ESC European Green Belt Camp
Description: The dry grasslands of the so-called “Weinviertler Klippenzone” in the European Green Belt along the border between Austria and Czech Republic are habitat of a lot of different rare plants and animal species. To maintain these habitats and to avoid invasion of bushes into the grasslands it is necessary to establish regular management. Biotope maintenance like mowing or removing bushes or neophytes will be implemented on rupicolous or steppic grasslands in protected areas - situated amidst a beautiful wine-growing landscape. This helps to preserve rare species like the critically endangered Feather Grass (Stipa tirsa) or the butterfly Mountain Alcon Blue (Phengaris rebeli)
Type of Work: International and local volunteers will help mowing steep meadows and remove bushes from dry rocky grasslands that are threatened to be overgrown by bushes and trees. So they will contribute actively to preserve endangered species. Work will be physical (mowing, raking, cutting bushes) and will last for about 5 - 6 hours every day.
Study Theme: The participants will learn about plants and animals and about ecological problems in the area. Some ecological initiatives and protected areas along the Green Belt will be presented and possibilities of management of protected areas will be discussed. We will hear something about wine-production, visit an old castle-ruin and visit the former Iron Curtain.
Accommodation: During the workcamp we will change two different accommodations. Both accommodations will be very basic. First week we will sleep in tents, whereas second week we will have simple shared group accommodation. In the first week of the camp we will stay in Hart-Aschendorf during which we will sleep in the tents. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that you bring the tent with you as well as your own sleeping bag, sleeping mat and a pillow! During the second week we will stay at the campsite of Poysdorf (http://www.vinoversum.at/poysdorf/campingplatz/).
Requirements: Participants should be motivated for physical work and be ready to work outdoors (warm and weatherproof clothes and working-boots as well as sunscreen are strongly recommended!).
Approximate Location: Hart-Aschendorf and Poysdorf are both small villages located in the very northeast of Austria, close to the common border of Austria with the Czech Republic and Slovakia and close to the rivers Dyje and Morava, which form beautiful floodplains in the area. Brno (CZ) and Vienna (AT) are the closest bigger cities. Info in German: https://www.poysdorf.gv.at/Freizeit_Tourismus/Vino_Versum_Poysdorf_Tourismus/Tourismus
Notes: This project is founded by European Solidarity Corps. Therefore, we can cover all essential costs of the program (including food, travel costs up to a maximum amount per country, visa costs, accommodation, pocket money). The travel is reimbursed after tickets submissions. Naturschutzbund NÖ (Austrian League for Nature Conservation - Lower Austria) is an environmental NGO that supports and maintains protected areas in the region and that wants to contribute to conservation of species and ecosystems. The workcamp is organised together with the local municipalities Poysdorf, Staatz, Falkenstein, Drasenhofen, and Wildendürnbach. We work together with the management of the Natura 2000-Area that is supported by the administration of Lower Austria. http://www.noe-naturschutzbund.at/
Camp Photographs
