Profile of the organisation and local community
The small village of Portela Vale de Espinho, local where it is situated the main office of Vertigem - Associação para a Promoção do Património, is a privileged place of the Natural Park of Serras de Aire e Candeeiros, located between the villages of Bezerra (3 Km) and Arrimal (4Km).
The project "Cuckoo's Farm" (the main place of the tasks to be developed in this project),is located in a small farm with 6 hectars in Portela de Vale de Espinho, in a space that comprehends 2 houses (one with 3 floors and one low floor) and a space that works as atelier and workshop area. There is also one outside swimming pool, orchard, horticulture space, and some other buildings that supported agricultural activities, forest and agricultural park.
In spite of the local isolation the farm have several facilities that will make the communication and the outside contact easer, through satellite tv, internet , telephone and fax
The population of Portela Vale de Espinho is in its aged majority, not many young people are present to develop many activities. It is a rural way of life, mostly relying on agriculture as a mean of existence. The village of Portela Vale de Espinho has a very small population, with 60 people, although the village receive a significant number of visitors (more than 5000) concerning activities of environmental education developed for the region schools and also activities of environmental interpretation and expeditions concerning the ecological tourism programmes
For the youth there are some sports structures: soccer field, pavilion, the headquarters of Colectividade CCRD do Arrimal and CCRD de Serro Ventoso, where people can developed cultural and recreational activities, 2 restaurants, 3 cafés, 1 mini market, pharmacy, and some basic institutions for example, health centre, a kindergarten, a Casa do Povo (community centre for the elders of the community)
The main means of transportation is the Vertigem car, and bicycles, although there is public transportation either by bus, (except during school vacation).
The small village of Portela Vale de Espinho, local where it is situated the main office of Vertigem - Associação para a Promoção do Património, is a privileged place of the Natural Park of Serras de Aire e Candeeiros. Located at 10km of Porto de Mós, between the villages of Bezerra and Arrimal, it's a place of great natural beauty and away from disturbing elements of the landscape or environment such as quarries, pig exploitation, existing in some areas of this Natural Park. Its here in the "most typical village" of the Natural Park that is situated the main place of the tasks to be developed in this project.
The P.N.S.A.C. (Natural Park of Serras de Aire e Candeeiros)
Situated between Lisbon and Coimbra we find the PNSAC, that with an area of 35 000ha is part of the districts of Leiria and Santarém that reach the municipalities of Alcanena, Alcobaça, Porto de Mós, Rio Maior, Santarém, Torres Novas and Ourém.
The Natural Park has some rare rocky formations: caves, poljes, scarps, rotting limestone, dry valleys, etc. There are no surface watercourses and the proliferation of underground waters often forms new caves and galleries. As typical vegetation we find olive groves and scrubland.
Inside the Park, there are traces of human settlement dating back to pre-history, following the Romans, Moors or even the Cistercian Monks that worked this land since the twelfth century. The need to find farmland led to the removal of stones to divide up the area, which gives the landscape a characteristic appearance.
In the Natural Park area there is a population of about 24000 inhabitants, concentrated essentially in periphery urban places, where it's possible to find some industry of textiles and tanneries. There is in a strong decline the rural population that lives in the interior zones with a bound to the poor agriculture of the mountain.
Proposed activities for EVS volunteers
Youth is the target group which has a main role to contribute for developing the integration of young people and local community. Exchange of knowledge, skills and ideas is the key to spread and confirm the idea for protecting the nature in Europe.
Volunteers participating in this project will be integrated in groups of young members and monitors of Vertigem specialised in the different areas, who will give all the specific technical support for the different activities. They will have the chance to learn and develop their skills and competences in technical areas, such as flora, fauna, environment protection, environmental education, recycling and cartography.
They wil also have linguistic training and support troughout all the project.
Supervisors and trainers will be on hand to provide the volunteers with the necessary skills to carry out the work both safely and competently. A health and safety training session is held at the beginning of each project.
This project is part of a global project aiming for social inclusion, promotion and protection of the environment and intends to exchange experiences and ideas about the development of projects in this area with young people from other countries, independently of their social or physical condition.
For the good development of this project it was created a multidisciplinary team of human resources, that will be with the volunteers during all the activities in order to guarante all the logistics, technical and educational needs for the good development of the project and for the participants envolvement.
