Gardening Assistant
Coordinator | Ursula Ingrid
Coordinator | Ursula Ingrid
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Choose new departure dates or change to a different volunteer program at no extra costs.
Highlights
Meet Moses the cat and his tribe - the Masters of Heart Coherence
Experience minimalism - and enjoy simple greek lifestyle
Make an impact - show us your gardening skills and creativeness
Create beauty - Artists and Creatives welcome
Meet animals on eyesight - and learn to talk to them
I am looking for a handy gardening person, interested in the beauty of simple greek lifestyle who would like to make this healing place a more beautiful & functional one.
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Age 20+
Singles
Couples
50+
"Living like Dr Dolittle" - the program not only for animal lovers and animal caretakers. My name is Marie-Anne. I am a retired bavarian vet and animal whisperer. When I first came to Greece I was stunned by all the suffering I saw - in humans, animals and nature. A lot of violence here, maltreating each other seems to be usual. Meaning each spring the strays at the beach are poisoned and killed out of mere despair and lack of knowledge.
My project is about creating a difference and showing that it is not so complicated to do so. I moved to Greece and rented a little neglected olive groove house nearby. First step was to create a livable place there. We now have 50 qm with bath, sleeping room, main room with kitchen, sun terrace and garden. The house is in a deserted area, no noise, 300 m up the mountain and 2,5 km from the Ionian sea. Wild and beautiful surroundings.
Short after the place was there, stray animals came searching for help and food. We now have a group of 4 cats living in the house, 1 stray cat in the process of moving in, a few stray cats that want to be wild, a dog that found us a few days before dying from dog malaria, wild turtles and other animals passing by looking for medical care, water, food and a bit of love. We respect their will and do what we are called for.
Now that the place and the animals are there in a basic form, we need to make it beautiful, repair, recycle, do landscape and garden work, make it a better place and give it back it's natural beauty and order. That is a lot of work to do that sometimes needs specialists and sometimes needs all round caretakers.
The olive groove house is the place where you as volunteer are meant to live. It is apt for a single person or a couple. Depending on your talents and knowledge you can help to take this place to the next level - make it beautiful, give it a natural touch and still improve the situation of the animals living there or passing by there. We are always looking for skilled craftsmen, artists, photographers, social media specialists or caretakers - there is nearly nothing we won't find helpful. Your stay will be 2 to 6 weeks - time to leave your footprint here. In case you are doing maintenance or garden you will be with our Albanian gardener Ilia, in case you are cleaning, painting or doing art you will be with our Syrian house manager Nasrin, in case you are doing online work, you will work with me.
As said before: essentials are honesty, truthfulness and reliability. We expect you to communicate open and non violent. We prefer quiet and clean people. It is a non smoking area and house, no drugs, no noise, no excess of alcohol. Visits of foreigners in your time here have to be talked about and approved in advance. You are supposed to be at the house each night, as you need to care for the animals.
What we offer is a healing place, silent nature, purity, empathy, heartfulness and any transfer of knowledge or healing advice you may need. At least to of the stationary cats already have healing abilities and enhanced heart coherence. We offer animal contact on eyesight.
Equipment: please bring our own laptop if you want to do online work and bring your own art equipment, if you want to do artwork.
Typical day
- 8:00 animal feeding, changing the water, cleaning animal plates
- 8:00 animal care such as grooming, caretaking, walking the dog, playing with them
- 9:30 Q&A talk with Marie-Anne
- 10:00 house keeping and cleaning in your place - we expect you to be a clean person
- 10:30 - 13:30 find yourself work to do in maintenance, painting garden walls, repairing fences, gardening, beautfying according to the list we made for the week
- 14:00 make sure of your resting time with the animals or go to the sea for a swim, or use this time for shopping
- 16:00 walk the dog - there will not always be a dog here, but from October to May we usually have one
- 18:00 water the garden or do some harvesting, planting or weeding anything that needs to be done in the garden according to the list
- 19:00 feed all animals, change water
- 19:30 cook and enjoy the fireplace in winter or the roof terrace in summer
- late: let the dog out for a pee before you go to sleep
After waking up and having your greek cup of coffee you will start with animal feeding and animal care. At 9:30 I am there for you to plan the day or answer the questions and needs you have. You are quite sure to go through an emotional process while staying here. This place has high energy quality, is full of nothingness, so you will meet yourself and your shadows and Moses will be your cat therapist through all the time.
