Join a registered non-profit garden zoo for endangered birds in the lovely Scottish Borders, UK
Última actividad
: 20 mar 2025
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Usually responds ≤ 14 dias
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Estancia mínima: Al menos 3 semanas
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Número de referencia de anfitrión: 368619246757
Seguridad Web
Comentarios (46)
Dejado por el workawayer (Gabriel) para el anfitrión
Working along side with Owen and Mark was truly an eye opening experience where I got the opportunity to learn a lot from and will value for the rest of my life.
Such experiences working with the beutiful natural diversity they work hard to preserve is really rare to find.
I feel completely fortunate to encounter with their project and being able
… read more to contribute to it.
Owen and Mark received me with their arms open and give me a lot of trust since day one.
I would totally recommend this beutiful experience :DDejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Gabriel)
Gabriel is a well-informed young man who is great to have a conversation with whilst you work on projects. He is eager to absorb as much information and knowledge as he can and he contributed very effectively to a variety of projects. He did a lot of 'grunt' work whilst he was here which we are very grateful for. We were in the middle of rescuing
… read more many parrots from various circumstances and Gabriel worked long hard hours moving materials and problem-solving, helping prepare for their arrival.
He is good company and a hard worker! What more do you need!
Thank you so much for all your efforts and contributions, you really helped us move many projects forward.
Safe and happy travels!
Owen
Big fans of the Bird Garden! We can highly recommend spending some time in the cozy cabin and living amongst birds of all kind. Owen and Mark have cultivated quite the community. We were immersed immediately and treated with warmth and kindness. Our tasks were varied and plentiful. We were given autonomy and trust, and our comfort zones were
… read more nudged just enough to benefit our personal growth. Owen was also able to help us with some cultural differences, i.e. appropriate hand gestures while biking. He's always quick with a joke and sporting a can-do attitude despite any setbacks. We had a great time working alongside him, local volunteers, and other workawayers. Our days always left us feeling accomplished. Some flexibility is needed from time to time with schedules and groceries, but if you aren't too fussy you'll be just fine. All in all, we are very grateful for this experience and will look back on it with fondness. Would cycle another 500 miles to stay here again. We told Queen Vasa and Jay we'll be back and we meant it! Thank you for a fab June!
Michael & Kate are fab. They arrived having cycled hundreds of miles in the rain and stayed for a month.
During this time we achieved a vast amount and completed outstanding tasks. We had good fun working together and the banter was great. Its lovely to connect with other people's sense of humour and fun was had in the workplace. Some projects
… read more and tasks weren't so glamorous but Kate and Michael jumped straight in and helped. They both went the extra mile to provide good animal care and accomplished many smaller tasks in the background which they quietly did, never seeking praise. I'm personally particularly grateful for them carrying out these smaller, background tasks as these are the tasks that eat into my family-time. They made a big contribution and gave me some time to share with my family, that's a meaningful gift for which I thank you. Please swing-by - or come stay another month.....! Happy travels you guys, I hope you have amazing experiences.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Lemuel & Neisha)
What wonderful people.
Respectful and kind, hard-working and good fun! They have a wonderful mix of celebrating progressive development, and, giving their full attention to the detail of day-to-day chores. It's been really enjoyable having this lovely couple helping us, they have made a huge positive impact on what we do.
They both respected and
… read more understood the birds that we work with and were compassionate with each individual bird giving them the respect warranted.
FYI - Lem does like giving parrots tickles....not that the parrots were complaining! It was thoroughly enriching for the parrots having this 1-2-1 attention and time, and they are happier and in better health for it.
Both are talented people who shared their talented skills with us, all of which have been amazing and contributed to what we do. Thank you.Comentarios
Son opciones de calificación adicionales para cuando los miembros dejan sus comentarios. Se muestra la calificación media dejada en cada opción.
Precisión del perfil:
(4.9)
Intercambio cultural:
(4.9)
Dejado por el workawayer (Gabriel) para el anfitrión
Working along side with Owen and Mark was truly an eye opening experience where I got the opportunity to learn a lot from and will value for the rest of my life.
Such experiences working with the beutiful natural diversity they work hard to preserve is really rare to find.
I feel completely fortunate to encounter with their project and being able
… read more to contribute to it.
Owen and Mark received me with their arms open and give me a lot of trust since day one.
I would totally recommend this beutiful experience :DDejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Gabriel)
Gabriel is a well-informed young man who is great to have a conversation with whilst you work on projects. He is eager to absorb as much information and knowledge as he can and he contributed very effectively to a variety of projects. He did a lot of 'grunt' work whilst he was here which we are very grateful for. We were in the middle of rescuing
… read more many parrots from various circumstances and Gabriel worked long hard hours moving materials and problem-solving, helping prepare for their arrival.
He is good company and a hard worker! What more do you need!
Thank you so much for all your efforts and contributions, you really helped us move many projects forward.
Safe and happy travels!
Owen
Big fans of the Bird Garden! We can highly recommend spending some time in the cozy cabin and living amongst birds of all kind. Owen and Mark have cultivated quite the community. We were immersed immediately and treated with warmth and kindness. Our tasks were varied and plentiful. We were given autonomy and trust, and our comfort zones were
… read more nudged just enough to benefit our personal growth. Owen was also able to help us with some cultural differences, i.e. appropriate hand gestures while biking. He's always quick with a joke and sporting a can-do attitude despite any setbacks. We had a great time working alongside him, local volunteers, and other workawayers. Our days always left us feeling accomplished. Some flexibility is needed from time to time with schedules and groceries, but if you aren't too fussy you'll be just fine. All in all, we are very grateful for this experience and will look back on it with fondness. Would cycle another 500 miles to stay here again. We told Queen Vasa and Jay we'll be back and we meant it! Thank you for a fab June!
Michael & Kate are fab. They arrived having cycled hundreds of miles in the rain and stayed for a month.
During this time we achieved a vast amount and completed outstanding tasks. We had good fun working together and the banter was great. Its lovely to connect with other people's sense of humour and fun was had in the workplace. Some projects
… read more and tasks weren't so glamorous but Kate and Michael jumped straight in and helped. They both went the extra mile to provide good animal care and accomplished many smaller tasks in the background which they quietly did, never seeking praise. I'm personally particularly grateful for them carrying out these smaller, background tasks as these are the tasks that eat into my family-time. They made a big contribution and gave me some time to share with my family, that's a meaningful gift for which I thank you. Please swing-by - or come stay another month.....! Happy travels you guys, I hope you have amazing experiences.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Lemuel & Neisha)
What wonderful people.
Respectful and kind, hard-working and good fun! They have a wonderful mix of celebrating progressive development, and, giving their full attention to the detail of day-to-day chores. It's been really enjoyable having this lovely couple helping us, they have made a huge positive impact on what we do.
They both respected and
… read more understood the birds that we work with and were compassionate with each individual bird giving them the respect warranted.
FYI - Lem does like giving parrots tickles....not that the parrots were complaining! It was thoroughly enriching for the parrots having this 1-2-1 attention and time, and they are happier and in better health for it.
Both are talented people who shared their talented skills with us, all of which have been amazing and contributed to what we do. Thank you.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Isabel & Zoe)
Absolutely lovely people.
This charming couple came here and immersed themselves in so many projects. My goodness, every afternoon was different with a broad range of tasks: from redesigning snake and tortoise vivariums to concreting ponds for endangered terns and ducks. They grasped the morning bird-care routine very efficiently and made valued
… read more contributions to the welfare and care of the birds we work with. Whilst they were here, we had some challenges in the grounds and, credit to these ladies, they were invested, supportive and helped with recovery. It was appreciated, thank you.
They approach projects with a modest underlying confidence. If they are unsure, they will ask and are genuinely interested to further their knowledge and skill-sets. It was a pleasure working alongside Izzie and Zoe, sharing practical knowledge with them: they have been fantastic and are very competent with their skills!
We very much look forward to Izzie and Zoe returning as volunteers and/or friends.
Thank you both so much for such an amazingly productive time.
Best wishes
Owen & Mark
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Edouard & Arthur)
Thank you gentlemen for all you did whilst with us. It was winter in Scotland but despite this, you made great progress with the job list and were charming company!
Wishing you both the best with your endeavours and hope you'll swing-by and see progress when you're next in Scotland.
Best wishes and thank you!
Owen
I don't know how Marine & Julienne managed it - but they made a large dent in the job list despite Scotland throwing the worst weather conditions at us. So much rain, storms, power cuts, water cut-off and on it went....relentlessly! Horrible working conditions yet this lovely couple kept going and made amazing progress, for which we are very
… read more grateful. Thank you.
I'm sad that I wasn't able to work with you more, as I personally love connecting with our workaways and celebrating progress together.
We hope you'll pop back and see us so we can have that BBQ that we never managed and so you can connect with the flamingos as you didn't have a chance when you were here.
Best wishes and thank you!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Sydney)
Sydney came at a time when we were super busy with school half-term and lots going on, so we are very grateful for her help! She calmly tackled tasks and projects and contributed to our progress, daily running and development. Sydney is a calming-force to have around and is very respectful of us, our family, the birds and was charming to the
… read more visitors.
I'm personally sorry that we didn't get more time to work together as I like to work with our wonderful volunteers and workaways, and I'm personally very grateful that you took on so many projects.
Happy travels and look forward to seeing you soon.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Célia & Valentin)
This is the first time we've hosted workaways over winter as Scotland gets dark and cold. It was very interesting having our French friends stay with us as they were amazed by Scotland's extreme weather changes. They had freezing, icy moments and t-shirt sunshine. It's always interesting to see your world through other people's eyes.