Having as a goal the exercise of socio- Professional and socio- cultural activities, this Project gives to the group of volunteers the opportunity to develop a work with a strong perspective of inter-relation with the work world (i.e. a biological agricultural production and reutilization of the materials) and with the community in general (i.e. sensibilization and participation in environmental workshops).
This project also intends to develop several formative actions in the intercultural sphere that beside the multidisciplinary role (environmental resource approach, citizenship, habits and good environmental practices) set a common axle that is the environmental protection, tolerance and the increase of life quality. In the other hand the project has several activities such as environmental sensibilization and interpretation actions, a centre of environmental service, biological goods, packing and clothes reutilization which main goal is the connection with the local community that is indispensable for the project success.
Acting in a inovate and transversal area like the environmental, this project will also show to the local comunity the active role that the people with disabilities can have in this matter that is the protection of the natural resurces and the contribution for the improvement of the environmental quality in a global scale.
We would like this experience to help other youth to become volunteers and participate in these kind of activities.
The activities offered in this project, offer the volunteers a much more supernumerary position and allow the volunteer to be involved in more specific activities, relating to their interests and abilities.
The activities proposed establish connection in three sources( leisure, educational and labour), aiming at the contact and direct experience with the environment in rural area and have as main goals:
- Promote environmental sensibilization, in order to engage in the community good practical environmental norms;
- To develop areas of information, sensibilization and enhance good practical environmental norms;
- Providing opportunities for training and education for young people with interest in ecology, nature, biodiversity and opportunity to learn several techniques that will allow to work in the environmental area;
- Contribute for building international volunteering;
- Cultural exchange and create interest about other cultures;
- To provide to the volunteers a new way of living;
- To increase the self-esteem, the self- confidence of youth;
- Promote social inclusion;
- To increase the autonomy (mainly of disabled and other disadvantaged youth);
- To make possible the execution of simple tasks to the groups of young people with disabilities;
- To improve the image and the concept that the community has of the people with disabilities;
- Support the groups in the prevention of fire in forests and reforestation;
- Promote values of respect, tolerance and equality
The project consists in 3 different parts. The volunteer will participate in the activities, being integrated in groups of youth members, with whom they will collaborate in the following tasks:
A- Environmental Centre
1- Agricultural park (**)
1.1 Composting System: the implementation of a composting system causes diverse benefits, such as the reuse and recycling of residues - these measures are always important to integrate a program of ambient management.
1.2 Production of farm products (biological): fruits; honey (proceeding from the beekeeping); Bags of humus (proceeding from the composting process); Bags of tea and plants seasoning; Flowers (proceeding from the greenhouse)
2- House of the reused bottles (**): Concerning the craft workshops (to implement in a completely innovative structure, based in an covering in plastic bottles), the main goal is the production of manufacture products in two distinct areas:
2.1 "The Green" Workshop - preparation, preservation and packing of the farm products ;
2.2 Clothes workshop - recycling of Clothes
2.3 Recycling paper
In these workshops will be also developed several activities which the main goal will be, information through the direct experimentation and interpretation for groups, with specific incidence on schools and ATL's.
3- Realization of workshops (*):
- Crafts products from the 3 workshops:
- A pack for the production of recycled paper;
- Recycling of clothes
- Recycled paper objects;
- A pack for the production of recycled paper;
- Teas and infusions.
- Clothes
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4- Naturo - sensorial House (**):
4.1 realization of games, workshops and other activities that will be carefully planned.
The permanent activities of sensorial stimulation will be based on natural elements.
5- Wild Birds Monitorization/ Control
5.1 - Observation and registration (*)
5.2 - Bird Ringing (*)
5.3 - Nest construction and artificial feeding construction (*)
5.4 - Nest and artificial feeding maintenance (*)
5.5 - Monitoring of nesting and migrating birds (*)
5.6 - Recording of birds at the feeding sites (*)
5.7 - Develop activities of bird watching
5.8 - Indentify / Register with specific instruments (cartography) of the most sensate nesting and reproduction places
5.9 - Monitorization / Control and Impact in the wild birds affected by the electric lines (project developed in partnership with EDP and SPEA) and eolic towers.
