Watermill - Tales from the Green Valley (Mörz near Koblenz)
Description: The Reifenmill, a running, power generating, watermill, is located in a steep valley of the hilly Hunsrueck region in south-western Germany. Surrounded by forests the next rural village is 3 km away, another little town about 10 km. The Mill is off-grid, water is sourced from a small spring, electricity is produced with the waterwheel, food is coming mostly from the garden and there are chicken, rabbits, honey-bees and a fishpond. The remote and historic place is looked after by two brothers, experimenting in ways and techniques of modern and old sustainable living. The aim is to practice holistic living, establish a permaculture garden; above all maintain and preserve the historical waterpower-system, raise small stock animals, sustain the woodland and meadow with scattered fruit trees.
Type of Work: - Management and maintenance of the green valley, the millers-creek, fish pond, meadows and woodland, especially repair of the creeks embankments (manual labor with rocks and boulders in the water!)
- General garden/farm work, building raised beds, fencing, planting
- Looking after the animals, fishing
- Wood Work, Handicrafts, constructing small shelters, repair paddocks
- Mapping out the local ecosystems, characterizing different plants and animals.
Study Theme: - Eco- agriculture, aquaculture, permaculture, gardening, raising small scale farm animals
- Learning to cook (regional) dishes with products from the farm
- Renewable Energy (water power), climate protection
- Habitat and species protection, geology, exploration of flora and fauna
- history of the place and region
Accommodation: In medium sized tents or bring your own. Simple sanitary conditions with solar heated outdoor shower and compost toilet. Cooking is done in a covered open-air kitchen and open fire cooking on rocket stove/smoker/bonfire. Organic veggies from the garden, some eggs from the chicken, carp from the pond, little to no other meat. Please bring outdoor clothes, good shoes/boots, a warm sleeping bag and thick ground pad and be prepared for cold nights in the valley. There is WiFi on the property if the old telephone line is not cut off by fallen trees.
Language: Camp language is English. It´s likely you will have a bit of contact with the villagers in Mörz, so there will be the possibility to speak a little German.
Requirements: Readiness to do physical work 6 hours daily, ability to adapt to very basic conditions (bucket toilet, outside showers). Enjoying farming work with all its many and varied challenges and possibilities. Curiosity to learn, try and develop new skills. Mindfulness, team-spirit and self-initiative desired. Bring working clothes and boots that can get wet.
Approximate Location: Trips to the rivers Mosel and Rhine are possible within an hour from Kastellaun, lot's of history, castles, the biggest wine-growing region in Germany. The next real city is Koblenz (1,5 hours by bus). The longest rope-suspension bridge north of the alps is just a 3 hour hike. From 07/31 to 08/02 the biggest outdoor Techno/Rave Festival in Europe is celebrated in Kastellaun (https://www.nature-one.de/en/). At the same time another open-air music festival is held nearby, this one features more Blues/Rock/Folk, the location is close to Hahn airport (https://www.lott-festival.de/).
Notes: Covid19: We organize our workcamps according to the regulations at the time of the workcamp. We will inform you about this in the Infosheet and by email. Please mind the vaccination and testing regulations for entering Germany: https://t1p.de/at82o
Please kindly note that there is an additional incoming fee of 50 € for all volunteers applying through Partner organisations or Contacts of the SCI network. This will cover international insurance costs of the volunteer and administration costs of SCI International. For volunteers coming from countries with SCI Branches and Groups there is no additional incoming fee. You can check the status of your local sending organisation here: https://rb.gy/fveuew. If this fee exceeds your financial ability, please make a comment in your application.