Help develop our farm into a private protected area in Veraguas, Panama

Informationen

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  Beschreibung

  We own a small piece of land in Veraguas, Panama, close to Santa Catalina - a popular surf beach visited by large numbers of tourists.
  
  Our goal is to restore our property into a private protected area with an ecosystem that can support the diverse plant, fungus, insect and animal species and to offer jungle stays to paying visitors.
  
  The farm is currently almost self sufficient in producing enough food to support the household and part of the ecosystem, with the excess being shared with the wild inhabitants of the forest.
  
  Part of the farm is tropical rain forest with water streams and the areas previously used for cattle grazing are being reforested with indigenous fruit trees, a variety of hardwood species from the region and underbrush, to sustain the forest birds, animals, insects, butterflies, snakes and frogs. Our aim is to plant 63 different indigenous tree species to replicate the plant diversity found in forest of this region.
  
  We are working to create a safe environment for the birds and wildlife to return to the area as years of hunting / poaching has impacted negatively on the environment.
  
  Fruit trees planted this season will only start bearing fruit in five to six years from now. This gives us the opportunity to develop the infrastructure to support future visitors.

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  Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Kunstprojekte

  Sprachpraxis

  Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten

  Gartenarbeiten

  Heimwerker- und Bauarbeiten

  Betreuung von Tieren

  Mithilfe auf einem Bauernhof

  Zubereiten / Kochen von Mahlzeiten für die Familie

  Hausarbeiten

  Tourismus / Gastgewerbe

  Handwerkliche Arbeiten

  Hilfe mit Computer /Internet
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  UNO-Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung, die dieser Gastgeber verfolgt

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  Was ist das?
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  Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Our language is English but in a Spanish speaking community. There will be many cultures interacting at any one time so learning a bit about cultural habits is always interesting.
  
  The farm / protected area itself will provide material for discussions and learning on conservation, social issues, education, plants, fruit, insects, toads, dart frogs, birds, snakes, tourism etc.
  
  The sustainable methods that we use have been adopted to suit the environmental conditions and needs of the project and new methods are also being tested to improve our efficiency. The team members will have the opportunity to have first hand experience in applying sustainable methods that can be adapted and used under different circumstances.
  
  We pride ourselves with the outcome we have due to our approach to the local soil and climate challenges, and can transfer the knowledge gained to our team members.

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  Arbeit

  The list of projects offers opportunities for a number of volunteers to come and apply their skills, and learn other skills in the process.
  
  Volunteers are required to contribute and develop the specific project that interests them, with the support and guidance of the husband and wife team that manages the farm, as well as, perform general farm tasks to support other projects on the farm.
  
  Current projects includes-
  * planting more fruit and forest trees,
  * upgrading and maintenance of existing infrastructure,
  * building accommodation units for guests,
  * installing a sewage treatment plant,
  * identifying and marking the trees in the forest as a reference in our project Baseline Study,
  * identifying and recording the many animals, frogs, snakes, butterflies, spiders and birds,
  * upgrading the irrigation system,
  * developing hiking trails for future birding tours, and
  * assist in developing a program which will be used to provide guided tours on the farm and through
  the forest.
  
  Maintenance of infrastructure and general farm tasks will be shared between team members to enable each member to understand all aspects of the farm / nature reserve.
  
  It is important for the volunteer to properly articulate what they will be able to contribute towards the successful completion of the projects.
  We do require responsible, willing and capable (physical tasks in difficult conditions) persons to assist with the completion of projects and maintenance tasks.
  
  Volunteers of minimum 24 years and older, need to be available for a minimum period of 4 weeks as it does take some time to get familiar with the farm and also to do adequate transfer of skills. Shorter periods can be accommodated, but longer stays are preferred.
  
  It is important to note that the opportunity is for the purpose of learning new skills or transferring your skills while enjoying the tropical jungle and nearby beach. Our expectation is to exchange measurable and value added skills and deliverables.
  
  The project is not suitable for those individuals that needs their cell phones to keep their heartrate up or that needs their earphones to drag a hosepipe or dig a hole for a plant - the project is for individuals that wants to connect with nature and experience the sounds and struggles that makes rewilding possible in our unique setting.
  
  A probation period of 5 days will apply before a decision will be made whether the volunteer is a good fit or not.
  
  Working hours are 25 actual hours worked spread over 5 days (some days more or others less), with 2 days of spend off the project (no meals on off days) in the nearby town or visiting nearby islands. Be considerate; If we offer to take you to town and you go with to do your shopping - the time spend shopping or surfing the internet in town will not count as your working hours - we had individuals trying to tell us otherwise.

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  Gesprochene Sprachen

  Englisch: Gute Kenntnisse
  Spanisch: Grundkenntnisse

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  Unterkunft

  The current facilities includes -
  * Lodging for up to six people in shared room with shared ablutions fed with hot and cold water,
  * Solar power,
  * Paid for Laundry Service,
  * Limited wi-fi for e-mails and messaging, not suitable for video streaming or uploading photos,
  * Shared area for reading or just relaxing in hammocks.
  
  Three basic (not vegan or vegetarian) nutritious meals will be provided daily by using whatever is available on the farm, and will be prepared by the team.
  Drinks and snacks will be for the volunteer's own account. Any special dietary requirements (vegan / vegetarian) needs to be provided by the volunteer. Shops and stores for provisions are 2 kilometers away.
  Volunteers to provide their own toiletries (including toilet paper), medication, working clothes, hats, insect repellent and sunscreen.

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  Was noch ...

  The area is safe and within walking distance (3km) of the town and beach.
  
  A public bus passes the farm gate every hour during daylight hours to offer transport to and from the main towns and public bus routes.
  
  Spare time can be spent relaxing, chasing waves at the beach or participating in the snorkelling or diving activities in the nearby town.
  The town offers opportunities for Yoga, day trips to nearby islands, fishing, organised beach clean-ups, limited shopping, cycling, horse riding, kayaking and a number of restaurants / coffee shops.
  
  No smoking or pets are allowed on the farm or in the forest.
  
  Boots, Long-sleeved shirts, denim trousers, Hat, provide their own toiletries (including toilet paper), sunblock, insect repellent and a flashlight are required.
  
  We do not use any pesticides outside of our living areas so that we do not impact or destroy the fragile ecosystem.

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  Etwas mehr Information

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    Internet Zugang

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    Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang

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    Wir besitzen Tiere

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    Wir sind Raucher

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    Familien möglich

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  Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal

  mehr als zwei

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  Arbeitszeiten

  Maximum 25 hours a week

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