5.10 - Introduction of information collected during the monitorization in a database
5.11 - Analysing the gathered information
5.12 - Maintenance of the equipment
6 - Collecting information
This requires from the young volunteer, as a member of specific teams, to collect information (field work) regarding to the Natural Patrimony (geomorphology, hydric resources, fauna, flora, etc…) using for this equipment that will allow map information (Cartography), record(video, audio, photography) and identify.
7 - Indoor Activities
This project is open to the community, therefore there will be developed activities directed to several target groups, mainly children and youth.
7.1 - Reception of youth and children (*)
7.2 - Integration in the of exhibitions, workshops, training actions, or seminars(*) (i.e: Workshop " Art - environment"; Training " Illustration of the Nature "; Training - "Gardening"; Training - "Farming") activities carried out by Vertigem for youth, children and schools visiting the PNSAC (Natural Park) (*)
7.2.1 - Prepare educational activities for different levels
7.2.2 - Preparation of didactic material related to environment issues
7.2.3 - preparation of guides (information on thematic paths: environmental, cultural, sportive,…)
7.3 - Help in the preparation of sensibilization activities for youth and local community on environmental issues (*)
7.4- Help in the Preparation of an ecotourism map for youth in the PNSAC
7.5 - Help in the Recycling activities (development of activities related with recycling issues having as main target youth and children)
B - Outdoor activities
These activities are developed in partnership with other local entities (Natural Park of Serra de Aire e Candeeiros (PNSAC), Municipality of Porto de Mós, other local entities and organizations)
8 - The volunteer, integrated in teams of young volunteers will dinamize the studied areas of the Natural Park with animation activities with schools and informal groups, trough the preparation, organisation and framing of especific activities such as:
8.1 - Help in the production and ediction of documents of support to the outdoor activities
8.2 - Help in the bicycle rides (develop a map of bicycle trails)
8.3 - Help in the preparation of materials and equipment for topography and caves exploration
8.4 - Help in the maintenance of used materials for activities
9- The volunteer, integrated in teams of young volunteers will help in the preparation and development of cultural and sportive activities in local events.
10 - Accompaniment of youth or school groups of children coming to the PNSAC in recognition walks of flora and fauna (*)
11 - Taking pictures of elements of the fauna and flora from the area and treatment of the gathered information
12 - Collecting of video images on the natural heritage of PNSAC and treatment of the gathered information
13 - Nature Conservation tasks (*) :
14.1 - Participate in some action of cleaning of the PNSAC (bushes, garbage)
14.2 - Keeping the Natural paths of PNSAC
14.3 - Opening and maintenance of paths and footpaths
14.4 - Reforestation activities in the PNSAC
14.5 - Drawing, making and maintenance of wooden guide signs
14.6 - Identifying and surveying habitat & species
14.7 - Ecologig Group: to search for illegal waste deposits on the PNSAC and inform to prevent lesion of environment.
15 - Bicycle Patrollers (*):
15.1 - Monitoring and prevention
15.2 - Patrols in Natural Park of Serra de Aire e Candeeiros (when locating forest fires alert the fire department)
15.3 - Maintenance of the equipment used in the activities (bicycle, binoculars…)
16 - Realization of pedestrian walks(*)
C - Personal project
There will be given the opportunity to the volunteer to develop a personal project. For that it will be proposed by the coordinator to the volunteer that he /she develops a plan for that project. There wil be an accompaniement, and tools, materials or equipments will be available if they are necessary for the development of the volunteer's project.
Note: The activities with (*) are also developed by Short Term Volunteers
The activities with (**) are only developed by Short Term Volunteers
ALL activities are developed in a Natural Park in a small village isolated from big urban places.
All of the activities developed by the volunteers in this project are accompanied and supervised by the monitors and Portuguese volunteers of each activity that, before activities, give them training and during the activities give them all support the volunteers may need.
Volunteer profiles and recruitment process
For this project we would like to receive enthusiastic people with good communicational skills, who are independent and willing to participate in the project.
Qualities taken into account by Vertigem in the selection of candidates for this project are: love of nature and protection of the environment; enthusiasm, motivation to participate in our specific project, appreciation in being useful; enjoy communicating and learning new skills and competences, interest to work in a team, tolerance towards difference.
We would highly appreciate the volunteer's being flexible, with capacity to adapt to new and different situations and treating an obstacle as a challenge.
Factors as race, sex, age, religion or political ideals are not conditioning factors for appreciating the applications.
