Area: North Western US

"Resident volunteers" have been a Godsend to our non-profit working ranch serving children and animals on our 15 acre ranch. When we lost our site development funding the day after 9-11, we thought the ranch would go under. But the children who had been coming to the ranch during after school programs and summer camps refused to let that happen. They gave up their fun time on the ranch riding horses and driving go-carts to work every minute they could to keep the ranch going. They hand dug fence posts, built shelters for the animals and did whatever was needed. In as much as they loved the ranch, they missed their fun times on the ranch until we got our first "resident volunteer" The ranch has continually progressed forward thanks to some wonderful help from around the world. When a new resident volunteer arrives here on the ranch, I warn them to get their feet well planted on the ground because they will be knocked over with kids running to hug and greet them. The kids are so very grateful for all who have come and who have left them with wonderful memories as well as fences, buildings, repairs, etc. The kids are fascinated by the different stories resident volunteers bring from around the world and they love listening to the different accents. Resident volunteers who come here work hard but go away knowing they made a difference in the lives of children, animals we care for and in our environment. Your help is considered to be a great gift to all of us and has given more free time to the children so they can go back to riding horses, go-carts, and doing the other wonderful things this ranch was built to provide. However, you will also find the kids to be a great help on the ranch as well because they believe in the ranch and in themselves. They know they have, can and always will make a difference. If you are looking for a worthwhile experience and enjoy children and animals, this is the place to come.

Area: Languedoc Roussillon

After moving to the South of France in 2008 Chris and I finally found our dream property! But it needs a lot of work! Chris is a cabinet maker/joiner. He is very good humoured and patient. He is a keen cyclist and in the summer of 2010 took part in the Etape de Tour, which involved over 180km of hard cycling up some of the toughest mountains in the Pyrenees. I (Emma) am a wine lecturer! I teach both professionals and enthusiast amateurs to all different levels of wine knowledge. I am also a keen cook and specialise in wine and food pairing, particularly of the wines and foods of the Languedoc Roussillon. I do my best to keep up with Chris on the bike, but so far have found the only way to do that is by being on the back of a tandem!! We have a great mix of friends of all ages, nationalities and creativities. Life in le sud is both social and peaceful.

Area: Ariège Pyrénées

We are a family of 5 with 3 daughters age 8, 11 and 13. We live in a very beautiful and wild area in the Couserans in the Ariege. Our house is a the end of a small road with beautiful views over mountains. We currently have a small gite next to our house and are in the process of finishing renovating a barn to also rent out to tourists. I am a photographer and organise photo workshops /trekking for young people in schools and local organisations. John occasionally gives trainings on intercultural communication in other parts of France and abroad. We have lived and travelled abroad and are used to meeting people from other cultures and all walks of life. We like meeting new people and getting to know them, and so do our children who are used to engage with guests staying in our gite.

Area: Central Bulgaria

Urgent Help Needed! Our pregnant rabbit has arrived, we need to finish building the rabbit's hutch/pen with separated areas. We have 2 piglets arriving at the beginning of April...we're half way through building the pig sty! We have day old baby chicks arriving early in April & also some 1 month old chooks (luckily, we have an existing hen house, but the chicks need constant attention with food/water/poop scooping!) We're planting seeds like crazy & trying to prep everything, spring is most definitely springing!! May/June; We're going to replace the main house roof & also the main house roof of Darren's brother's holiday home over the road...obviously this is an all hands on deck job, so if you have any experience, great, if not...still great, there's plenty else to do. After that, over the summer we intend to box in the staircase so that when it's -15 in winter I don't have to go outside to get to my bed!! It seemed quaint when we moved in, but having to put my wellys on after a bath to go to bed doesn't seem quaint anymore! So...if you fancy a laugh for a week (or 2 if you can manage the craziness) you're very welcome to come & join in. There's plenty space to pitch a tent weather permitting & there's an outdoor loo, or we can put you on the bed settee indoors if it's cold/wet. We can BBQ, or cook something up between us. We're happy to feed you & provide our meager accommodation in return for a bit of help around the place. We certainly don't do 10 hour labour intensive days & are quite social creatures with other English speakers in neighbouring villages that you'd be welcome to join in or not, whatever you wish. Sense of humour is a must & if you're at all interested in martial arts Darren would love to take you along to a local 'sambo' Russian based martial art class, or to teach you basic self defense, or you can put your feet up & watch the sunset with a beer like Mel does! If you like to fish, we try to go regularly & take a BBQ along for grilled fish later. We often break open the home brew vino & play cards in the evenings. Wi-Fi is available in the house & in the garden for you to use as you please. We have 2 very friendly cats so any allergies would be difficult. We don't smoke but you're welcome to do so outside. If you know anything about solar power/wind turbines we'd love to hear from you & learn all about it before trying to get 'off the grid'. Happy Travelling... Update Spring 2013: We've rescued a gorgeous puppy that escaped from a neighbour's house, she was 6 kg when we found her hiding in our cabbage patch late on last year, now she's 17 kg! She's super friendly & we call her Molly. Update Summer 2012: We have a fully operational solar shower & are currently working on a solar dehydrator to do sun dried tomatoes etc. The mud-brick wall is progressing nicely as is the stash of home made vino! Update Spring 2012: We're gradually coming out of hibernation & have started planting like crazy. We now have a poly-tunnel that is amazing at growing weeds & not a lot else so far! Daz's brother, Martin bought a house over the road so we have an extra garden to tend...which we intend to keep pigs in! Our chooks are all doing well, the 2 teeny chicks grew up huge, much bigger than the others so we figure that the early months are vital to size & are encouraging our cockerel to get down to business, the incubator & nursery are built, ready! Update Summer 2011: We got another 9 chickens, quite young, & 2 teeny chicks :o) Update Spring 2011: We are now proud owners of 3 chickens and a cockerel!! Hoorah! They are laying eggs regularly which is really rather exciting :o) We are hoping to get more in the coming weeks now the weather is better....bring on the summer!! A bit about us; We are an English couple who moved here in 2009 for a slower lifestyle. Darren was a landscape gardener in the UK & an avid martial arts fan who taught various styles of martial arts & also arranged competitions. Mel was a shopkeeper in the UK & operated a strict fitness programme of walking to the pub & back regularly with mates! It's so very different here, we were digging & creating veggie plots, coppicing our many fruit trees & trying our hand at building mudbrick walls instead of Daz laying patios! Life here goes at about 5 miles per hour, as opposed to 80 mph in the UK, everyone is so laid back and it feels very much 1970's England we think. Anyhoo, now we're at the point where we're tending 4 large veg plots and a greehouse full of seedlings whilst trying to re-build our perimeter walls, help our friends tend an organic garlic field, oh and there's a huge barn that we took the roof off that needs demolishing & re-built as well as a bungalow on the next door plot to also demolish & re-build. We have a real kitchen now & we also have a working indoor bathroom with hot water & everything!!

Area: Cherven 40kms south of Rousse

I live on an acre of land on the outskirts of the historic village of Cherven in North East Bulgaria, 40 km south of Rousse. Cherven is situated in the Russenski Lom National Park. I am slowly bringing this old property back to life and welcome workawayers to come and stay and help shape this ongoing project. I am a yoga teacher with a passion for gardening and spending lots of time out in nature... which is easy to do here :) I have a large organic garden and many fruit trees