Florian was our camp leader last summer in the Bring Nature Back to Nellschütz nature conservation Workcamp. The project involved preparing a disused part of the gravel pit near Lützen in Saxony-Anhalt for the next generation of nature. It was the first Workcamp with our project partner and environmental educator Tanja Selentschik, who wants to work further on transforming this place into an environmental education place, meanwhile with the help of our second Workcamp this year!
Here, Florian tells you what this project was like, and about his experience of leading the camp:
The preparations
"My co-leader and I were put in touch with the project manager on site in good time. As I live not far from the camp site, I also had the opportunity to visit everything a few weeks before the camp started. There was also a video call with us as camp leaders, the local project partner, and the IBG coordinator to discuss important issues.
Considering that this was the first camp in Nellschütz, we were able to start off very well informed."
Arriving at the nature adventure camp
"As a welcome gift, all participants received a personal letter describing all the planned activities. The letter was written in the participants' respective national languages, which was very well received. Everyone got to know each other quickly during the first few days. We also played lots of games.
We were all accommodated together in a large pavilion with side walls, where we slept on simple camp beds. All participants had a sleeping bag, as was indicated in the information sheet. It was a bit cold at night, so we needed blankets in addition to our sleeping bags, which we were able to organize at short notice. As it rained and stormed very often, some beds got wet from time to time. The ground was sometimes very muddy, but this was unavoidable given the weather conditions we had to contend with during the camp.
In addition to the sleeping pavilion, we had a construction trailer at our disposal, which was equipped with two gas cookers and the most important kitchen utensils. There was no power connection, but we were able to charge power banks in Tanja's office every day. Drinking water and water for washing/rinsing was brought to us regularly. As a substitute for a refrigerator, we had a water barrel sunk into the ground. There was also another pavilion and several beer table sets, which we used for meals and other group activities. We had a portable toilet (Dixi toilet) at our disposal, which was professionally cleaned once a week. There were also two solar showers, which we usually attached to a tree.
Overall, as described in the info sheet, it was not luxurious, but we had everything we needed."
Camp Life
"Our first task was to straighten a circular path so that future visitors to the biotope could walk on it comfortably. This task took much less time than Tanja had planned. We also built a stone wall, removed neophytes that were harmful to the biotope, helped maintain a hedge, and created a small garden and a sandy area where yoga classes will be held in the future. As an additional task, we helped set up and take down the “Market of Opportunities” in Lützen, which was held for the first time. We also cooked a vegetable soup together, which we sold there. The proceeds from the sale were donated to IBG 😊
Tanja usually gave us a brief introduction to the tasks to be completed at the beginning of the day and then left us to work on our own. Sometimes the volunteers also worked on different tasks. For some tasks, more detailed instruction and guidance during implementation would have been helpful. We were very flexible in terms of working hours. We usually worked from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and in the afternoon from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sometimes we had to interrupt our work due to the weather. Nevertheless, we were able to complete all the tasks.
Our project manager Tanja was on site every day and supported us with everything we needed. (Drinking water, dishes, cleaning the portable toilet, warmer blankets, etc.) Whenever we reported a problem or needed something, she always took care of it immediately. During the camp, Tanja chatted with all the volunteers in English whenever she had the opportunity. She was also always available to talk to the volunteers. Once, she cooked her favorite dish (vegan beetroot dumplings) for us, which most of the group really enjoyed."
In our free time, we could go swimming in a nearby gravel pit lake whenever we wanted. For other leisure activities, which we planned based on the volunteers' interests, we had to rely on the minibus that was available to us. We visited the Lützen outdoor pool twice, with the entrance fee being covered by the Nellschütz gravel plant company on one occasion.
In addition to exploring nearby places, we also took trips to Weißenfels, where we visited the shoe museum and the local pub. We also spent an afternoon in Leipzig and then went to the “soirée polyglotte,” where the volunteers had the opportunity to converse in different languages. In Halle, we went to a renowned alternative techno club, visited a museum, and went on a kayak tour on the Saale River. On the penultimate day, we visited the “Rotkäppchen-Erlebniswelt” in Freyburg, followed by a sparkling wine tasting. On the way back, we stopped at the Goseck Solar Observatory, where we had a picnic. So we made effective use of our free time.
Since we occasionally received vegetable boxes and other items from the local project partner, we were able to pay for some entrance fees from the camp budget in addition to food, so that all volunteers could participate in the leisure activities."
Adiós, Goodbye & Wiedersehen
"Overall, the camp was a great experience that I would like to repeat. Since I live near the camp, I had some ideas for leisure activities that were well received by the group. It was challenging to pay attention to everyday necessities such as drinking water, the improvised refrigerator, charging the power banks, draining the tents when it rained, etc., in addition to the work tasks and the mood in the group. Fortunately, there were some very dedicated volunteers (especially Julie) who spontaneously helped with many things when they noticed that help was needed.
It was unfortunate that my co-leader spoke very little English. I ended up doing many things myself because it would have been too time-consuming to explain them to her. Although she often asked how she could help, I sometimes felt that most of the tasks had to be done by me. Despite the problems that arose from time to time, I had a very nice time overall, which I look back on fondly.
On the last day of the camp, we had a barbecue party, which was also attended by many locals who came to celebrate with us and admire the results of our work. It was a very successful end to our camp."
(Florian, camp leader)
Would you like to read more stories from Workamps? Here you can find all the reports from our volunteers.