This project is also addressed to young disadvantaged and disabled people, willing to spend 6 to 12 weeks in "the heart" of a Natural Park, with other Long Term EVS volunteers. Therefore these volunteers are expected to have a strong interest by nature, motivated to work with an international team, and be aware that they are 10 kilometres away from the closest city (Porto de Mós).
We strongly recommend the Short Term volunteers to make the advanced planning visit to the project, because it is important for the volunteer to get to know the place and discuss expectations and possibilities towards the EVS with the local project and the hosting organisation.
Beside the information in the european database, there is also going to published information on the project in networks where Vertigem takes part and in Vertigem's website.
The selection process will be base on a clear and objective exchange of information with the candidate and sending organization. This exchange of information will have as basis an application form developed by Vertigem, motivation of the candidates and the exchange of emails, fax and letters btween the parts involved in the process.
The selection of the candidates to this project comprehends an initial phase that includes the communication and exchange of information between the staff of the involved organizations and the volunteer, being concluded with a meeting of Vertigem's EVS committee, formed by the mentor, tutor, activities coordinator, national volunteers and staff of support.
It may be considered by the Committee a telephonic interview with the candidate.
Balanced distribution regarding the sending countries involved. With this criteria we intend to create a well balanced, motivated, intercultural and diversified team of volunteers, willing to be committed to the implementation of the project and to learn from the great experience that this project will provide them.
We are open to work with any partner.
Special needs (if applicable)
This project is also to foreseen to host volunteers with fewer opportunities and youth with slight to moderate disabilities as stated before in this application form. This project is designed to offer disadvantaged and disabled young people a meaningful and rewarding experience in a short, clearly focused period of time in order to motivate them to progress to long-term projects. The project is aimed at equipping the volunteers with the confidence and self-belief to participate in the wider programme whilst also achieving worthwhile environmental improvement in an area that comprehends the Natural Park of Serra de Aire e Candeeiros. For this fact Vertigem has defined a group of specialized people that will accompany and support the volunteers in the preparation of the project and during their staying in the project. There will be staff that will give support to all issues regarding EVS and there will be monitors that will accompany the volunteers throughout their activities and will give them training so that they will be able to develop in a positive way the proposed activities. For a better accompaniment of the volunteers and regarding their particular difficulties there is also considered the presence of a psychologist that will follow volunteers' trough the project. For this matter some meetings will take place in order to make a good accompaniment and avoid or prevent any crisis or conflict situation.
All staff taking part of the project has training and experience working with disadvantaged and disabled youth. This is also a project that wants to promote social inclusion.
Beside the specialized professionals that will accompany the volunteers there are also the mentor and the tutor of the project that will give their help and support to the volunteer trough the project development.
Volunteers will be accommodated in a countryside house in Portela Vale de Espinho, sharing the facilities with other EVS volunteers. Food will be provided by Vertigem and arrangements can be made according to specific needs of volunteers.
Support: Staff and volunteers are prepared to give all kind of support volunteers ask and will help volunteers in the integration process, inside and outside the project. Weekly meetings will take place to talk about the project and needs of the volunteers.
Risk prevention, safety and protection
Vertigem is an organization that receives EVS volunteers since 1998. Since that year many young people coming from several countries, with different races and religions, have developed their EVS project with Vertigem, allowing the organization and its staff to learn and evolve, getting more abilities to prevent and face risk and crisis situations.
In this ambit, Vertigem has a group of human resources, tools and methods that will contribute to the prevention of uncomfortable situations either to the volunteer or to the organization.
In this context we stress the clear definition of the roles of the people intervenient in this process, namely the coordinator of the project, tutor, activities coordinator and mentor, as well as the contribution of all of these resources to the harmonious development of the EVS project.
Beside this working group and its contribution we highlight the contribute of ANEVE to this project and its availability, together and in accordance with Vertigem to contribute to the prevention and resolution of conflict or crisis situations.
Vertigem also counts in its Human Resources staff with the presence of ex- EVS volunteers, namely the project coordinator and the activities coordinator, which allows guarantying a deep knowledge in the analysis and taking action regarding risk and crisis prevention.
Vertigem will offer to volunteers continuous training regarding interculturality, specifically about Portuguese culture, and ways of living in Portugal. The training will include information on emergency numbers, where to go, what to do.
This project doesn't foresee the participation of volunteers under 18 years old.
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