Val and
… read more Celia worked hard and we achieved lots of progress. They picked-up routines very quickly and were efficient and thorough. They had a very varied experiences here with the birds and the different projects we undertook. Every day was different and these two lovely people embraced everything. They were respectful of the house and our family and it was lovely to share Christmas with them.
It'll be great to see them again as workaways or passing visitors: always welcome here.
Dejado por el workawayer (Célia & Valentin) para el anfitrión
Val and I have spent 1 month and a half with Owen and Mark and we had the most fun ever!
We have been so delighted to be able to feed the birds (and to tickle parrots!), they are all very lovely and the parc is just so cosy and welcoming.
We were happy to make the cabin our little house for a bit of time. There is a lot of nice walks to have
… read more around the birds center as well!
Thanks for all the laugher and the good memories we'll have from this experience! We would be happy to come back and see how big the garden has become
Take care!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Janine & Lyndon)
What an amazing duo. As it happened they arrived just when we needed people with such drive, determination and desire to help. These two lovely people embraced everything we do and were accepting of all tasks and projects with an understanding of our overall vision. They bought a large skill-set to the table which was wonderful from our
… read more perspective; and they were lovely and easy company. They showed real compassion with the rare birds we work with and were very respectful of our family and home.
Lyndon and Janine have a knowledge and skill-set which spans most of the projects we had on the go whilst they were here. They both, independently, bought helpful thoughts to projects which enabled us as an organisation to power forward and progress whilst they were here was incredible, we're very grateful for their input and efforts.
We'd like them to move-in and stay with us for a long time: they are that special.
Wishing you all the best with everything, don't forget your Scottish family!
Dejado por el workawayer (Janine & Lyndon) para el anfitrión
we loved staying at this place! we met incredible people and birds and really felt we contributed something to the project.
Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
i had the best experience with Mark and Owen. They were so kind and helpful with anything you needed. The work is amazing. I have an amazing new found love of birds. The work is great as it is so varried. You feed the animals in the morning then do lots of handy work in the evening. The fun atmosphere at work is amazing. They have created a
… read more beautiful space for visitors and wildlife, i hope they are proud of the hard work they do.
Dedicated.
We have had many workaways contribute hugely over the years and we are grateful to them all. Naomi is definitely up there. A few weeks turned into a few months and we have charged through developments and progress. She is incredibly easy to have on site, charming and welcoming to the visitors and other volunteers and staff: she is the
… read more package.
Naomi delivered every time. No project was too large or daunting. I was amazed at her strength, her tenacity and her focus; it was like she adopted the emotion that we feel about our developments and the overall project. We achieved so much progress and development with Naomi whilst also giving the best animal care we could for the birds we care for. Lots of ticks, in lots of boxes.
Something else I would like to comment on is that Naomi befriended and looked after other volunteers (both workaways and local volunteers) she treated everyone as an equal and supported them in whatever way she was able to.
All whilst contributing to the place. She also made sure that she 'saw' Scotland and what this amazing country has to offer. I think Naomi should write the 'How to do Workaway' manual. We very much look forward to her return.
Dejado por el workawayer (Rachel ) para el anfitrión
I recently had the privilege of working alongside Owen and Mark for three wonderful weeks at this place in Oxton. It was truly one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I am immensely grateful to have had this opportunity.
Owen and Mark are not only incredibly kind but also two of the hardest-working people I've ever had the pleasure
… read more of working with. Their dedication and passion for wildlife conservation is truly inspiring! Owens fantastic banter and humour made me feel very welcome and at home from day one!
During my time there, I had the chance to engage in a wide range of tasks, from feeding and caring for the birds to building aviaries and paths which contribute to the future expansion of the place. The work was not only diverse but also incredibly rewarding. Every day brought new challenges and learning opportunities, I have now gained skills that I can take with me into the future.
I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to anyone looking to contribute to a meaningful and fulfilling cause. The people are wonderful, the birds are wonderful and it is a chance to connect with nature and be a part of something bigger that is going to save our wildlife. I would like to commend and acknowledge the true grit that has gone into this conservation project by Mark and Owen and all the volunteers from around the world, it is exciting to have played a small but integral part in this growing home for rare and endangered birds!
I couldn't have asked for a better experience, and I am already looking forward to returning to visit the birds I became so attached to, further volunteering and spending more time with Mark and Owen. Thank you so much for my time there and I will continue to support this sanctuary in any way I can!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Rachel )
It was so lovely getting to know Rachel. She has a heart of gold and a determination in life that I'm not sure she even realises she actually has. Rachel didn't ask me for much of my energy; it is very refreshing to be in the company of someone who is encouraging you in your endeavours, as much as you are supporting them as a traveler seeking
… read more their adventures and indeed a new life here in Scotland. I always looked forward to a conversation with Rachel - and she can work and talk!!! It's a life skill, which she has.
Rachel was very happy to jump-in and learn about new processes, new tools, new concepts and I suspect into her future she will recall the 'tricks-of-the-trade when she needs them and will remember where and when she learned those.
She's a gem. One to welcome into your world and one to have a good, honest conversation with.
You're welcome here anytime Rachel: in-fact, if you're going to be a Scot (well done with that one...good choice!) we would love to welcome you here whenever you need a flamingo-fix. Thank you.
Dejado por el workawayer (Elliot) para el anfitrión
Amazing workaway experience! Really lovely and considerate hosts in a great location with plenty of interesting things for you do on site (and off site considering Edinburgh is so close)
You’ll learn a lot about the birds there if you keep yours eyes and ears open. Accommodation was comfortable and cosy.
Never felt like I was being asked to do
… read more something I couldn’t handle/manage & never felt that I was overworked.
Relaxed atmosphere and a really amazing place that the hosts have made and are continuing to improve.Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Elliot)
It is a shame that we didn't have a bigger window of opportunity for Elliot to have joined us for longer.
A kind and helpful gentleman who was always willing to jump-in and help and to try new things. Whilst he was with us, we had a significant development project and Elliot was there, ready to help. He even jumped on the vibrating power-roller
… read more to compact aggregates.
Elliot is a calm and quietly confident person who left a big impression on staff and visitors to the site in such a brief time.
Thank you ever so much for embracing fully what we do and for being so thoughtfully helpful.
Dejado por el workawayer (Maria de Lourdes) para el anfitrión
What a beautiful project this Birds Garden by Owen and Mark, the effort is fantastic. I loved being part of it. If it is a bit uncomfortable I won't deny it, not having the services such as bathroom, shower, laundry etc so close at hand, if you like comfort it is not the place for you. For my part how loving they are with all the people who
… read more participate in the different activities is enough for me to feel grateful, despite being so busy they are attentive to us and are quite clear with the tasks that are indicated to us. The visitor centre and the lunch there, very good. The experiences I had in Scotland were incredible, the people are super friendly, I had a great time.Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Muy Bien )
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Jack)
We almost didn't get to meet Jack as we were booked up quickly this year with workaways. As he was self-sufficient in his campervan we were able to accept his request to join us for which we are really pleased.
Jack has a massive heart, it's really huge.
In terms of working he accepts any and all projects and tasks; he will run-through the
… read more detail of tasks if he has any uncertainty which is a strong trait and one we respect in a person. He sums-up workaway as he wants to explore opportunities whilst furthering his own development and contributing to progress.
Jack extended his time with us and has been on-site to experience the grounds wake up for the summer and witness the site developing and growing. He's spanned many projects and developments and has been available out of hours when I needed a hand, for which I am very grateful.
His people skills are amazing, he will engage with everyone in an honest, polite, accepting and interested way.
Society and humanity need more Jacks.
Thank you so much for all your contributions, happy travels and we look forward to multiple revisits with lots of fab stories!
Dejado por el workawayer (Jack) para el anfitrión
I stayed here for just shy of three weeks and can only agree with all the positive sentiments set out by other reviews. Owen, Mark and the staff at the visitor centre are kind and welcoming. The work is varied, interesting and you always feel you're doing work that matters.
There are two points that I'd really like to focus on:
First, that the
… read more welfare of the birds and other creatures at the gardens is first and foremost, as it should be, and every task can be related to that.
Second, as I'm quite green to manual work in general, I found that my mistakes were discussed with openness, understanding, compassion and humour. This helped me feel like part of a team and improve the way I worked throughout the weeks. I felt really impressed by the way I was managed.
Would recommend this placement to everyone.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Jake & Helena)
What kind people.....just lovely.
Jake and Helena are so open to everything, anything and willing to put their faith into simply moving forward and trusting the universe. It has been refreshing to have these two kind souls with us, for us personally, opening a zoo and putting systems in place to make it work has a constant high energy demand (and
… read more stress): having J & H on site, quietly delivering progress, making things work, always happy to tackle whatever the task may be - has been wonderful. They openly celebrate progress and development with us and we feel like they have a grasp on the fabric of what we are trying to achieve here.
Thank you so much for your time, support and productive force.
Don't be strangers.
Wishing you the most fulfilling travels!
'flamingo emoji'
Dejado por el workawayer (Jennifer) para el anfitrión
Owen and Mark are lovely people with a great project and the other workaways, staff and volunteers were all welcoming and friendly. The tasks varied...building pens, feeding birds, removing fencing and cleaning up and I also sorted, tidied and prepared the vegy garden. Sometimes Owen specified the job to be done starting about 9.30am but I also
… read more set my own tasks in the vegy area. My camper van was in the public car park which was a long walk to the toilet and there was limited access to a shower. Unfortunately the cabin wasn't in use so there was no kitchen or indoor areas to relax in after hours. It was self catering but the guys went shopping regularly and provided what ever I asked for plus we got amazing lunches in the Cafe. As it was a frosty few weeks I decided to leave a week early but put in some full days before I left. Thanks Owen and Mark for being so flexible so I got to visit relatives and friends nearby as well.Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Jennifer)
Jen arrived and got straight into sussing out what our needs were. She tackled some of the bottom-end tasks that needed to be tackled. With bird flu restrictions we had to have all the domestic poultry undercover for the whole winter. With restrictions easing and birds moving out from undercover, Jen took it upon herself to get stuck-in and sort
… read more the state of affairs ready for planting the veg garden. Her effort was incredible, her contribution was immeasurable and we're grateful for her contribution.
