Brenderup Folk High School (or the Academy for Intercultural Learning) is hosting this Work Camp. The school is working as a boarding school with an international approach and accepts both Danish and foreign students.
You can read more about the school here: http://www.brenderuphojskole.dk/filer/english.htm
For many years, the school has hosted Work Camps that have supported the building process of their environmentally friendly buildings, such as a straw bale culture and music hall “the Strawberry House”, an ellipse-shaped “Lotus House”, which is functioning as a workshop for outdoor living activities, a treetop shelter and an organic fitness center in our garden, where nature is used instead of artificial machine equipment.
For the last two years we have focused on finishing and retouching our “off-Grid House” – “Casa Verde”, incorporating ideas and concepts from previous years about building sustainably. “Casa Verde” is a cob house inside a plastic membrane – it is built to produce everything - all energy - within its walls.
Last year we also built the composting station and decorated and made paths in our garden between all our sustainable houses.
Over the past years we, have been incorporating permaculture as a stable concept and tool in our garden planning – this to not only work sustainably but also to work towards creating resiliency. The permaculture ethics of “good for nature, good for people, and equal share” is something that is already engrained in our school’s DNA from the very beginning.
Our garden is approximately 1000 square meters. Within our garden we have multiple smaller gardens; we have a food forest, a permaculture garden with perennial vegetables, a market garden-style vegetable garden, and a medicinal herb garden to mention a few.
İş Tanımı
When working with sustainability and resilience getting the most of what you are given is a must. Especially natural resources.
Last year we were working around “gathering and storing natural resources” one of the twelve permaculture principles. The main natural resource we were working with for the Work Camp was water.
This year the focus will be on biodiversity and recreating a garden. We are in a global biodiversity crisis and Denmark is one of the poorest countries in Europe talking about wild nature. A lot of our butterflies and wild small animals are under pressure and more than 1800 different kinds in Denmark are endangered because they need a place to stay and to find something to eat.
Wild gardens are beautiful. Easy to cope with and full of natural life. It will indeed help our nature, which already is under pressure. We are going to recreate a garden with a focus on biodiversity. We will make better conditions for the butterflies and the insects and create wild living places in the garden. It is not enough food for insects but places with branches, and stones in a corner, are important for life in nature.
We will plant bushes and flowers. Create high wooden boxes for our spices and maybe a nice corner for a cup of coffee or tea.
You should expect to be outside every day and work with garden tools. For instance, you will be digging and moving soil, working with smaller power tools, reworking garden infrastructures, and building smaller constructions for catching, transporting, and storing water.
We believe in being very aware, green, and organic in our thoughts and talks, and in our way of living at the school. There will be a lot of different jobs to do with this focus. There may also be maintenance to do on former Work Camp projects/constructions.
All projects will focus on environmental and green solutions.
During camp, we will take time to debate sustainability and resilience. You will be introduced to permaculture, its ethics, and its principles. We will be having conversations about sustainability and permaculture- not only as an environmental issue but on all levels - including sustainability among people and cultures.
Please be prepared for practical work for 6-7 hours a day.
There will be two camp leaders who are former students from the school, and different work leaders to teach you how to build and work.
Konaklama ve Yemek
Sleeping + bathroom facilities:
You will be staying in a tented camp in the middle of our garden. You will have full access to the showers and toilets at the school for all three weeks. It is possible to use the school's washing machines for free.
Meals + kitchen facilities:
The food is mainly organic and is served three times a day by our kitchen staff. You should expect to assist after dinner, by cleaning the dishes. At the weekends, you will take part in cooking dinner.
Konum ve Serbest Zaman
Brenderup is located on the island of Fyn in the central part of Denmark. The village Brenderup (2.000 inhabitants) is close to the beach, forests, and idyllic countryside.
You will have free access to our different workshops during the camp, including recycling design, music, art, and gym workshops. There is wireless internet at the school. Bicycles can be rented for the whole stay.
Your Work Camp leaders will help you and the group with organizing activities in your spare time. It is free to enjoy the beautiful nature around Brenderup, but some activities might require an extra charge. The host will not cover additional charges.
