Let's Take Action for Climate Protection – Lend a Hand for Forests and Peatlands

Join international Workcamps and become active in climate protection!

Since 2022, IBG increasingly engages in climate protection through forest and peatland projects. With our trainings, seminars, and Workcamps we strive to encourage young people from all over the world to become active in climate protection themselves.

And so they have: Already in 2022, international volunteer groups helped protecting the Capercaillie population in middle Black Forest by restoring and treating their habitat; created a nature path around Mainz; maintained a mountain pasture for young cattle in Bavaria; and cared for the Fichtelwald’s peatland and the Swabian Alp’s forest.

In the following years we focused more deeply on creating a sustainable world, particularly with regard to our most central work aspects: travel, nutrition, promotion, and interculturality. This is why people at IBG are as much engaged with the economic and social interrelations of climate- and nature protection.

Since 2025 we are happy to share our visions and experience across Europe with our partners from COCAT in Catalonia and Compagnons Bâtisseurs in Belgium. Our joint project ‘Green Horizons’, funded in part by Erasmus+, will improve facilitation of international volunteerism in nature protection and involve environmental competence of young people in international projects.

How are forests and peatlands connected to our climate?

While until a few years ago, German forests were able to absorb up to 6% of the country’s annual carbon emissions, the bark beetle outbreak in many regions make it hard for the trees to survive and cuts the CO₂ absorption down to a third. By supporting projects that aim to revive and sustainably manage our forests we are helping to tackle several problems of the current climate crisis. Read more about why forests are essential to life here.

Peatlands are able to bind twice as much CO₂ as forests. Due to the century long practice of draining them, not only climate protection but also many rare animal and plant species are in danger. Learn more about peatlands and rewetting efforts in our camps here.

You are essential to our work!

No matter if or how long you’ve been active with IBG – you can hop on any time. Volunteers support our work by becoming camp- and seminar participants, camp leaders, interns, and prospective ‘eco messengers’ (experts who enrich our activities with their knowledge).

Even tiny steps helps climate and nature to keep a balance: join our endeavors in rewetting the peatlands in the Hunsrück Hochwald National Park, maintaining mountain pastures, protecting animals in the Black Forest, and supporting biodiversity in the Swabian Mostviertel region.

Especially this year, the United Nations acknowledge the work of volunteers for a sustainable Europe by acclaiming it as IVY, the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. IBG is joining the arena adding to the campaign and accelerating the success for the Agenda 2030 for the following goals:

Stay tuned for events, workshops and social media about IBG during IVY!

Do you see yourself picking up the UN themed IVY and create something with us? Either during a seminar, your internship or in a workshop? If you have ideas, plans or questions get in touch with Lisa: projekte@ibg-workcamps.org

You can also get active in climate- and nature protection abroad. With our partner organizations you could join cleanups at the beaches of Denmark, Italy, and Iceland; reforestation projects in Mongolia; and refine your skills on ecological farms. Read here all about our Workcamps in nature- and climate protection projects.

News and current projects

Earth Overshoot Day 2025

July 24th is "Earth Overshoot Day" - the day of the year on which we used up all the ecological resources of the year. Earth Overshoot Day means that whatever resources we use after that day is beyond what our Earth can regenerate that year. Actually, this day should therefore of course be at the end of a respective year or later. According to the calculations of the Global Footprint...

Why are Meadow Orchards essential for nature conservation?

This year, for the second time in a row, one of our fall Workcamps supported Naturpark Schwäbisch-Fränkischer Wald (Nature Park Swabian-Franconian Forest) in harvesting the last fruit from an orchard with over 100 different tree species. Working in agriculture is a great task for a group of international volunteers who are motivated and interested in such project – but why do we engage...

Why are bogs important for climate protection?

Environmental protection in peatlands and bogs The landscape of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park is characterized by huge forests, steep hills, small streams and ponds, rocks and swamps. A perfect home for many rare animal and plant species, but also a great area for hiking. The national park was founded in 2015 and is home not only to wolves, moufflons and the rare wildcats, but...