Please give us a drive-bye on your travels Jen.
Thank you!
Dejado por el workawayer (Olivier ) para el anfitrión
This was my first workaway placement, I stayed 3 weeks with Owen & Mark on their bird sanctuary helping out with a variety of tasks from feeding the birds to building grouse pens or erecting nesting boxes. Owen is hugely knowledgeable and great fun to work with while Mark is a talented potter and baker. For me the best part of the stay was the
… read more warm welcome and the easy cheerfulness of everyone working at the zoo. I found it a delightful place to work and would gladly come back anytime. Thank you Owen and Mark and best of luck for all your ongoing projects! Olivier 🙂Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Olivier )
What a kind and gentle soul.
Olivier arrived ready to help and he made significant contributions to many of our projects and picked-up quite a workload. He has fantastic energy and focus, making short-work of projects. He went the extra mile and used his intuition for good: for instance he prepared and tidied our large vegetable garden in his own
… read more time and we very much appreciate this contribution.
He had a very varied time here and had many new experiences, we love it when we can offer new experiences and life memories to people. He is considerate to others and respected everyone's space and privacy. A very easy companion and work-buddy, Olivier is actually what the ideal workaway should aspire to be.
He said he'll be back to visit and we look forward to this being a reality.
Wishing you the best time and extensive travels Olivier, thank you!
Dejado por el workawayer (Pauline) para el anfitrión
I had the pleasure of a return working stint at the gardens for 12 months from Sept 21 - Sept 22. During that time we completed a myriad of projects which included completion of barrier fences, building of aviaries, improvements to pathways, painting along with the daily feeding and health and welfare requirementss of the birds. It was genuinely
… read more an amazing place to be a part of. Each person working on site was valued for their skills, opinions, ideas and energy. Encouragement to try something new was common practice and gives each volunteer a sense of accomplishment and achievement. If you are looking for a challenge, aren't afraid of getting your hands dirty, want to pick up new skills, have energy and positivity then this will be a place for you.Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Pauline)
These two women are amazing!
As hosts, we were fortunate to have a last minute vacancy for Alex & Pauline: we almost missed-out on their extraordinary help. They enjoy a relationship as Mother & Daughter that is something to aspire to speaking as a parent. It was heartening to watch that for a few weeks.
In terms of work ethic: jobs were simply
… read more wiped-off the list, they shied-away from nothing, either of them, or both, would step-in whenever a hand was needed and they were so easy to have around. It was a huge relief to have Alex & Pauline here, we were literally drowning in lack of progress before their arrival. We are in the process of getting the grounds ready to open to the public, and without Alex & Pauline decimating jobs we would be significantly behind. And for this we beyond grateful. Thank you both so much for everything.
If either Alex & Pauline, or Alex, or Pauline approach you offering their effort and help - sleep in the street if you need too, so you CAN accommodate them.
There's few volunteers who can provide this but Alex & Pauline bring it: their presence is reassuring and comforting. Comforting in the fact that you know, when tomorrow starts progress will happen. Also, you can feel their respect for your space as a host family. It's a joy!
Best of luck with life girls! We miss you already and look forward to your speedy return.
Dejado por el workawayer (Luzie) para el anfitrión
I truly had such a great time! Owen, Mark and all the other employees volunteers are wonderfully open, helpful and you get the chance to learn something new every single day. They actually want you to take away new skills and encourage you to give your input.
The work itself is varied and spontaneous and therefore never gets boring.
You help
… read more building something permanent and it’s a nice feeling, to have put your energy into something valuable that people can come to and enjoy.
Being surrounded by such lovely and interested people as well as the many animals is just fantastic. I got the chance to explore the area and had my own private little space to wind down in the afternoons.
Thank you so, so much for giving me the opportunity to learn with you and I’m looking forward to visiting the place again in the future and seeing all the new things that have been build by then.Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Luzie)
It was a dream having Luzie join us.
From her first day Luzie took on responsibility for a portion of the grounds which enabled routine tasks to be completed promptly allowing us to achieve more developmental projects. Luzie was able to turn her hand to anything and made a tremendous contribution. She was hugely respectful to the rare birds we
… read more work with and took time to get to know them. Luzie very quickly became an invaluable member of the team and was completely trustworthy to complete tasks to her best ability. During various projects she discovered her inner brick-layer, her inner zoo keeper and even stepped-in and covered some shifts in the visitor centre where her inner barista appeared!
Thank you so much for all you have done to help. Your help - with building the cliff in particular - has been brilliant. You're an amazing young woman who can do anything!
Don't be a stranger and come back soon, we miss you already!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Marcella)
We had the pleasure of Macy's assistance for one afternoon only and my goodness she moved mountains. It was a tedious task of ferrying materials that will be pivotal in the conservation breeding programme for a critically endangered species: and Macy simply plugged-away and achieved amazing results. I'm ever so grateful for this contribution and
… read more furthering our cause.
A remarkable young person, with an informed approach, you're a special person and we're glad you joined us for a day.
Dejado por el workawayer (Marcella) para el anfitrión
Owen and Mark could not have been more welcoming. I just did a day trip to come and volunteer. the work was fun the animals are great. they truely have something special going on. if you like to be around animals and want to help out and learn more about them do no hesitate. Will definitely come back!
Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Alma)
Alma may have been here for only a brief visit but she left an impression and a big 'dent' in the job list.
A very kind and considerate person, Alma was very easy to have on site and was very respectful to everyone and all the birds.
She was very friendly and very helpful. She was enthusiastic and was always smiling, she came and asked if there
… read more were more jobs to do when she completed the day's tasks. It was a joy to have her when we did tasks that were new for her, for example brick-work, this was a new concept for her and she jumped straight in and had a great time doing something new - and did it well.
A talented, nice, calm, charming, friendly and respectful young lady. Welcome back anytime Alma!
I am very confident that Alma will go far in life and that she will enjoy all the new experiences life offers to her.
Thank you for your company and help.
We had a great time helping with the birds and doing many different projects on site.
Owen made lunch every work day for all the volunteers and there was always loads of extra food to choose from for your own meals.
The cabin is rustic, comfortable and has all the facilities you need apart from a bathroom, but you can use the family bathroom at
… read more the main house.
We’re very glad to have been given the opportunity by Owen and Mark to contribute to the bigger project and work towards their vision.
We really enjoyed this unique experience in picturesque surroundings and if anyone is interested in such a wide variety of birds we would highly recommend visiting if you get the chance.
Jo & Matt completely decimated our job list!
They worked far harder than was expected and their massive contribution has jumped progress forward on site. It's been wonderful watching a job list being scored-off. They aren't phased by small fiddly jobs, nor bigger challenges. Their input into daily chores, developments and progress in general has
… read more been brilliant.
On a personal note, thank you for going above and beyond the daily expectations, you've left a significant mark on the site - the cabin has never been so clean or organised!
Look forward to showing you further developments when you visit, coffee on us obvs! :-)
Dejado por el workawayer (Lizzy) para el anfitrión
I had a great 2 weeks here! Owen and Mark were really welcoming. They are so kind, fun, easy going and knowledgeable. I learnt a lot about the different animals and enjoyed the varied work. We did something different most days. It was really inspiring to hear about their journey and the evolution of their project. I look forward to visiting some
… read more time!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Lizzy)
Lizzy had a very varied experience.
So many varied tasks and projects, all of which she fully embraced and contributed to. As happens, due to the nature of the work, some tasks challenged Lizzy's comfort zone, however she jumped-in and embraced our work. I hope the end result and the achievement in doing-so gave her a sense of achievement and
… read more pride in being involved. She made a wonderful contribution which will be her legacy for years to come and for this we are so grateful. There's always room for you Lizzy.
Dejado por el workawayer (Alexandra) para el anfitrión
It was a privilege and a pleasure to have had the opportunity to spend near on three weeks with Owen, Mark, Nathan and the rest of team. Owen and Mark have a vision, passion and energy for this project that is contagious - as a volunteer you actually feel like you are helping build something worthwhile. They were very generous hosts and always
… read more happy to share their vast wealth of knowledge and experiences ( which included great tolerance in fielding all our multitudes of questions).
We felt very comfortable in the environment and were welcomed into an already existing team of volunteers. We were given responsiblys once we got a feel for routines etc. Owen offered diverse job options so we could experience working in different areas, on our own or with others. The banter and casual conversations during jobs and break times made every day hugely enjoyable. We had an amazingly brilliant time here and hope to be back to see the continued progress of this amazing undertaking.
If you get the opportunity to volunteer here I would grab it with both hands.
Alex & PaulineSolo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Alexandra)
These two women are amazing!
As hosts, we were fortunate to have a last minute vacancy for Alex & Pauline: we almost missed-out on their extraordinary help. They enjoy a relationship as Mother & Daughter that is something to aspire to speaking as a parent. It was heartening to watch that for a few weeks.
In terms of work ethic: jobs were
… read more simply wiped-off the list, they shied-away from nothing, either of them, or both, would step-in whenever a hand was needed and they were so easy to have around. It was a huge relief to have Alex & Pauline here, we were literally drowning in lack of progress before their arrival. We are in the process of getting the grounds ready to open to the public, and without Alex & Pauline decimating jobs we would be significantly behind. And for this we beyond grateful. Thank you both so much for everything.
