A
The Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park is an institution of the Free State of Thuringia with seven permanent employees. The team is enhanced by three men doing social service instead of military service, a participant of the voluntary ecological year, interns and volunteers. The main activities of the nature park are public relations and environmental education, conservation of species and habitats as well as regional development. The projects and offers are mainly addressed to regional project partners and participants, in the section of tourism also to supraregional target groups.
The authority of the nature park is situated in Fürstenhagen, a village in rural surrounding. The entire nature park covers about 870 square kilometres in the western and northwestern outskirts of the Thuringian Basin and 106 municipalities with more than 70.000 citizens.
From the late 90s on, the nature park has hosted participants of the EVS in cooperation with the college of further education Nordhausen for several years.

B.
It is of great importance to give volunteers various educational experiences, e.g. by the participation in educational seminars of the national park service centre, and also non-formal offers like conversations, supply of literature, contacts to experts and professionals and the like.Together with the volunteer his or her educational expectation will be discussed at the beginning. Furthermore arrangements and methods according to the following work will be agreed. The volunteer will be considered as an adequate team member, whereas his/her "learning role" and the right to learning possibilities will be regarded.
Participants of the EVS can be offered the collaboration mainly in environmental education activities. These are the attendance of childrens and youth groups, project days "Ecosystem forest", holiday activities like crafting with natural materials and a summer camp with young people. Modules of the activities can be organised and realised by the volunteer him/her self, e.g. project days according to self chosen topics or programme modules of the summer camp. Thus the volunteer involves his/her native tongue, costums and characteristic games of the own country etc. in the activities, the events are enriched with european and international aspects that otherwise could not be achieved.
Additional activities of the volunteer could be public relation, e.g. translations of media and the presentation of international aspects of the work of the nature park. If interested the volunteer can as well collaborate in conservation work for species and habitats.

C.
The selection process is open, i.e. there are no restrictions to members of specified ethnical groups, of a religious community, to people with a specific sexual orientation or political opinion. The choice is made collectively by several employees of the nature park and by approved and comprehensible criteria. To bring opposite expectations to an early agreement desired qualities of the candidate are observed, when the choice is made, e.g. interest in environmental education themes and methods, self-reliance, sociableness and the willingness to pick up (more of) the German language.

D. -
E.
The basic principle to prevent risk is the continuous information exchange with the sending organisation as well as personal support of the volunteer by the qualified tutor. The tutor will be well-prepared to his or her responsibility (e.g. knowledge of workflow and emergency services). In case the tutor is personally involved into a conflict a second contact person is named.
A personal interview (by telephone) with the EVS-volunteer will be conducted and the staff and volunteer team of the nature park prepared to integrate the volunteer (e.g. clarification of his/her role and activities). The definition of the volunteer's activities as well as the supply of board and lodging for the volunteer wil be determined in respect of his/her background, specific needs, potential problems, diseases and allergies, age and gender.
After arrival a detailed conversation with the volunteer will clarify questions and rules and inform him/her about emergency services, necessary precautions, contact persons, workflows in the work and living area as well as about handling of misconduct. During the work, legal requirements concerning health as well as security of the volunteer are strictly adhered (e.g. supply of safety equipment and safety instructions for relevant activities). In case of accident the national agency will be contacted as quickly as possible.
If health or security of the volunteer should be exposed to unreasonable risk the breakup of the project will be considered in consultation with the national agency and the sending organisation.
It is not intended to employ volunteers at the age between 16 and 17 years.

With the integration of international volunteers, the Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park lives up to its joint responsibility for the cohesion of Europe and accomplishes the educational function it is comissioned to realise. It is intended to support own initiative and the corporate engagement of young European citizens by giving them the possibility to develop self-confidence and ecological awareness. That is decisive for a successful international nature conservation and environmental protection. Volunteers shall develop a personal and emotional attachment to the region through practical collaboration in projects of nature conservation and environmental protection. As a consequence volunteers can develop openness and understanding for activities in environmental protection and habits different from their own country. In the rural region of Eichsfeld, Hainich and Werratal with a low percentage of immigrants, the nature park encourages tolerance by bringing foreign people in contact with the regional population and by exhibiting and appreciating their successful volunteer activities in the public. Employees of the nature park demonstrate openness and tolerance towards other cultures and countries in forming and maintaining contacts with colleagues from partner organisations and the integration of foreign volunteers into their projects. Through this they take over an exemplary funktion. For the nature park itself the EVS offers the chance to considerably sustain and enrich the relationships with foreign partner parks and organizations. Volunteers with a foreign cultural background open up new views on current activities and add new impulses to the work of the nature park. The nature park has already made good experiences with the integration of foreign volunteers in environmental education work.

Aim of the nature park is the harmonious development of men and nature. For this purpose numerous projects in the field of nature conservation, public relation and regional development are realised and supported. One of the top priorities of the work is environmental education, mainly with young people. The staff of the nature park is formed by parmanent employees as well as by temporary involved people (see below, profile of the organisation). The work of the nature park is mainly focused on regional target groups (regional population, children and youth, educational institutions, enterprises etc.), in the touristic field also on supraregional target groups (visitors).
The Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park participates in the nationwide volunteer programme in German national parks, nature parks and biosphere reserves, which is coordinated by EUROPARC Deutschland e.V. and enlarged by international cooperations, at present. EUROPARC Deutschland as well as the Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park possess extensive experiences in the field of volunteer management.