Join and help us in our little paradise in Roquebrune sur Argens, France

Infos

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  Description

  Hello :))
  
  Now our team of volunteers is complete for our Spring session.
  
  If you’re interested to come and help us, it will be possible in Autumn, from mid October to mid November 2024 !
  
  The work will be to continue our permaculture project and also to prepare the property for winter (paint, remove and cut the fallen trees, fix all the things that needed, some carpentry, etc...)
  
  DESCRIPTION :
  
  Because of the very dry summers we have now (climate change), we have begin last year to organize, faster than we thought before, the "chantier" around water and we are doing everything to transform this place into a little oasis where water will be collected, stopped, even "created" with all the tools and the knowledge of permaculture we have!
  
  Bringing back biodiversity is very rewarding... with more trees, more fruits, vegetation come again and more birds, insects, animals arrive again :)
  
  So, if you have a great energy, if you are hard worker, have some knowledge in carpentry, painting, in permaculture, in farming, or only a big willingness you will be very welcome and no doubt that you will enjoy participating !
  
  We have also a lot of other projects, less urgent, for example : to transform an old stone fountain into a cellar to preserve fruits and vegetables, using the principles of permaculture.... and, of course, all the usual maintenance
  
  If you love beautiful places in the middle of nature and of nowhere,
  if you love south of France,
  if you want to know more about permaculture or want to put your knowledge into practice,
  if you love to work outside and be peaceful and have friendly moments in the evening, with a glass of wine and nice dinner,
  if you have skills in carpentry, DIY, and know how to work with your hands,
  if one of you love cooking and would be OK to be in charge of the meals,
  if you like to be a part of a team,
  if you are enthusiastic, hard worker, dynamic, resourceful, imaginative... pro-active people,
  YOU are greatly welcomed!
  
  About the place :
  
  South of France :
  
  13 years ago, I bought a beautiful, wild and isolated barn in the middle of it's land to create a country house where my loved ones, and friends, and me, could gather.
  The place is really isolated but located in the French Riviera, quite close to the well-known Mediterranean beaches, while remaining secluded, quiet, in a beautiful environment: the Maures hills.
  The house is a very old barn of the 17th century. It was in very poor condition when I acquired it and we worked very hard to make it as it is today.
  Today the house is almost dealt with but the area still needs work!
  
  We've done great work those last years !
  Thank you so much to all the volunteers (more than 130 !!! wow !!!) who been coming here for 8 years, for their nice energy, friendship, and presence.
  
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️Internet is possible with smartphone but there is no WIFI here *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
  
  The project It is not only the restoration of the house and its environment, but also and above all, an ecological project.
  Indeed, over the past 35 years, mimosas invaded the region and our land, and they killed all the original vegetation.
  We plan and have started to replace them little by young trees and young plants and so, restore Mediterranean vegetation and create mini food forests.
  
  We want to do that that in the permaculture spirit, try to have a vegetable garden, an orchard, we have already dug a pond with a rainwater recovery.... But nature always try to stop us :)
  
  I like to work there in the hills, in the heart of unspoilt nature.
  The house is practically autonomous, electricity is produced by solar panels and water comes from our source.
  Of course, the volunteers will not be alone, but 2, 3, 4, not more, plus my partner and me. There is a lot of work to do here, no doubt, but it's also a wonderful area to explore all around!
  
  We just love this place and are very attached to it: its authentic and relaxed atmosphere, the exclusivity of the place.
  Just look at the pictures, they say more than long sentences ...
  
  About me and my family :
  We are a very united family of 12 persons and a dog :)
  My partner Rob and me share our time between our place near Paris in south.
  My oldest daughter lives now in the city of Nantes in the west of France, with her husband and 2 beautiful sons, 12 and 9 years old. Before they were in Mauritanie, after 5 years in Madagascar and 2 years in Bulgaria, and Ethiopia, and and and... they both work for NGOs.
  My son was a naval architect, and he is converting into permaculture. He lives in Brittany, in the Golfe du Morbihan, with his beloved and they are proud parents of a 8 years old boy and a pretty little girl of 5 years old!
  My youngest daughter, who is a young photographer, lives in Paris with her boyfriend but they love to come at every time they can and they recently bought a beautiful place in the mountains close to Mercantour...
  And, the last person of our family : Looma, a nice and very very friendly Golden Retriever female of 9 years old !!!
  