If either Alex & Pauline, or Alex, or Pauline approach you offering their effort and help - sleep in the street if you need too, so you CAN accommodate them.
There's few volunteers who can provide this but Alex & Pauline bring it: their presence is reassuring and comforting. Comforting in the fact that you know, when tomorrow starts progress will happen. Also, you can feel their respect for your space as a host family. It's a joy!
Best of luck with life girls! We miss you already and look forward to your speedy return.
Dejado por el workawayer (Sorcha) para el anfitrión
By far one of the most special experiences I have ever found on work away. Owen, Mark, their two boys and Nathan went above and beyond to welcome me into their home and ensured I had everything I would need and more.
Getting to work with the animals was an experience I will never forget and Owen and Nathan went out of their way to ensure I got
… read more the most hands on experience possible. I got to spend so much time with these amazing animals and got a lot of experience in handling, feeding and caring for them. There is so much to learn about each individual species and Owen is always open to share his wealth of knowledge and incredible stories of his work and travels. Owen and mark are both an amazing pair of brains to pick. From art, history and languages to planting, growing and of course wildlife. They are always so open to share what they know and I have come out of this experience with a better understanding and genuine interest in so many different areas.
I spent two weeks here staying onsite in a tent. Owen and mark made sure I had a great set up with complete shelter and kitted me out with a camping stove, toaster, kettle and even electricity and wifi. They made sure I had everything I needed and would always let me know if they were going to the shop and the offer was always there for me to come along or they would pick me up a surprise treat! Oxton is a great wee village and they let me know of all the local walks, trails and things to do in the area. I smashed my phone one day and Owen took the time out of his day to drive me to the closest repair store whilst even taking time to detour round the local village for a wee tour of all the places I could visit in my spare time. This doesn’t even sum up the amount of kindness that everyone showed me during my stay, I could list example after example. They are outstanding work away hosts, I feel so grateful to have met them all and being able to step into their world has amazed me. It’s been so inspiring to watch how hard they work and the determination and passion they have for this project.
The work is never too heavy and everything you do is always met with gratitude and a smile. I am so happy I got to be a part of their project and I can’t wait to see more of the amazing work they are going to do for these incredible animals in the future!
Thank you so much again guys 😊😊😊Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Sorcha)
What a fabulous young lady! So much enthusiasm and passion for life.
Sorcha is very refreshing to have around.
She is incredibly thirsty to learn about new things and gain new experiences. She embraces each new experience with excitement and a need to know more. Despite being here for such a brief window in our annual calendar, Sorcha witnessed
… read more many things and has very much propelled us forward in our progress towards meeting our various deadlines.
From chopping sweet potatoes for the emus, to digging through rock, to helping us rehabilitate traumatised parrots: Sorcha got involved in all of it contributing on initiative as well as on request.
If Sorcha offers her support to your cause, from a Workaway Host - grab her with both hands! She brings energy, effort and support for your cause. I personally feel energised by having Sorcha join us, she has a zest for life and it is very revitalising! I felt she not simply helped getting things done but that she gave me a renewed energy. Which is an amazing gift to give for which I am very grateful.
Don't be a stranger Gurl.....hope to see you here often and regularly!
'flamingo emoji'
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Madeleine)
Of all the workaways we have hosted, Madeleine probably had the most varied experience.
We were on the run-up to a significant inspection when Madeleine joined us and she jumped straight-in, going above and beyond. She very much helped us achieve what we needed to achieved. Madeleine was happy to work alone, she also brought great humour and
… read more conversation to the team.
Madeleine was very happy to try new tasks and projects always embracing everything with her infectious smile. Very easy and pleasurable company, very easy to feed and I don't think in the entire month she was here she said anything that wasn't positive. We very much look forward to her return as a friend or volunteer (or both).
A remarkable young person who has a great deal to offer the world.
Dejado por el workawayer (Madeleine) para el anfitrión
Thank you so much Owen and Mark for an incredible experience.
I stayed for a month and every day was different and varied!! I gained so many new skills and had lots of fun while taking part in all the different tasks as well as the daily feed routines.
I absolutely loved staying in such a beautiful, friendly place surrounded by birds! I felt
… read more very welcomed and was made to feel comfortable throughout my stay.
There was plenty of time for exploring and lots of lovely local walks.
Overall it was a wonderful experience, which I will not forget.
Best of luck for all your future projects !!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (July-Ann)
Forgive the delay in getting feedback to you!
What an open-minded and eclectic person to have around. July-Ann was confident to turn her hand to all tasks. If in doubt she would ask and then get on with it! Absolutely everything a host could wish for in a workaway volunteer. On the back of this we achieved great progress in all aspects of our
… read more work and developments.
With Coronavirus sweeping the world we were pleased that July-Ann could make it home in time before lock-down. We would have been equally happy had she been here in lock down with us as her contributions and humour were substantial. That said July-Ann has continued to help us with her artistic talents which we are hugely grateful for. Her contribution to our work has been substantial and we are very thankful.
Ps Apologies for the mud-soup. I fear those mushrooms were perhaps past their best!!!!
Dejado por el workawayer (Taylor) para el anfitrión
If you are looking for a host family that will give you the best cultural exchange, fun daily tasks, teach you new skills, cook amazing lunches and make you feel at home, look no further!!! This workaway was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Mark and Owen will make you feel right at home. You will be doing work that is meaningful,
… read more educational and life changing. My daily routine was feeding the clan of birds that live on the property, having a delicious lunch in the house with some good company and great stories, then whatever tasks needed attention during the afternoon. You’re given tons of free time to relax and explore. Owen and Make are perfect examples of what kind hearted people should look like. Thank you for this experience!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Taylor)
What a wonderful young woman.
I think of all our Workawayers Taylor had the most varied experience: preparing food for the birds, tickling flamingos, straw-work in the new Visitor Centre, laying floors, planting trees, painting, helping tradesmen, excavating holes under the building foundations for water pipes and so much more!
With Taylor's
… read more help we moved mountains and jumped forward in progress. She learned the routines incredibly quickly which greatly facilitated the amount we could cram into a day. She was incredibly respectful of our family space and was very low-maintenance to have around.
We spent our days working together, laughing and having awesome conversations. As Mark said, we'll be lucky to find another Workaway as nice as Taylor. A pleasure to have around...my goodness you've got an amazing future ahead of you Gurrrrrl! (Aunty Ru, 2020).
Thank you so much for all you've contributed. Hope to see y'all soon.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Helena & Noel)
So much progress!!!!
Thank you both so much.
Helena and Noel arrived and fully embraced our projects, they left a contribution with everything they helped us with and we are so very grateful for all their help.
Our time together was cut short for personal reasons but be assured we would welcome you back anytime as workaways and / or as friends.
… read more
Easy company, great conservationists, all-round good people. The world needs more people like Helena and Noel.
Wishing you success with everything and hope to see you soon.
Dejado por el workawayer (Alexis & Chandler) para el anfitrión
Oh man, what can we say?? This place is so special—we extended our year of travels by a month just to come and volunteer here and are SO glad we did. As a volunteer, you basically get to live in a zoo, which is such an incredible experience, and Owen is everything you could ask for in a host—fun, warm, accepting, patient, appreciative, excellent
… read more at delegating, and gets down in the dirt with you. And it is very much worth noting how respectful he always was of the 25-hours-a-week agreement, which we appreciated so much. We learned so much from him and everyone else on the property—please tell Mark, other Mark, and Dylan thanks so much for us!
It was so fun to see all of the progress while we were there—new flamingo house and visitor center walls appeared practically overnight, and the flamingo babies tripled in size during our month with them. And we are much better at chopping large quantities of fruits and veggies now! We enjoyed the routine of the morning, and the variation of the afternoons—but especially the midday lunches together (always entertaining and delicious).
We were given plenty of time off to explore Scotland, and relax/work on our own stuff in the cosy cabin in the evenings, but also loved the time we got to spend working each day. Being around the birds is truly amazing—we will especially miss our emu friends. The family is absolutely lovely and fun, the property is beautiful, (the wifi is fast!), the birds provide endless entertainment... it was everything you hope a workaway will be and more.
We will miss your guys (and all 300 or so birds), but will be back I am sure!
Thank you so much for everything!!
Alexis and ChandlerSolo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Alexis & Chandler)
Many thanks to these two hard working travellers!
Alexis & Chandler were our last workaways for the year and they are amazing advocates of the Workaway system.
Together we jumped on jobs and tasks; alone they tackled jobs and tasks; they always went the extra steps and worked hard to get things finished. We had some pretty boring tasks but they
… read more were always happy to tackle them and literally moved mountains (of dirt with shovels which I am so grateful for!).
Many people get a good grasp of 'the feed' which is our morning routine, I'm particularly thankful to Alexis & Chandler as they quickly picked up this routine and on many occasions carried the morning's work. This allowed us to focus elsewhere, which during this busy time was an absolute blessing.
Great company, well read, respectful, great conservationists, and easy to have around.
Best of luck with your universe guys - I fear the world may not be big enough!
Please do come back to visit, stay, play, work or just gossip! Always welcome here.
Dejado por el workawayer (ebikani) para el anfitrión
This was my first experience to be a Workawayer.
I stayed there for 10 days.
I prepared food for birds and water for plants.
To stay in a cabin with chicken was my dream for a long time!
I was happy that my dream came true.
Owen, Mark and their boys are kind people.
There was nothing to worry about.
Thank you for giving me this precious
… read more opportunity!
EmiSolo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (ebikani)
Thank you Emi for all your help.
A gracious lady who cared for our new vegetable garden and seeds. Emi was able to work with us and on her own and was able to pick up the routine and system very quickly. There were many dull jobs that we asked Emi to help with such as watering newly planted trees as it has been very dry here. Emi did this with
… read more grace and thoroughness.