In the forenoon you are expected to do your housekeeping, washing etc and then go for the volunteer work you selected. The thing to accept is that your animal care and garden care is on daily base. It is not too much to do but daily. Your free time is mainly in the early afternoon.
Garden watering can be work in summer, and you are supposed to care for the plants, look at their needs and not do watering automatically. It is about plant care too.
In the evening you are free after feeding the animals - the only thing is to let the dog out for a pee before you go to sleep. You will meet a lot of nothingness, maybe the first time realize how loud your normal life is, because here you will hear nothing but nature.
The guesthouse has no TV and no Radio - on purpose. But is has good and free internet. You are expected to be quiet and not noisy.
Free-time activities
Your free time will usually be in the afternoon and after evening feeding. This place is best for people who love nature, the sea, sunsets and enjoy quiet introspection. Great place for reading, writing, painting, meditating, doing yoga or Qi Gong.
Hiking
Sightseeing
Swimming
Yoga/
Meditation
Meditation
Requirements
In order to join the program you need to be at least 20 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.
You need to speak English (fluently)
required
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
I really appreciate any knowledge in general maintenance, DIY and of course genuine creativity.
Your helping hand will be required on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
from
08:00
- 20:00
What's Included
The fees include:
- accomodation in the 50 qm guesthouse with bathroom incl. washing machine, sleeping room, main room with kitchen, sunterrace. The house has a woodstove for the heating in winter and an aircondition for the cooling in summer.
- cleaning of the house after your stay
- basic foods of the region for vegeterian cooking
- basic houshold goods
- towels, bed cloth, kitchen equipment
- Pickup at Kalamata airport during daytime or Pickup at Kyparissia bus station during daytime
As we live in the middle of nowhere we provide airport pickup in Kalamata during the week at daytime or pickup at Kyparrisia KTEL bus station during daytime. It is not reasonable to drive up the hills here once it is dark. So we cannot pick you up during nighttime.
- 50 qm privacy for yourself
- sleeping room
- main room with kitchen
- bathroom
- sunterrace and roof terrace
- garden
- It is simple greek style, no TV, no radio but speedy internet.
- coffee, tea, water and 1 bottle of wine per week
- greek olive oil
- basic vegeterian food such as rice, potatoes, lentils, chick peas, vegetables, fruits, cheese and joghurt
We provide the food (a full fridge) but you need to cook for yourself.
Good access at the project site
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
The nearest airport is Kalamata Airport (KLX) in Kalamata. We assist you to find cheap flights to Greece.
Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Greece provides security and is a plus to have.
If you are intending to volunteer in Greece you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Greece.
Dates & Fees
NO CREDIT CARD FEES
Details on arrival
We will try to do a bridge over day with your predecessor so that you can have a easy start and know things before getting responsable on your own.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2 - 6 weeks
Program fees
2 weeks
(min. stay)
$660
3 weeks
$963
4 weeks
$1,265
5 weeks
$1,568
6 weeks
(max. stay)
$1,870
Average fees
$321
/week
The organization charges its fees in EUR. The price table in USD is subject to currency fluctuation.
FutureLink Earth
will let you know about the final price during your application process.
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Your final payment will be agreed with FutureLink Earth during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.
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What are people saying about Volunteer World?
Gardening Assistant
I am looking for a handy gardening person, interested in the beauty of simple greek lifestyle who would like to make this healing place a more beautiful & functional one.
$292/week
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