  About you :
  
  It' very important for us to keep the wonderful warm atmosphere we have in our teams of volunteers.
  
  So, and this is very important, we are looking for motivated, easy going, hardworking, convivial and respectful people.
  
  Respectful to others of course, but also to the house, objects, tools.
  Keep in mind that you are welcomed in a place which is very precious for us, that everything has value for us and that we expect you to take care of it.
  This point is very very important, I insist a lot on it because it was not always the case in the past and I don't want this could happen again!
  
  Here, in a great conviviality you will share work, experience, conversations, laughs, music, cooking, meals, etc...
  
  About alcohol: we like to share a beer or a glass of wine after work, during dinner, it's nice and friendly, but we do not want alcoholism here, it's important that you know it before to come here.
  
  You will enjoy being and talking all together, after the day work, with a cup of tea, coffee, a beer or a glass of wine in the hand :)
  
  Please, be honest in your description and don't say (as some did) that you have some skills when it is not true, because it complicates the work of everyone and it brings many disappointments.
  
  Workaway is a beautiful and amazing experience, we are so happy to meet and discover people coming from everywhere and becoming a part of an amazing team!
  
  Don't hesitate to ask me any questions you have!
  
  Hope to see you soon, I'm sure you will enjoy the life here!
  
  Few more important things :
  
  - Please make sure you have full medical cover.
  
  - in my place in South, WIFI is quite difficult, but possible by connection with laptops... mobile phones are ok but it depends of the place you are in the property !
  
  - come with working shoes or boots (that are easy to take off !), working gloves and rainwear... you will need them (specially in autumn and winter !)
  
  - Your should plan to arrive in Roquebrune sur Argens around 4pm at the latest.
  
  To be sure that you read my profile up to the end, if you want to send me a message, please write the phrase : "This is at it’s beginning".
  
  Emmanuelle

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  I like to talk, exchange, share my expertise ... I like the friendliness!
  
  The experience that the volunteers will acquire with me should be really rich... and the one they give me is amazing :)

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  Aide

  In South :
  As well as our big project Water/permaculture, there is things to do :
  - Rebuild a wooden annex
  - finish a pond to make a water reserve for wild animals (wild boars, deer, hares, etc)...
  - plant bushes and trees
  - Cut the invasive plants (mimosas, invasive and parasites), burn them (when it is the right season to do that), and replace them with young plants and trees.
  - rebuild dry stone walls
  - paint shutters
  - sand and protect the wooden terraces
  - build an outside shower....
  etc etc ...
  Near Paris :
  - in the garden, planting new plants, cutting hedges, redo the lawn,
  - in the house, painting, repairing, etc, etc....
  We are seeking for volunteers enthusiastic, hard worker, dynamic, resourceful, imaginative... pro-active people are greatly welcomed!
  
  Desired skills cover (but not all of them in one person !!!) : painting, carpentry, crafts of all kinds, lumberjack, gardening, house building, stone walls reconstruction, repair of roads ...

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Courant

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  Hébergement

  In South :
  Accommodation will be in the house, but is also possible in a big and confortable tent on a big wooden deck (usually not from November to mid March)
  
  Meals will be cooked and taken inside the house or on the outside garden depending on the season.
  
  Near Paris :
  I have 2 comfortable rooms with one bathroom for those 2 rooms.

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  Autres infos...

  The area is obviously very beautiful and there is plenty to do and see: walking and biking in the beautiful hills, trips to the very near Mediterranean Sea and its beaches, authentic and beautiful villages visits, etc, etc...
  The Var (and particularly the French Riviera) is one of the most beautiful place of France for tourism, so you can imagine how many things to see and to do !
  
  For Paris, I think that it is not necessary to tell you how amazing is this town and how many things you can do and see there :)
  And, near my house, the nature is beautiful, there are a lot of cute villages and many excursions to do, walk or bike to explore the surroundings.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  But the van needs to have a ground clearance good enough to be driven on our bad track :)

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Dogs, cats but not in Autumn and Winter time, sorry !

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  5 hours per day max, 5 days/week.

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