A tidy, quiet, gracious person - Emi is very easy to have stay and she made a big difference to our daily work.
A big thank you!
Do come and stay with us again, maybe next time you can both come.
Best wishes
Owen, Mark and the boys x
Dejado por el workawayer (Maja) para el anfitrión
I've been looking for a bird paradise and I've found it!!!!!
During my stay I had a chance to see a lot of amazing birds: Chilean flamingos, flamingo chicks, black swans who had their 6 babies, curious Hawaiian geese, Eileen the Eider who prefered long walks rather than swimming, critically endangered Laysan ducks, emus, rheas, charming couple of
… read more cereopsis geese, many beautiful chickens, ducks and geese. Thenk You Owen and Mark for creating such a wonderful place for birds and for people who can observe them and also learn about them.
I really liked my morning routine; feeding the birds, giving them water, cleaning up in the baby barn. I also enjoyed tasks such as building the turkey house, weeding, painting benches, helping with deworming and handling the birds. Thank You for tasty lunches, interesting conversations and comfortable accomodation (with double bed, wifi and all kitchen appliances that I needed).
During my days-off I visited Edinburgh, Glasgow and North Berwick (with a boat trip to Craigleith and Bass Rock where I could observe the largest Northern gannets colony in the world). I'm also very impressed with how well public transport works in Scotland.
Thank You Owen and Mark for this amazing experience, that inspired me to follow my chosen career path to treat birds.
See You and good luck with everything!!!! :)Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Maja)
Thank you Maja!!!
A capable and charming young lady.
Maja is focused and keen to learn. She is willing to try any task and is thorough to make sure she understands the project. Maja was very respectful to everybody and left the accommodation beautifully clean.
We really wish you well in your studies Maja, the world needs more bird vets so very,
… read more very best of luck to you and if we can help with contacts etc then do just get in touch and if we can facilitate your learning then we will.
Thank you so much for all your help and have lots of fun back at University!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Natalie & Jon)
Natalie and Jon decimated our job lists. The garden has been tidied up with amazing efficiency and of massive benefit. We are so grateful to them both for all their hard work, all their efforts and all their pro-active approach.
Our only regret having Natalie and Jon here was we were unable to socialise with them more.
Great people, great
… read more company, amazing workers so a huge Thank You to you both and we'd love to see you again as friends. There's flamingo chat to be had and fine gin to discuss.
Have a great winter and thank you.
Dejado por el workawayer (Natalie & Jon) para el anfitrión
This was quite simply the most perfect Workaway experience. Owen, Mark, Anthony and Kenzi are wonderful hosts and it was a joy getting to know the family. The gardens are exquisite and there are plenty of varied jobs to do. We loved feeding the birds and, well, just everything really. The jobs can by physically demanding but so rewarding. We will
… read more be back to visit and pitch in again in the future and look forward to see the flaminglings when they're grown and see how Eileen has come on.....Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Katharina)
Thank you Kathi!!!!
Kathi came to help us and help us she did. She quickly picked up the routines which enabled us to get the morning routine done quickly and then move on to achieving other tasks and projects. Kathi was confident and able in her skills with animal care. She was able to connect with the animals which made her a real asset this
… read more place.
Kathi was happy to try anything and give it her best effort. New tasks don't phase her and she has the confidence to try. If she was uncertain she is humble to ask for guidance.
Kathi was great fun to have around, always contributing conversation and good humour. I am very happy to recommend this marvellous young woman as a workaway and friend.
Best of luck Kathi you deserve good things in your world.
Dejado por el workawayer (Ludivine261) para el anfitrión
The best experience of my (young) life, my best holidays!
I spent 3 amazing weeks in this beautiful and pleasant place where Owen and Mark live with their 2 children, and a few hundred birds!
When you have to feed beautiful animals like emus, rheas, wallabies, flamingos, diverse kinds of chickens, of geese…, when you garden, DIY, paint, dig
… read more holes, catch chickens and touch chicks, all almost the same day, it’s not work, it’s just pleasure !
I learnt so many things here about the birds, about Scottish life (the one before Brexit ahah), about Scottish whether... and about very nice people!
When you’re surrounded by lovely persons, as Owen who always has a smile on his face, who’s always happy to explain to you what is this breed of bird and to tell you some funny stories, or as Mark who’s always interested in your culture, or as Adriane, as Mark (the other one), as Josh, the ones who always come to help because they like that.
Being with very kind and interesting people in a such place with large green fields was a super experience.
In addition, I lived in a very lovely cabin and the food always was fresh and diverse! Thank you again Owen for having allowed my girlfriend to come and to work with us, this made my travel even more beautiful.
I wish you the best for the future and I hope to come back soon to see the progress of this wonderful project !!!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Ludivine261)
A wonderful young lady. Great fun to have around and always the first to get involved with tasks / projects.
Ludivine settled in immediately and learned our morning routine fast. She was involved with all aspects of what we do and was eager to learn about the birds and the plans for the site. Nothing phased her and she always got stuck straight in
… read more and worked hard. A huge help in moving our plans forward, thank you.
A strong, intuitive, independent and talented person with an exciting future.
Best of luck with everything Ludivine and hope to see you again!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Riccardo)
Riccardo has been a fantastic help. He and his girlfriend spent only a week here but changed the face of our land. We are so excited and happy with our new, artistic and brilliant gates to keep the birds in the orchards.
Easy company, intelligent young people with great hope for the future.
Thank you so much, please feel free to come anytime!
Dejado por el workawayer (Miembro de Workaway) para el anfitrión
I really enjoyed giving a hand to Owen and Marc because of the importance of what they are doing (breeding endangered bird species and trying to raise awareness about them, amongst other things), their ambitions for the place and their enthusiasm! It was very stimulating to know what I was working for and I really liked the fact that most of the
… read more projects were aimed at improving the place for the birds.
Being surrounded by all these brilliant birds and feeding them all in the morning was a real pleasure and didn’t even feel like work! Watching them was soothing and absolutely fascinating and I learnt a lot by doing so. But not as much as by asking many questions to Owen! He was always happy to tell me about the birds and his experiences or travels and that was particularly enjoyable. I must say his enthusiasm for pretty much anything is infectious! Both him and Marc are inspiring people and I loved Marc’s numerous anecdotes, whether it was about languages, local history, animals…
On top of all this, here I finally found out what kind of job would truly make me happy, and I completely fell in love with Angus the tortoise! So it was a really memorable experience. Moreover, the jobs were quite varied, interesting and unique. So I 100% encourage volunteering here!
Thank you for everything and I wish you all the best with Bird Garden Scotland.Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Miembro de Workaway)
She came, she observed, she did, and she achieved.
A great help. Picked the routine up very quickly and ran with it.
Maurgane listened and she acted upon advice. Few people are trusted with the chick room but Maurgane was one of them. A capable young lady, with fantastic English language skills she embraced our way of life and embodied it.
You
… read more drove us forward, and we are thankful, very thankful.
Go do it - be a world famous bird conservationist! The universe needs you!
Dejado por el workawayer (Addison) para el anfitrión
This is a MUCH too late review, but I guess better late than never?
Owen and Mark were such wonderful hosts, and I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 weeks at this place. I got to see so many amazing birds and animals and learned so much while I was there. I worked a lot of odd jobs, whatever they needed me to do from weeding to building the paths. I
… read more enjoyed the other workers that were there as well, they really made it a well rounded experience. Thank you guys so much for being such wonderful hosts and welcoming me to your home, it truly is an expernience that will stay with me forever.Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Addison)
A lovely and dedicated young woman.
Addison arrived and hit the ground running: she works so hard and delivers on jobs big and small. She has a lovely balance of team work and an ability to work on her own merit. She tackled all jobs (including burying a dead sheep), nothing we do phased her and she tackled all jobs and tasks with determination.
… read more
We're very grateful for all her contributions and know we've found a friend in Addison.
If you are looking for someone reliable, hard working and trustworthy Addison is your girl.
Thank you so much for everything, and have an amazing travel experience!
Dejado por el workawayer (Paronneau) para el anfitrión
I spend a wonderful month with Owen and Mark. I learned a lot of things about birds and many others things. It was my first workaway and i was so glad to did it there. Do not hesitate to help them, you will live a very good experience!
Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Paronneau)
Nathan was here for all of September. When he arrived the sun was shining and when he left it was very cold.
He helped us with so many tasks and projects, really bringing us forward. He tiled, grouted, put up fences, dug so many holes and trenches, and helped look after the birds.
A very nice young man to have around, very helpful, has incredibly
… read more good English and great conversation.
Thank you so much Nathan for all your hard work and good company.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Nicolas)
Nicholas was very easy to have around, he is a kind and quiet person who kept himself to himself. He joined in with tasks and projects and made huge contributions to some big projects we had. He was happy to prepare food for the birds, he was happy to construct and he was happy to help digging drainage channels by hand. He will be a great member
… read more to any team. He left the accommodation clean and tidy and for that I am very grateful.
He struggled with English and it was lucky and unfortunate that we had another French speaker here. It was a shame that he wasn't pushed to improve his English as was one of his desires. Next time Nicholas, we'll make sure there are only English speakers here!!!
Thank you so much for all your help, you made a big contribution.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Alex & Olatz)
The kindest and most charming people.
Eager to help and excited by new challenges, these two lovely people will be a great help and excellent company everywhere they chose to go.
We are particularly grateful to their help as their presence and help allowed us to attend a family funeral.
We're sure that Olatz and Alex will return and visit us
… read more either as friends or as workawayers again.
Take care guys and a massive thank you.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Quentin)
Quentin is one of the kindest people we have met.
He is thoughtful and simply a nice person.
He helped steadily for us and achieved great results and made a considerable contribution to our progress.
