Restore Peatlands Morbach

CODE: IBG 14

PROJECT: Stiftung Natur und Umwelt Rheinland-Pfalz is a foundation dedicated to sustainable development. Their efforts include restoring peatlands but also concerns biodiverse meadows, reintegration of lynx, protection of field hamsters and rare butterflies, and sustaining old tree populations. This camp supports the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development by the United Nations and highlights our contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals defined for Climate Action (13) and Life on Land (15).
WORK: Support climate protection and biodiversity by protecting the peatlands on the slopes of the lower mountain range “Hunsrück”. These areas were drained more than 100 years ago for forestry use and thereby lost their important ecological role as valuable and natural CO2 storage. Today, the revitalisation of these peatlands has become an essential task in climate protection, for which we need your help! The work is expected to take place in two different Hunsrück peatland areas: A forest near the tiny village of Hochscheid and an area of open moorland near Morbach. Under supervision of a park ranger, your work includes: help improving the water balance to renature the moors and strengthen them for climate change closing ditches to control the water flow making the area more accessible for environmental education projects

Beware: The work might be physically hard and you will get wet and muddy for sure! Please bring hiking boots, rubber boots, and working clothes.
ACCOMMODATION: You stay in a spacious community center that includes a huge kitchen with a dishwasher, a living room, toilets, showers, a washing machine, and WIFI. There is one big sleeping room with camping beds. Please bring your sleeping bag! The entire group does grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning together. Food will be bought with the camp budget. To minimize our carbon footprint on the planet, we encourage volunteers to reduce meat and try more environmentally friendly meals.

LOCATION: You are located in Deuselbach in Rhineland-Palatinate, a small village with 260 inhabitants and a pub. Locals are very interested to welcome you, many parties and events will happen. Thalfang (4km away) offers shops and a public pool. The next big city is Trier (40 km), the oldest in Germany, with many Roman sights, a huge cathedral, and plenty of things to do.

TRAVEL INFORMATION: Please inform your camp leader about your arrival time by September 6th so they can pick you up:
MEETING POINT: Bus stop “Hunsrückhaus/Erbeskopf, Hilscheid” (Coordinates: 49.73736896368622, 7.083137666311311)
NEXT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Frankfurt (FRA), Luxembourg (LUX), Cologne Bonn
(CGN)
NEXT INTERNATIONAL BUS STOP: Mainz, Saarbrucken,Trier

Check for connections from anywhere to Deuselbach on www.bahn.com, there are regular busses to Deuselbach from the train stations of Idar-Oberstein, Trier and Neubrücke(Nahe).
FURTHER INFO: Please be aware that ticks can be an issue after spending a lot of time outdoors. In our General Info Sheet you will find suggestions on how you can protect yourself against them. Consider to check whether a vaccination against the tick-borne disease TBE makes sense and is possible in your home country.