Earth Day 2024

The international Earth Day takes place on April 22nd. Earth Day has been celebrated at the end of April for 51 years. Protecting the environment is important every day of the year. But April 22 is used as a day of action to specifically point out a more environmentally conscious and sustainable way of life. This year, the campaigns under the motto "Water for Peace" are about how water...

How to travel more sustainably

Within our network, the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations, more than 20'000 volunteers travel to international Workcamps around the world every year. This exchange often has many positive effects on the volunteers as well as the local communities and organizations which are involved in organizing the projects.At the same time, participating in an international...

International Forest Day - how you can get active

Rainforest, coniferous or mixed forests - around 30% of the land area on our earth is covered by forests. But this area is getting smaller and smaller. Every year we lose 10 million hectares of forest worldwide - an area about the size of Iceland. Forests are crucial for our health and for climate protection. Forests provide us with a variety of raw materials that we use in paper, wood...

How can we protect the forest?

What do we need the forest for? What do you think of when you think of the forest? Fresh air, relaxation, cross-country skiing and relaxing walks? Germany is one of the most densely forested countries in Europe. Forests are a special place for relaxation and leisure for many of us. And of course habitat for many animal and plant species. But only a fraction of the forest area in Germany...

What Does Climate Protection Have To Do With Social Justice?

February 20th is the World Day of Social Justice. The aim of this day is to draw attention to inequality and to work for a diverse society in which there are fairly distributed opportunities, living conditions and respect for everyone. Poverty, exclusion, discrimination or racism are just a few examples of how differently the chances of a healthy and happy life are distributed. "Ok,"...

World Wetland Day

On February 2, 1971, the international Convention on Wetlands was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar. As of 1997, February 2nd is therefore an official international day of the United Nations as World Wetlands Day. The World Wetlands Day aims to raise global awareness of the vital role wetlands play for the earth and for us humans. This year's campaign focuses on wetlands and human...

Workshop concept: 'Plastic in everyday life and in nature'

Would you like to work on and discuss about the topic of plastic (waste) in your Workcamp? Maike is studying environmental education and, as part of her final thesis, dealt with the topic of environmental education in international groups. She created a workshop concept on the subject 'Plastic in everyday life and in nature' and shared it with IBG. Workshop goals The aims of the...

German Overshoot Day 2023

May 4th is "German Overshoot Day" - the day of the year on which we used up all the ecological resources of the year. Earth Overshoot Day means that whatever resources we use after that day is beyond what our Earth can regenerate that year. Actually, this day should therefore of course be at the end of a respective year or later. According to the calculations of the Global Footprint...

Sustainable Food - Tools & Methods

What does our diet have to do with the climate? The Erasmus+ training 'Europe à Table' in June this year dealt with the topic of food and climate. Felix joined the training in France for IBG. You can find his full report here.During the training, the group dealt with the current system of food production, global injustices in the distribution of food, markets and healthy and sustainable...

7 Reasons to Eat Less Meat

If you've been to our trainings or seminars, you may have noticed that food at IBG events is mostly vegan. You wonder why? Here are 7 reasons why we want to consume less meat: 1. Deforestation of the rainforest Our diet has a greater impact on the global climate than you might think. In South America alone, 40 percent of the rainforest was cleared for pasture land and growing animal...

IBG Green Box - Toolbox

Are you still looking for games, methods and activities related to nature conservation for your workcamp? Maike is studying environmental education and has created a toolbox with various environmental education methods with us over the past few months during her practical semester. Whether it's an icebreaker, energizer, excursion idea or DIY workshop - you'll find plenty of ideas and...

Why is biodiversity important?

If you are interested in environmental action and climate protection, you have probably come across the term 'biodiversity' before. Biodiversity means, on the one hand, species diversity, i.e. the diversity of plant and animal species. But also that there is genetic diversity within a species. A third aspect is biologically diverse habitats, i.e. different ecosystems, such as forests,...

Why we are committed to protecting capercaillie in the Black Forest

Have you ever seen a capercaillie in the wild? Probably not, because the big bird, the largest gallinaceous bird in Europe, is not only very shy, but also threatened with extinction in Germany and Central Europe. The natural habitat of birds has become smaller and smaller in recent years. Nature conservationists try to breed them and release them into the wild, but numbers of the...