He was very respectful to our family space and was easy company.
He'll go far in the world.
Thank you Quentin, we greatly appreciated your help.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Erica)
We are blown away by the contribution Erica made to our world.
It would be easy to say that Erica fixed our social media presence and updated us...… But that would seriously undervalue her huge contribution. In just two weeks she created two websites: by bringing her thoughts, ideas and wisdom to the table, Erica took us further than we had
… read more hoped to be. It is just amazing.
Erica is a wonderfully talented and capable person who through her own self-driven determination achieved the most amazing things for us. As a not-for-profit organisation we wouldn't have been able to afford the incredible results we now have had it not been for Erica. We are tremendously grateful.
As a person: we found her wit, humour and worldly-wisdom unparalleled.
She was very respectful to us as a family with young adopted children, and she befriended us and managed to not give our kids unrealistic expectations of her relationship with them. Of course she was lovely and friendly with them but as requested, she maintained a distance with them. This is something we value highly and are grateful for.
Thank you, you've really done more than we had wished for; and you brought a level of expertise to our project that we didn't have.
We're excited to have you in our lives and we are delighted that we have you as friend.
Never be a stranger, always welcome here.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Shelby)
If we could offer Shelby a permanent job we would love to. What a girl!
Shelby came to help and got stuck straight in. No task daunted her and she embraced everything.
It is vital that people don't challenge our processes or ways due to the delicate nature of our work. Working with endangered species is easy enough providing the system is
… read more constant and relevant to the birds. Shelby listened to us and she did as we asked her to. It was a comfort having Shelby in the grounds as I knew that tasks would progress as I needed them to. As a result of her work with us, Shelby has made a significant contribution to the global effort in the conservation of the endangered birds we work with. Thank you.
She is wise beyond her years. She has a great sense of humour and is destined for amazing things if she wants them.
Shelby for President!!!!
Now Shelby, you did everything I asked you to without issue, so here's one last request: Come back soon!
You better (continue to) Werk! :-)
Thank you.
Dejado por el workawayer (Annamaria) para el anfitrión
I had a wonderful experience volunteering in Owens and Marks place. I was lucky too because the weather was just lovely so I could fully enjoy my time working, my little life in the caravan and the meditation and yoga I sometimes did in my free time in the amazing surroundings. The place is a true jewel for any nature lover. Has some beautiful
… read more birds (I wouldn't have called myself a very big bird enthusiast before going there, but spending time with these wonderful beings is very purifying somehow.) They are very cute, beautiful, special. So it was a pleasure to inhabit these space for a while not to mention the really nice work I had the opportunity to do there. Owen and Mark are great workaway hosts and gave me the chance to work in the garden most of the time as they know that I am interested in that, other then planting out seeds and seedlings and some flowers I got to clear the stairs at the entrance and plant some lovely thyme there. I also get to participate in feeding the animals in the morning, planting some trees, and watering them. Owen and Mark are funny, kind, respectful, amazing cooks and have very good vibes. It was easy and a pleasure to be aroud you guys, hope to see you sometime again. And a big thank you for everything.Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Annamaria)
Thank you Anna!
You were such an amazing help and we love that you took ownership of our current gardening projects and did a great job! It was such a relief for us. We achieved a huge amount whilst you were here and your contribution is highly valued.
We are very excited that you are coming back and look forward to more of your company.
Anna is
… read more a very interesting person, we enjoyed her company and her well-informed conversation. She is quiet, calm and very easy to have around. We found her very respectful of our family-space and is the most tidy workaway we have ever had, the caravan was very clean and tidy, thank you!
Looking forward to your return!
Dejado por el workawayer (Kat) para el anfitrión
Where do I start?! I stayed with Owen and Mark for two months and had an incredible experience. From my arrival both were extremely welcoming and I felt immediately settled. This is a beautiful place housing some of the most wonderful bird species. It was both interesting to learn about many vulnerable and endangered species and the gardens' work
… read more towards protecting them. It was a pleasure to be so involved in the development of this excellent project. Every day is good fun, generally full of laughs and varied, and it is rewarding to see just how much things change within a matter of weeks. I would definitely return to contribute towards this again in future.
Owen is very trusting with tasks given and always takes volunteers' ideas into account, making you feel like a valued member of the team. I was also even given the chance to have a go at some pottery. Additionally both Mark and Owen are both inspiring individuals as it is amazing to see how both sides - the pottery business and the gardens -are being developed whilst being the sole founders. Both are very interesting to talk to - it was great to hear about Owen's past work in zoos and conservation and to talk languages and history with Mark, who speaks many different languages.
Also, I must mention - both are excellent cooks!
From what I've seen of Scotland it is a beautiful, friendly place and in particular the residents of Oxton are particularly lovely. Whilst in the area I would most definitely recommend a trip to bass rock and the forth islands if you like sea birds and also a visit to Edinburgh and all the sights it has to offer including the climb to Arthur's seat - which is challenging but worth it when you see the view! The borders are generally full of beautiful countryside.
If you are looking to make a difference in a great project, love birds and would love to work among a wonderful family, then this is the place for you!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Kat)
I cannot believe the amount we have achieved in the time you have been with us Kat! And what a mixed bag of tasks and projects we've tackled.
It's been a busy time and Kat was always in the thick-of-it working hard and doing her best. A very capable person, always ready to step in and tackle any task. Practically minded and great at problem
… read more solving Kat will be an asset where ever she goes.
Having Kat stay with us was more valuable than first meets the eye. With her capable hand holding the place together we were able to visit as a family, my ailing Mother. This is something we are very grateful to Kat for as we are rarely able to leave the site as a family. This was a huge thing we asked of you and you did it extremely well.
Always welcome here in whatever capacity brings you here!
Many, many thanks for all the giggles and laughter! You'll be sorely missed.
Dejado por el workawayer (Hector ) para el anfitrión
Owen, the kids, and Marc are such a lovely family, very easy going persons, respectful, knowledgeable, polite, and most of the time we were laughing, I had a good fun working with Owen + I learned new positives thing, and skills in my life! He’s going to make your life easier while you stay. Thank you very much guys for making my stay one of the
… read more best in this journey, I always felt such a nice vibe from you, and no doubt in the future I’d love to come back again. Definitely one of the best experiences on workaway!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Hector )
Hector is the first person we've invited to join us, we're delighted he accepted. He has a skill set that is impressive and we were hopeful that he would be able to help us with technical advice, which of course he did.
If he applies to come and stay with you then GRAB him. He is a hard worker, he is versatile, up for anything and very good fun
… read more to have around. We laughed so much as we got tasks done. He is fit and strong, and very capable. He's happy to work alone, being efficient and productive. He is also excellent in a team and allows everyone to be involved and he embraces team-spirit.
Very easy to talk to, good fun to have around and very respectful to our requests of him.
Have great travels Hector!
We hope you'll come back and join us again.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Miembro de Workaway)
No show.
Sent a poor 'I'm sorry' text two days later.
We've turned other volunteers away as we'd agreed to welcome Sandra.
We're now short of help.
It's a sad situation for many people.
(El Workawayer ha cancelado a última hora / no se ha presentado)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Guido)
Kai is so young...but very wise.
The work we did was tough and the weather was horrible but Kai got stuck in and was the first out in the morning and the last to stop working at night. The contribution Jai made was huge and for that we are very thankful.
Kai is a self confessed dreamer and thinker, and this we would agree with. Kai is quite
… read more happy to approach work quietly and with concentration, always achieving results, and with a quiet methodical approach.
There is a lovely empathy with the birds that Kai demonstrated here. There was always an aura of calm and the birds responded well to this ambience.
We're very thankful for Kai's contributions and wish him all the successes and excitement that life offers!
Dejado por el workawayer (Guido) para el anfitrión
For me, staying with Mark and Owen was an amazing and meaningful experience. Having turned 18 last week, this was my first time traveling and volunteering abroad (on my own) and I could not have imagened a better place to start my travels/adventure. This place offered me the perfect combination of independence and a safe base to fall back on if
… read more necessary. I slept in my own caravan and prepared my own evening meals but every day we worked together, and shared stories over a hot lunch. I really enjoyed working with and learning from likeminded volunteers to help develop this beautiful place Mark and Owen created over the years. During my time at the Oxton bird garden I learned a lot about birds, but more important I got to experience what it is like to work in a team with people from different nationalities and learn about their culture and habits. I worked together with two young volunteers from Spain and someone from Australia and talking with them I learned a lot about the cultural differences between our countries as well as some of the differences in moral values, politics and education. For me this was a truly valuable experience which allowed me to see certain societal problems from different perspectives.
Finding meaning in my work and being able to contribute to other people’s lives mean a great deal to me. This place offered me the opportunity to work with my hands, simultaneously giving me the chance to broaden my world view. Seeing the result after a day's work was very rewarding and with the birds around you really see what or who you are doing it for. I will never forget my time with Mark and Owen (and of course the birds) and could not recommend this place any higher. I can't wait to see what it will look like when it is finished!Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Harriet)
Harriet came to join us and as it happened her timing was incredible.
We were having Planning department issues and Harriet brought a wealth of knowledge to the table regarding drawings and interpreting the councillor's wording.
We are indebted to Harriet for the hours of drawings she embarked upon on our behalf.
During the normal working day
… read more Harriet has been the only volunteer who has been proactive and taken duties into her own time. This generated a great deal of time and allowed us to push forward. She's a strong lady and embraces everything.
We're really glad Harriet came to work with us.
Thank you young lady, have an awesome life you have the determination to achieve great things.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Victoria )
Miss Witter, Miss Witter, Miss Witter.
Thank you.
