Animal and plant protection in northern German moor and heathland areas

Would you like to make an important contribution to the conservation of moors and heaths and their animals and plants? Then this workcamp in the beautiful countryside of northern Germany between Bremen and Hamburg is the right place for you. With your workcamp group you will work in six protected areas. In the fauna-flora habitat (FFH - protected habitat of animals and plants according to EU law) and nature reserve (NSG) "Bullensee und Hemelsmoor", you will decussate pines and birches (remove non-native plants) in order to create a habitat for endangered and moor-relevant plant species such as Bult peat moss, cranberry and smooth snake. In the landscape conservation area (LSG) "Stellingsmoor", your group will clear sensitive bog areas to preserve bog development and habitat for the protected smooth snake. In addition, you will protect rare and endangered plant species such as orchids, thyme or lung gentian by partially raking out matted vegetation. In the “Swatte Flag” nature reserve (NSG) you will remove young willows to preserve an important spawning ground for the moor frog. In the fauna-flora habitat (FFH - habitat of animals and plants protected under EU law) and nature reserve (NSG) "Bullensee und Hemelsmoor", you will remove sawn-off trees from former peat cutting areas to create habitats for endangered and moor-relevant plant species such as bult peat moss, cranberry and smooth snake. In the "Elmer Berg" nature reserve, you will remove young pine trees from the heathland in order to optimize the heathland and improve the habitat of the sand lizard. You will also protect rare and endangered plant species in the "Wolfsgrund" and "Esseler Moor" nature reserves by partially raking out matted vegetation. In the "Stellingsmoor" nature reserve, your group will clear sensitive moor areas in order to preserve moor development and the habitat for the protected smooth snake. All activities are professionally supervised by the staff and volunteers of the NABU Ecological Station Oste-Region. In addition to the practical work, you will learn a lot about nature conservation and environmental protection in general as well as the natural habitat of moors and heaths and their protection in particular from the staff and volunteers. You will learn a lot about the local flora and fauna, their relevance for the ecosystem and the various measures to protect them. Cooperation partners for this workcamp are the European Union-funded Integrated LIFE Project "Atlantic Sand Landscapes" (Project Team Lower Saxony in the Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN)), the Rotenburg Office for Nature Conservation and Landscape Management and NABU Bremervoerde-Zeven.

You will stay in the Badenstedt school hostel, a self-catering house with 4 and 6-bed rooms in the middle of nature. The house has a large kitchen, toilets, communal showers and two common rooms for eating and group activities. You cook together. Money for shopping will be provided. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please indicate any intolerances when registering.

In your leisure time, you can enjoy your quiet accommodation and the beautiful surroundings by playing sports and spending evenings together around the campfire. There is a table football in the house and outside there is a goal wall, a basketball hoop, a table tennis table, a football pitch with two goals, a barbecue and a campfire area with seating. After work,you can also take the hourly bus to the neighbouring town of Zeven within 10 minutes. At the weekend trips to Bremen and Hamburg are worthwhile.