Help out with our soil regeneration garden on the wonderful island of Stromboli, Italy

Details

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  Description

  Here in Stromboli buying fruit and vegetables is difficult, everything is very expensive and the quality is always poor. Cultivating a vegetable garden is therefore essential. Unfortunately this garden was a disaster, almost a landfill, the soil was devoid of organic matter and completely sterile. The land here on Stromboli is not fertile at all: it is sandy and acidic. It was therefore an undertaking to regenerate the land, build the raised gardens, add tons of organic matter, plant and mulch the fruit trees, create barriers with vetiver and carisse against the wind and salt, add tons and tons of compost to the land. After seven years, however, the result is visible; the trees grow well, the raised gardens are super productive but, above all, life is teeming: bees and bees buzz from flower to flower, woodlice, beetles and spiders have colonized the mulch piles, and then butterflies, lizards, rat snakes... but above all earthworms that work hard beneath the surface. Of course, it is not yet a balanced ecosystem, nor can it ever be; there is always the need to add organic matter, mulch, compost and above all water. It rains very little here and never in summer. So, even if the garden is not large there is always a lot of work to do
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  Qui a Stromboli comprare frutta e verdura è difficile, tutto è carissimo e la qualità è sempre scadente. Coltivare un orto è quindi fondamentale. Purtroppo questo giardino era un disastro, quasi una discarica, il terreno era privo di materia organica e completamente sterile. La terra qui a Stromboli non è per niente fertile: è sabbiosa e acida. È stata una impresa quindi rigenerare il terreno, costruire gli orti rialzati, aggiungere tonnellate di materia organica, piantare e pacciamare gli alberi da frutto, realizzare barriere con vetiver e carisse contro il vento e la salsedine, aggiungere alla terra quintali e quintali di compost. Dopo sette anni però il risultato è visibile; gli alberi crescono bene, gli orti rialzati sono super produttivi ma, soprattutto, la vita pullula: osmie e api ronzano di fiore in fiore, onischi, coleotteri e ragni hanno colonizzato i cumuli di pacciamatura, e poi farfalle, lucertole, biacchi... ma soprattutto lombrichi che lavorano alacremente sotto la superficie. Certo, non è ancora un ecosistema in equilibrio, né potrà mai esserlo; c'è sempre da aggiungere materia organica, pacciamatura, compost e soprattutto acqua. Qui piove pochissimo e mai in estate. Quindi, anche se il giardino non è grande c'è sempre tanto lavoro da fare

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I live in a wonderful island. In addition to a splendid sea there is an always active volcano.
  
  My English is elementary, and I try to improve it by practicing.
  
  I really like having cultural exchanges with people from other countries and I have done it often

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  Help

  Garden help: planting trees, gathering the harvest, work with soil, making compost.
  
  Gathering fruits and vegetables, help with making jams (in winter) General help in the house.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Italian: Fluent
  English: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  We offer a very small independent room with two beds, the use of a kayak, and a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea of Stromboli.
  The house is very small and spartan. It would need maintenance. Water arrives with ships and is a precious resource, it is necessary not to waste it
  
  We have meals together, mostly local cuisine.

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  What else ...

  Stromboli can be reached by hydrofoil from Milazzo every day. Twice a week even with a ship from Naples

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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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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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