Code: ES-BRIDGES-07-MURCIA

Location: Puente Tocinos, Murcia, Spain
Type of work: AGRI Agriculture / Sustainability
Dates: Open all year, minimum 1 month. Only closed from 15th July to 1st September.

Total places: 2 volunteers at the same time
Age: 18 – 30
Requirements: Young people willing to develop sustainable agriculture, permaculture and bioconstruction activities.

Fees: 40€ membership fee

Conservation of Nature Association was constituted in April of 2010 with the main objective of disseminating knowledge, appreciation and
respect for the environment through the realization of projects and activities on two environmental education, volunteering, research and everything that has to do with the nature in general and our way of relating to it.

During the first years of activity, the association has dedicated itself specifically to the development of training courses on nature and ecology in cooperation with the University of Murcia, with the center of environmental education in Murcia “CEMACAM” and with other associations with related objectives, as well as wildlife and wildlife monitoring and study projects environmental volunteer activities.

Conservation of Nature started in 2017 on a new project dedicated to permaculture, the sustainability and bioconstruction in a half-hectare plot in the middle of the orchard traditional of Murcia, the project “Permaculture, Bioconstruction and Cohousing “.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives and lines of work of the project “Permaculture, Bioconstruction and Cohousing “are:
 Bioconstruction
Giving shelter to a maximum of 10 people thanks to the construction of two houses under one same green roof through the CUT construction system, based on a structure wooden carrier, with walls of straw bales and natural clay and / or lime coatings (in the initial phase of the works).

Assembly and furnishing using recycled materials from a yurt on an elevated structure of wood (finished).
Construction of an outdoor shower and sink using recycled materials (finished).
Construction of chicken coop with cane, mud and straw (in design phase).
 Food production
Design and implementation of a food forest (in process), proposed to produce the maximum diversity of fruits of traditional varieties and the maximum presence of flowers of native vegetation throughout the year in order to attract pollinators and fauna.

Production of vegetables through no-till agriculture, using elevated terraces type lasagna and drip irrigation (in process), direct seeding, mulching, production of compost, etc. (Natural Agriculture).

 Harnessing the energies
Installation of photovoltaic and solar thermal system, passive cooling systems (type “well Canadian “) and high-efficiency thermal mass stoves (” rocket stove “type) in the households.
 Responsible water use
Construction and use of dry bath (finished), reuse of treated wastewater through the installation of a biological treatment plant in homes, implementation of a drip irrigation for vegetables and maintenance of traditional irrigation in fruit trees through dwels, discarding the irrigation to blanket and irrigating selectively by grooves (finalized).

Return the structure and health to the ground
Through afforestation, avoiding tillage, applying straw mulch-free pesticide mulching and using green fertilizers (annual sowing of legumes and grasses with rotation).

 Promote the biodiversity of fauna and flora
Through afforestation, the placement of nest boxes for birds and bats and shelters for insects (in design phase) and generating spaces and shelters suitable for reptiles and amphibians (stone walls dry, naturalized pond, etc.)
 Waste treatment and reuse
Solid waste by composting in a dry bath for fecal matter and by composting of pallets for organics. Wastewater through biological treatment and naturalized pond and reuse for irrigation of fruit trees.
 Educational, cultural and leisure space
For now we have scheduled a couple of workshops on different aspects and systems of Bioconstruction while the construction of the housing lasts; in any case this line of action is still to be defined, and for this the environment we are creating is key.

Monitoring

During the development of volunteer activities there will always be between two and three people, including the tutor, working on the project. Both the tutor and another of the colleagues can communicate in English and participate in training and support for volunteers
during their stay.

TASKS

The tasks in which you can participate in the framework of our project “Permaculture, Bioconstruction and Cohousing “will be related to the maintenance of food forest, the practice of natural agriculture through the cultivation of vegetables in raised terraces and direct sowing, maintenance of the dry bath and the yurt, assembly and placement of nest boxes for birds and bats and shelters for insects, design and construction of chicken coop using natural materials, support in works of bioconstruction, etc.

Schedule
Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Activities (30 hours per week)
1. Maintenance of the food forest through the following tasks:
– Irrigation between days 1 and 10 of each month by ditch.
– Maintenance of portillo, gutters, grooves and alcorques
– Plantations
– Adventitious control next to the feet of planted trees and shrubs
– Mulching
– clearing and pruning if necessary
– Disease and pest control
– Care of nurseries and flower pots
– Compost maintenance
– Maintenance of elevated terraces of vegetable cultivation
2. Vegetable cultivation on elevated “lasagna” terraces and drip irrigation (agriculture without tillage) and maintenance of seedbeds.
3. Support in bio-construction works of our wood and straw house (CUT technique of construction with straw)
4. Design and construction of chicken coop with capacity for 15 chickens (approx.) With materials
natural and recycled.
5. Assembly and placement of nest boxes for beneficial insectivorous birds, nocturnal raptors and
bats and two shelters for insects.
6. Maintenance of the dry bath and the yurt.

Generic competences
Maintenance and support work.
Specific competences
1. Maintenance of the food forest.
2. Growing vegetables
3. Support in Bioconstruction work.
4. Design and construction of chicken coop with capacity for 15 chickens (approx.) With materials natural and recycled.
5. Assembly and placement of nest boxes for beneficial insectivorous birds, night raptors and bats and two insect shelters.
6. Maintenance of dry bath and Mongolian yurt.

ACCOMMODATION

The accommodation can be shared or not between the Mongolian yurt and the caravan.

Meals will be based on an ovo-lacto-vegetarian or vegan diet. The tutor will provide the Volunteers the utensils and organic food necessary for a healthy and balanced diet, according to the demands of the works and activities that will be carried out. If the volunteers wanted
add meat or fish to your diet you can purchase these products on your own at any nearby supermarket.

The preparation of the meals will be in charge of the volunteers.
The project is not funded or subsidized, so we would ask that part of the volunteers could be covered through scholarships or from the organization responsible for these volunteer programs. We consider that about € 120 per volunteer could be sufficient, with which we will acquire organic and local food through a Group of Consumption.

Our cozy little corner covers an average hectare (about 3.5) of orchard Traditional in Bacons Bridge, a bike ride from the center of the city of Murcia.

It is surrounded by other farms dedicated to the production of oranges and lemons, some of them already abandoned and others in conversion to organic production as we have informed the owners. Parallel to the eastern edge of the terrain runs a traditional armband
irrigation with some riparian vegetation. In the northeast corner we wanted to keep a small forest of these laurels of more than 6m in height with a small clear in its interior where to be cool and in the shade during the sultry summers.

In addition to the plantations of dozens of species of native shrubs and trees and fruit trees of traditional varieties for our food forest, El Bosque de Indra, also we have assembled and conditioned our beautiful Mongolian yurt with capacity for 3 people, installed a caravan with capacity for two other people, built the bathroom dry of double compostera, as well as an external shower and sink and a quarter of implements.

In addition we will make available to each volunteer a bicycle with which to be able move between our campsite and the center of the city.

Download application

Pay membership fee

Once you deliver your documents, we will contact you by e-mail to confirm the place. Once confirmed, you would choose your sending organisation from your country and pay the fee.

Account number: 0128 0086 74 0100046144

IBAN: ES87 0128 0086 74 0100046144

BIC SWIFT: BKBKESMMXXX

Bank name: BANKINTER, Calle de Fermín Caballero, 51, 28034 Madrid

Account holder: Asociación Building Bridges

Languages: Spanish, English