The Landlabor e.V. association deals with rural areas in various ways. After initial documentary projects, the association has been working on the revitalization of the Old Post Office in Greiffenberg, a half-timbered house that is over 300 years old. Through various cultural events such as movie nights, concerts and open meetings, the house is to become a public place for the people of Greiffenberg again. The topic of "building" plays a major role in regular meetings and workshops in the house. Last year, part of the old half-timbering was restored together with the carpenter and "house saver" Mats Ciupka. The planned construction project for 2025 is the restoration of a small historic outbuilding, including the dismantling of recent structural changes. A small accommodation for future volunteer construction workers is to be created. If you would like to help, please register for this project. You will learn a lot about ecological construction and the use of natural building materials: For example, about historical interior insulation and about clay and lime mortar (slaked lime), which you will make yourself and learn more about its advantages. This is used to repair brick walls. You can learn more about roof beam doubling and wood connections from a carpenter. There is also an extensive tour of the 300-year-old half-timbered house of the Old Post Office, where the restored half-timbered part will also be inspected.
Volunteer work
In addition to demolition work and the exposure of walls, carpentry work is also on the agenda, as well as gutting and masonry work with natural building materials (including grouting).
Accommodation
Mattresses with blankets and pillows are provided and gender-segregated accommodation is possible. Volunteers help with cooking and vegetarian or vegan meals are available. A washing machine and WiFi are available. Volunteers are asked to bring work clothes, safety shoes, fitted sheets and bed linen.
Leisure
After work, you can relax by the lake in the neighboring village or spend time in the large wild garden behind the post office with a bar and a hut by the pond. Barbecue evenings with fire bowl and a visit to the local moor nature trail or the Dutch mill can be organized. There is a lake in the neighboring village, you can play a boules game or pay a visit to the NABU center on request and possibly the observatory.
Travel
The volunteers will be picked up at Angermünde train station, meeting point is at 4:30 p.m. at the main entrance.
You arrange the travel to your project yourself. IBO asks all volunteers to travel in the most sustainable way possible, so preferably by train or bus. What you at least can do, is compensate your CO2 emissions. You can find more information about this on the website of Milieu Centraal. You can also compensate your emissions via IBO, by donating to our partner’s tree planting project in Uganda. You can read more about that here.
Preparation
IBO offers a good preparation for your volunteering work abroad.You will receive a digital information package and an invitation to a preparation meeting. Read more about the proces from departure until return.
Costs
For this project you pay €50 registration fee and €89 participation fee. If you become an IBO-supporter, you don't have to pay the registration fee.
This includes accommodation and meals, local transport, an information pack and (online) preparation meeting. Excluding travel, insurance and any outings.
Register
Go to register to enroll in this project.