the direction of Lecco -Via Carnate (try to avoid taking the train direction Lecco - Via Molteno because it will take you much more time and it’s more expensive).
Upon arrival in Lecco, consult the summer timetable for the D110 Lecco-Bellagio bus line and get off at the Onno Scuole stop. From there, you can easily walk to Chiesa di San Pietro Martire, where we will be waiting for you with a yellow flag with a green swan.

Additional comments

Good attitude towards tourists and beachgoers. This camp will also host a group of Italian volunteers, so a basic level of Italian will be necessary in order to communicate with the rest of the group.