Help with general gardening and learn to create more biodiversity in Maur, Switzerland

Details

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  Description

  Hello! I am Peter. Nature and biodiversity are important to me. I live on my 40,000 m² property, 30 minutes from Zurich City and 40 mins from Zürich Airport (public transport). I grow my own grains, try to make my own pasta and bread and have happy chickens and rabbits. I produce thousands of native wild plants for endangered butterflies and solitary bees for my personal use, as well as medicinal plants. On the property, there is, among other things, a 1,000 m² field shaped like a giant butterfly, planted with the wildflowers, including nesting sites.
  
  I used to be a test pilot for paragliders, completing many flights in the Himalayas in the 1990s, have undergone survival training in Northern Scandinavia, am a freediver, book author, serial entrepreneur, and more. Since I did not get vaccinated during the Corona pandemic, I sold all my companies. Instead, I am now self-sufficient and, for example, provide 5,000 m² on my property for free to three associations for permaculture. Most of the time some of them are around, working on their plots.
  
  I expect helpers to do tasks 4-5 hours per day, 5 days a week. Weekends are off. Helpers should stay at least 1 week - more is better. I need help on the property, so I do not want language or dancing lessons. There is a gardener working for me on the property who will be around most of the time. Both of us can show, explain, help with most things. Often, volunteers who live nearby are on the property helping out as well.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  • Enjoy meeting new people
  • Enjoy exchanging knowledge on medicinal plants and on growing food
  • Enjoy helpers who can cook a traditional meal
  
  There are endless activities possible in the surrounding area: From swimming in Lake Greifensee (10 min. walk, public area) / to jogging around the beautiful lake (nature reserves) - 18 km round trip / to hiking / skiing (in winter) / museums (Zurich), and much more. Public transportation is very well developed here and there is a bus stop directly at the property (one can buy one day or longer-period passes).
  Or, if you enjoy reading a book, grab a hammoc, start reading, make a pause, let your eyes strole from the huge trees on property to the mountains on the horizon or to the lake...

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  Help

  There is always something to do throughout the year, and help is welcome. Right now for example there are - among other things - a lot of Wildflowers in pots that need to be planted in a field. I also run several websites related to biodiversity. It is not the main “helper-focus” but Wordpress-, HTML coding-gurus (Pros, not newbies...) could also be helpful. Planting wildflowers, general gardening work like weeding, harvesting grain, cutting trees, work with a scythe, feeding chickens and rabbits, at times a carpenter or other handyman would be welcome, ..., we can show you all this, but for most tasks we'd prefer if helpers have some experience already.

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  Languages spoken

  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  Four helper rooms as well as one bathroom and a kitchen are located on the upper floor of my simple house (built in 1951). I live on the ground floor. An additional small flat for 1 person is on the groundfloor of the barn with kitchen, bathroom as well. We can cook and eat together (I am not vegetarian), but not every day as I am away sometimes - helpers can also cook themselves, there is always enough food available. Helpers that are afraid of bunnies and chicken should not come… they may have to feed them and I don’t want the rabbits and their friends, the chickens, to "starve".
  
  Helpers have an own room on the upper floor of the house (4 rooms available). The kitchen/bathroom/toilet will have to be shared with other Workaway helpers. There is the possibility to park a motorhome on the property. You can also use a tent (ask if it is available). I am not always around but enough food like pasta etc is always available. You like fresh eggs for your breakfast? Just go and grab some in the chicken coop.

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  What else ...

  I respect your privacy and expect the same from you. You have a problem.. ask me or anyone on the property and we will help or point you to someone who can. You did not understand something..., ask again.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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