She came for three weeks and we were lucky enough to have five months of her time. In the time Vic was with us she created a vegetable garden, planted and cropped delicious veggies. Vic is the only workaway we've entrusted to care for the birds in full, allowing us to leave the site for the first
… read more time as a family.
She pro-offered her knowledge and abilities to forward us in terms of IT and media presence. She is one of the few people we've entrusted with our kids.
Vic takes a very proactive role in our cause and has brilliant suggestions and ideas. She is sensitive, compassionate and such a strong person. She helped drive projects forward and carried progress in my absence.
I am, and the company is quite indebted to Vic's contributions.
We feel like Vic is one of 'our people', that we may never meet again but we will be in touch for a long time. She is of course always welcome here.
Wishing you the best! Thank you for everything.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Marco & Sergio)
Marco and Sergio took the challenge of my work plans. They are team players, considerate and kind people. And they work hard.
Sergio worked long hours mixing lime render whilst the team worked to plaster a new eco build barn. He worked alone in boring circumstances but he did it very well and it enabled us to move our work forward.
Marco was
… read more challenged with an injury but was honest about it and when we made minor adjustments to our work plan Marco was a key team member who is skilled at rendering by hand an eco build building.
These two lads achieved my ambitious project goals for July, and I am very grateful for their help. Always welcome here!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Aurélien)
A very nice young man.
He is considerate, honest, has a great sense of humour and a hard worker!
Aurelien completely embraced all we do and took ownership of the projects we undertook. He was very pleasant to work beside and he helped us make huge progress.
Always welcome here young man.
Thank you very much for all your help.
Owen & Mark
Dejado por el workawayer (Aurélien) para el anfitrión
Amazing experience !!
Owen and Mark are very nice, the birds garden is a great place. The work with birds is very interesting and I could improve my english level. I haven't notised the time going by during this month of july. I recomend this place to everybody.
Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el workawayer (Romana) para el anfitrión
This was my first workaway experience. Owen and Mark and their kids are wonderful people. They are very hard working. They are always in a good mood. Both are very good cooks. They were very patient with explaining things to me and always helpful. I made new friends among the local people as they were all kind and I had a lot of fun. Through the
… read more time I stayed there I did numerous jobs like for example to help them preparing food for birds, cutting the grass, weeding and many more. I lived in a caravan which was very nice experience as I have never been in a caravan. Caravan was clean and equipped with all needed appliance to cook and keep food. I would love to come again some time soon! Thank you - always your RomanaSolo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Romana)
We love Romana.
She came to help with us and got stuck-in. She is obviously a woman of experience and was able to read animal behaviours and translated her knowledge for our and the animal's benefit.
We would have hoped she would stay longer, we are sure she will return as a friend and we look forward to that.
Thank you Romana!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (NATHAN)
Far too brief a visit! For Nathan's interests it was also the wrong time of year as he didn't experience the aspects of what happens here, the things that would've really interested him.
Saying that he carried progress with polytunnel building, the day-to-day cleaning of animal shelters helped greatly with animal feed preparation and feeding.
… read more
He learned fast, asked sensible questions and contributed at every opportunity.
All that's left to say is....you'll have to come back in breeding season and thank you.
Dejado por el workawayer (Dylan) para el anfitrión
Absolutely amazing!
I really enjoyed my stay with Owen, Mark, the kids and the beautiful animals.
Sadly we did not have time to achieve what we originally planned with the straw barn but there were plenty of other tasks to be done. I found fun and adventure in whatever I done here,from helping with the animals to using a hydraulic log splitter
… read more for the first time. Mark and Owen always took time to show and explain everything thoroughly and calmly. They are both brilliant cooks and we had some interesting conversations enjoying their lovely meals. Two of the nicest guys I have met so far. I will definitely be back.
If you are someone who loves nature I definitely recommend this host. On your days off there are plenty of walks to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Up for a real adventure, feed the swans. NamasteSolo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Dylan)
Good man. Reliable and trustworthy!
We didn't achieve what we planned to as family ill health meant I was away a lot of Dylan's time with us. That said it was great having him here as he was able to carry the workload of the day to day bird feeds, cleaning, etc.
We hope Dylan will come back and see us again, and we wish him every enjoyment
… read more on his journey.
Dejado por el workawayer (Frederico) para el anfitrión
This guys are amazing. We spend 45 lovely days with this couple and it was wonderful.
It was hard to say good bye and some tears appeared.
Owen and Mark are a very good example of strength and sympathy , they have many interesting stories and are very cultured. Additionally amazing cooks. We also are missing Antony and Kenzy.
The work was very
… read more varied and gratifying, we had beautiful days off in the weekends.
We just felt in love with the cabin and the caravan as well.
Thank you for all, both. The Scotland was unbelievable.
See you soon.
Hugs.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Frederico)
Lovely people. The most calm, dedicated and efficient of volunteers.
This lovely couple were always respectful of our family/home time and our children. They worked quietly, efficiently and with great care and precision.
Fred and Isa will always be welcome here. Initially they came for one month and extended by an additional ten days. In that
… read more time they experienced so much and in return we gained so much from them. This is what workaway is about, the beautiful exchange of skills, experience, wisdoms and mutual respect.
The black swans will not miss Fred and Isa as much as Fred and Isa will miss them!
Thank you both, a pleasurable and productive time!
Dejado por el workawayer (Griffin) para el anfitrión
The boys and the birds. My three weeks in Oxton were delightful, and I’ll tell you for why: It took no time at all to find out what’s occurring, falling into a pleasant routine of work, food, tea, rest, and play. I won’t lie to you; as promised, the work was sometimes arduous, be it digging ponds, pouring concrete, or carrying lumber, but the
… read more instructions were always clear and the appreciation always voiced. Mark and Owen always made me feel like an integral part of the goings on—that my work was both important and valued.
Lodging was lush, it was. I found myself in a cozy, private cabin with its own kitchen unit, comfy bed, and a great view of the emus. I never wanted for food. They were always quick to buy groceries, and as a vegetarian, I thank them for respecting my views. I looked forward to every meal with them, and not just because I was famished. Mark and Owen are such kind, rich characters, pairing sharp tongues with large hearts. They introduced me to the community, brought me to a proper barbecue, and took care to see that my time in Scotland was as memorable as it was enjoyable. It was an absolute privilege to be a part of their life, which toed the line between chaotic productivity and surreal fun.
I say surreal because of the vibrant menagerie that is their bird garden. I’ve learned more about birds than I had ever thought necessary, and loved every minute of it. Even when I wasn’t feeding geese, collecting eggs, or deworming endangered mandarin ducks, there was nothing more relaxing than sitting and watching the animals. From the dinosaur-like emus and the puppet-ish rheas, to the painfully adorable Nene, and chittery whistling ducks, all have stolen pieces of my heart. As fascinating as the landscape around them, they were. There was no shortage of beauty to be seen, hikes to be trekked, or friends to be made. Tidy, the lot of ‘em.
Saying goodbye left a dull ache in my stomach, not unlike what you might feel when you leave home for a very long time. In just 22 days I became familiar with a world that will remain with me ad infinitum.
Cheers, Marwen. Genuine.Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Griffin)
She came and she conquered!
She fed geese and wallabies, she got stuck into whatever the day offered: be it digging ponds, fencing, preparing food for animals and/or people, catching and handling birds, babysitting our kids, figuring out stuff and fixing situations, and so much more.... No two days were the same when Griffin was here. Mad and
… read more hectic as it was, she just got stuck in, embracing everything and decimated our work schedule. Our house has developed so much and it's largely thanks to this woman.
A powerful person and a joy to have around, thank you for all you did and the humour we shared! Come again soon!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Olivier & Adrien)
Charming, good humoured, nice, considerate, intelligent and extremely hard working young men.
Thank you so much for huge contribution to our progress!
Comeback and visit whenever.
Dejado por el workawayer (Molly & Brennan) para el anfitrión
It is hard for me to convey just what a fabulous experience I had with Mark and Owen at their home in Oxton. As a potter-in-training, I was very excited when I saw in their profile that Mark was a potter and I asked if I might be of some help in the studio. I was so grateful that he said yes, and throughout the course of the three weeks that I
… read more stayed, I learned a huge variety of new techniques which I cannot wait to try out for myself in the future. In general, I was amazed by the level of trust both he and Owen exhibited in me, in the pottery and beyond.
In the morning I loved feeding the wallabies and collecting dandelions for the chickens. I also had a great time helping out with several outdoor tasks like mowing and planting, though I was primarily in the pottery making moulds.
I stayed in the cabin, and within a few days felt completely at home. I miss falling asleep to the sound of the emus; whoever stays there next is very lucky!
On the whole, Mark and Owen and their sons are just wonderful people with the best senses of humor and admirable amounts of energy. I miss the whole family very much and hope to return someday to see them and their flamingos!
My only regret about this workaway is that I could not have stayed longer. Their place is amazing, and I'm so excited for them and all of their projects. I feel lucky to have to been able to take part in something so special. Thank you Mark and Owen. Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Molly & Brennan)
Getting to know Molly has been a joy and a privilege. What a lovely person she is.
Somehow on fist meeting her I knew, potter to potter, that we would get along, and that she would be capable of the tasks I was preparing to set her.
We hadn't mentioned the need for a pottery assistant in our workaway profile, so out of her own initiative
… read more Molly inquired if she could be one; I needed some moulds remade, and can never make the time, so we agreed that she could be our first Pottery volunteer.
Molly had never made plaster moulds before, but she is a very eager student and learned very quickly how to make the frames to make moulds from the models I presented her with.
Molly learns quickly and is equipped with common sense to work out how to do stuff and has the humility to ask when she gets stuck, or when she didn't quite understand my explanation.
