The project
The project is organized by the Municipality of Schiffweiler and the District of Neunkirchen in cooperation with organizations active in the field of nature conservation and inclusion. The project is located on an agricultural hill near the village of Schiffweiler. In 2009, an international project created various stations along the nature trail on the Strietberg. Today, the trail includes many stations where environmental and nature themes are conveyed to people of all ages in a lively and tangible way. Various information and display boards complement the offerings and deepen knowledge about nature and the environment. In the new project, the trail is being designed and expanded with the help of international and local young volunteers. The new stations will focus on inclusivity, ensuring the trail is as accessible and enjoyable as possible for everyone. Plans include creating interactive sensory experiences and redesigning various existing stations to make them barrier-free. This project is much more than just the daily work. An essential part of the experience is the connection with local youth. This includes cultural exchange and joint activities, learning from each other's lifestyles and perspectives, lots of teamwork, conversations, and fun moments.
Volunteer work
The main goal of the project is to make an environmental education trail accessible to people with various disabilities – physical, sensory, or cognitive. This educational trail was originally constructed in 2009 by an international group of volunteers. Local volunteers subsequently continued the work, and now it is time to take the next step together. The work involves improving the accessibility of the existing environmental education trail, expanding the trail with new stations, and creating interactive and sensory experiences that appeal to various senses.
Accommodation
You will be staying in the sports and community hall in a neighborhood of the municipality of Stennweiler. There is ample space, a kitchen, showers, and toilets available. Camping beds are provided, but you must bring your own sleeping bag. The entire group does the grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning together. Food is purchased using the participation budget. To reduce the ecological footprint, we encourage volunteers to eat less meat and choose more environmentally friendly meals.
Leisure
Schiffweiler is a municipality in southwestern Germany (state of Saarland). The municipality has supermarkets, various shops, and a skate park. Nature lovers will find hills, meadows, and forests in the surrounding area. Young residents are happy to show you their favorite spots and activities. You can go on excursions and visit local festivals. The nearest major city, Neunkirchen, can be reached by bus in 20 minutes. Saarbrücken, the capital of Saarland, can also be reached by train in about 20 minutes.
Travel
Ottweiler (Saar) train station is the meeting point. There are direct connections from Saarbrücken, Frankfurt, and Mainz to Ottweiler. You will be picked up there by the project partner.
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.
Cost
IBO asks €50 registration fee. In addition, you pay a participation fee of €189 for this project. You can also become an IBO-supporter, then you do not pay a registration fee.
Would you like to know more about how your contribution is made and how it is spent? Read about the costs for participation.
Register
Register as a volunteer at IBO here.