Molly also took pleasure in the mornings collecting dandelion leaves for the bantams and feeding the wallabies, and on her first few days here before I had prepared any models for her to make moulds from, she mowed paths and helped Owen with fencing.
Basically Molly is an all around good egg.
The whole family is going to miss Molly when she leaves us in the morning. She is a capably woman, who is good company, witty, practical and sassy :-)
Molly is a very talented potter, I look forward to watching her career and her work progress.
We ALL hope Molly comes back to see us in the future, either as an intern in the Pottery or just as a very good friend who we are going to miss.
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Averi)
Averi and Bruno did a huge range of tasks and due to circumstance they largely worked alone. To their credit they worked hard and managed to organise their own volunteer structure. They shifted over 5 tonnes of earth by wheelbarrow to backfill a stretch of fox proof fencing - we are SO thankful to them for completing this huge effort.
Good people
… read more of good ethical belief with well read and witty conversation.
Thank you both for all your help!
Dejado por el workawayer (Averi) para el anfitrión
Bruno and I had such a wonderful time working with Mark and Owen on their beautiful bird sanctuary! They are such a lovely couple and so welcoming, we felt at home straight away. We were able to stay in a small cabin on their property, which was absolutely perfect for two people and kept us nice and cozy, even though we were blessed with warm
… read more weather almost the whole time. We helped out with lots of work over 10 days, including fox-proof fencing, gardening, digging up thistles, and finishing off the little cabin, but were generously rewarded with delicious food and good company!! So happy we met and got to know Owen, Mark, their adorable children, and the other awesome workawayers we met on the farm as well. All the following workawayers are very lucky to help build such an up-and-coming place :)Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Sara & Melissa)
They came, they laughed, they made, they fed, they baked.......they were open to not having clear daily direction.
What a pair of girls! Really good company, we had a scream most meal times. They worked hard, figured stuff out that we didn't have time to figure out and left a very prominent mark not only on our job lists but in the grounds.
… read more
Sarah & Melissa can knock out some awesome baked goods! They raised a lot of money for our next project by working in the kitchen for two days straight creating delicious treats for a fund raiser.
They were accommodating and tolerated broken showers, changes to job lists, having to work alone, lack of building instructions for the polytunnel they put up....and many more challenges that for people who appreciate structure must have been challenging.
We hope they return as friends, workawayers, as whatever they fancy - you'll be missed ladies, thank you so much!
Dejado por el workawayer (Sara & Melissa) para el anfitrión
What to say about Owen and Mark, our newest friends... The guys are wonderful hosts - helpful, friendly, funny, clear about the work tasks, and they go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need. It is a busy, and at times, chaotic environment, but inspiring at the same time. These guys decide they are going to do something and
… read more they work diligently to make it happen.
We were tasked with erecting a 25-foot-long polytunnel, which we were almost able to finish (can't wait to see pics of the finished product). We fed emus, carried logs to line a pathway, planted flowers, and baked for a fundraiser bake sale to benefit a future flamingo rearing facility. We made connections with other workawayers and friends of the family who we will not soon forget. And of course we enjoyed getting to know the birds and other critters. Also, Mark was gracious enough to let us join one of his pottery classes where we could make some lovely souvenirs.
They were flexible and accommodating with days off so we could enjoy our free time. We were able to explore the area and even made a long weekend trip to the highlands using camping gear they lent us.
We want to be very clear that we have nothing bad to say about our stay or experience; however, if you are someone who requires a sparkling clean environment, this might not be for you, as there are many feathered creatures and their droppings. It is helpful for workawayers to be flexible and self-sufficient.
They invited us into their home as workers and guests. We enjoyed their company during meals they prepared (fantastic cooks, by the way!), tea time, and work time, and had a lot of fun sharing stories. It was a unique experience overall and we did not want to leave, but it was time to move on. Thank you so much, boys, for a wonderful first workaway experience!
Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el workawayer (Cecília & Cristóvão) para el anfitrión
We had an amazing time with Owen and Mark. We stayed with them for 3 weeks and really enjoyed to spend some time with all the animals, observing their routines :) We had the opportunity to work in different interesting projects and learn a little more about pottery as well. Owen always kindly provided everything we needed and adapted their meals
… read more to offer us delicious vegetarian options. They are really inspiring and passionate people and we hope to have the opportunity to return for a visit (or maybe again as workawayers) in the future. We wish them all the best.Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Cecília & Cristóvão)
A hard working and considerate couple.
They accepted the challenge of their first workaway experience with dedication. In a short time they achieved great things and we are grateful that they joined us and worked so hard.
They have exceptional English and we had many interesting and humorous conversations. When they left us the accommodation
… read more was clean and tidy. We hope they have a great travelling experience and hope they come and visit again someday!
Thanks for everything and safe travels!
Dejado por el workawayer (Albero) para el anfitrión
I was at Owen and Mark's house for two weeks. They're good people. And their project is amazing. Mark is an excellent chef, as well as Owen. It was a great chance to experience Scotland.
greetings from Madrid
Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Bueno)
Dejado por el workawayer (Katherine) para el anfitrión
Mark and Owen are excellent hosts. Kind, hardworking, interesting and inspiring people. The work was really enjoyable and I learnt alot about birds and their ways. The turkeys are a real highlight and I also became quite attached to the nenes. I always felt well guided with my work and was allowed freedom to self direct. In the evenings Mark
… read more kindly allowed Lizi (other worker) and I to do ceramics. It was a total dream and I hope to return. Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Katherine)
Katie is really good company, we both thoroughly enjoyed working with her.
Katie told us that she would be able to build an Etsy shop for Oxton Pottery, a leaflet, a website about our birds, a blog and helped put us on the google map and jump up the ratings on our Facebook page. Not only die she do it all, she did it brilliantly, she is a hugely
… read more skilled as well as likeable woman.
Katie also was very happy to get her hands dirty preparing emu diets, and overcame her initial fear when feeding them.
Not only was she good company for us, she was great with the kids, animals and got on really well with the other volunteer who was here at the same time.
Well back anytime, as either a visitor or a volunteer!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Cornelius)
We enjoyed watching Cornelius working with us. He watched, listened and learned a great deal. We usually prefer people to come for a minimum of three weeks so they get the full benefit of what we offer and we get jobs completed. Even though Cornelius was only here for one week, together we managed to make good progress and we are grateful for his
… read more contribution!
An intelligent, well read young man.
Dejado por el workawayer (Cornelius) para el anfitrión
Though I stayed for only one week, I had a great time at this place!
Mark and Owen showed me all the tasks with patience and where happy to answer all my curious questions about the farm, their project and the UK in general. We had very nice chats and great meals (and wine), as both are really good chefs! It's very inspiring how hard-working they
… read more are and what you can accomplish when you stick to your dream.
During the time I got to know lots of the birds, what I enjoyed, and had a proper workout included. The caravan is very cozy and you can see the birds during their morning routine, once you opened the curtains :-).
I will follow the progress, thank you and all the best! Solo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el workawayer (Gervaise & Armand) para el anfitrión
What an amazing place!!!
We were there for one month, a lovely time with this great family! We had such good time to work, live, and laugh there that we'll never forget these precious instants in a good atmosphere with openminded people, full of life and plenty of humour...
The fence around the field was a big job but we took it as a
… read more challenge (and the turkeys thank us!) and we've been always rewarded for our hard work. There is always something to do; they have a lot of great projects and help them is a pleasure!
Thanks for everything, see you next few years in your zoo! All the best
G&ASolo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Gervaise & Armand)
We are amazed with this couple's achievements!
They arrived with a friend of theirs (previously agreed) and after a brief description of our needs they were off and working. They were very respectful of our family space and contributed at meal times.
Our job list for October was decimated by this hard working trio who would take on any task
… read more and give it 100% every day.
They exceeded our expectations and we are sorry to see them go.
We cannot recommend Gervaise and Armand highly enough. We hope they will return to join us in the future either to work with us or simply to come visit. They will always be welcome here.
Thank you very for everything!
Dejado por el anfitrión para el workawayer (Lara)
Lara is a hard working young lady who helped us immensely with all sorts of different jobs. She was not afraid to try any job and contributed to building fences, building a conservatory, feeding birds, working in the pottery, cooking, painting and lots more.
We are very thankful for Lara's contributions and hope she'll visit us in the future
… read more either to work with us or just to visit.
Thank you and big hugs!
Dejado por el workawayer (Lara) para el anfitrión
I spent three weeks at this lovely place in Oxton. Mark and Eoin are so nice and welcoming people, I felt absolutely comfortable with them and enjoyed working alongside them. Even though I'm not friend of the cold, wind and rain I've fallen in love with Scotland's beauty. It's an amazing place, really have to be seen! I still can't believe what
… read more this hard working people built within only one year. I'm excited to follow the progress of further changes and looking forward to my next visit at the birds garden :-) Many thanks to you both for the opportunity to stay at your place and the great time!
<3 LaraSolo puedes ponerte en contacto con workawayers con membresías activas.
(Excelente)
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Información para aquellos que piensan visitar el Reino Unido
Ten en cuenta que, debido al BREXIT, la libertad de movimiento entre la UE y el Reino Unido terminará el 1 de enero de 2021. Si no eres un ciudadano de Reino Unido, de Irlanda, de la Commonwealth con permiso de residencia en el Reino Unido, ni tienes pasaporte de nacionalidad británica en el extranjero (BNO), ni un visado de nivel 5 del Programa de Movilidad Juvenil (vacaciones trabajando) y vas a viajar al Reino Unido para trabajar o estudiar a partir del 1 de enero de 2021, es posible que denieguen tu entrada en Reino Unido si no tienes los visados y permisos adecuados. Si quieres más información sobre visados y permisos de trabajo para personas de tu nacionalidad, ponte en contacto con la embajada de tu país ANTES de viajar.