Volunteering at the Permaculture Garden in Bilbao
- Urban everyday life
- Offer of leisure activities
- Spanish course included
Sustainability and environmental protection are important topics for you? Would you like to learn more about organic farming and living in harmony with nature? Then our project in the permaculture garden in Bilbao is for you! Here you help to grow food and take care of the plants and animals on site. You will also learn a lot about environmentally friendly agriculture and sustainable lifestyles.
Bilbao
from 16 years
4 - 52 weeks
/ from €2.500
Sunday
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
What's the matter?
Your place of work is a permaculture garden in Bilbao. "Permaculture" stands for a self-sustaining ecosystem - a natural cycle without industrial or chemical aids.
In this way, long-term, sustainable life plans should be developed and lived. For this purpose, the organization operates environmentally friendly agriculture at your assignment site, which saves water and works in harmony with nature and the animal world. Various foods, herbs and other plants are grown seasonally. All the soil, fertilizer and pest control agents used are made from organic materials. Also, any food left over is donated to local charities.
Huge amounts of water are used to grow fruit and vegetables in Spain, which is already very dry, while nitrate pollution in the soil from livestock farming and fertilizers is increasing sharply. At the same time, agricultural monocultures encourage forest fires and throw Spain's sensitive ecosystems out of balance.
Large parts of Spanish nature are in poor condition for these reasons. In order to preserve the environment with all its plants and animals, a rethink and new approaches are needed that enable us to live and farm in harmony with nature.
The aim of the project is, among other things, to test and establish alternative lifestyles and to provide the participating volunteers with important information about sustainable food cultivation. As a volunteer, you not only take a lot of theoretical knowledge home with you. In the best-case scenario, you can use your new skills right away to get actively involved in environmental protection at home.
In the permaculture garden project, you will learn, for example, how to grow vegetables without chemical fertilizers, how to make natural fertilizers and pesticides, or how to use various agricultural tools. In addition, you will of course be given a lot of knowledge about all kinds of plants, their uses, care and further processing. In the language course, which is included over the first two weeks of the project, you also have the opportunity to take your Spanish to a new level.
Your tasks as a volunteer
There are many different tasks that you can do as a volunteer at the Permaculture Garden in Bilbao. Your activities can look like this, for example:
- Maintenance of the terrain and buildings at your place of work
- Gardening: growing food and medicinal herbs
- Maintain, water and fertilize plants, bushes, flowers etc
- Implementation of detailed landscape plans
- Activities for wildlife: seasonal mowing, creating hedges and shrubs, cultivating wildflowers, planting trees, etc.
- Create seedbeds and produce fertile soil
- Build insect hotels
- Feed the chickens and clean the chicken coop
- Garbage collection and clean up actions
- Chop wood for the clay oven used to bake pizza and bread
Exactly which activities you take on also depends on the interests and skills that you bring with you. You then discuss the processes with your contact person on site. Throughout your volunteer work, you will be accompanied by a mentor who will instruct you in your tasks, introduce you to horticultural methods and materials, and help you with problems and open questions.
During your first two weeks on the project, your day begins with the Spanish language course. This always takes place in the morning from 09:30 a.m. to 13:30 p.m. After an extended lunch break, you can then take the bus, bike or cable car to your project in the afternoon. Here you usually work from 15 p.m. to 18 p.m. Your program always takes place from Monday to Friday, you have free weekends.
After work, the team and the volunteers like to sit down in the garden and enjoy pizza and vegetables from their own clay oven. During the week, free cultural activities such as salsa courses, excursions or tapas tours are offered to all volunteers. You will find out the exact dates for these activities on site.
Requirements for the job
You don't need any special knowledge to work in a permaculture garden. The most important thing is that you are motivated and want to learn lots of new things about the environment and sustainability. You are welcome to contribute your own interests, knowledge and skills to the project.
Accommodation Catering
Volunteer Apartment in Bilbao, Spain
There are a total of five volunteer apartments that are located in good neighborhoods and have excellent connections to public transport. There are kitchen facilities, bathrooms and WiFi and once a week the premises are cleaned by a housekeeping service.
In the vicinity you will find supermarkets and restaurants. The nearest cities - San Sebastian, Santander or Vitoria - are only an hour's drive away and you can reach the beaches from the city center in about 30 minutes by subway.
There is also the option of booking a single room if you prefer something quieter. Please ask your coordinator about this.
Location
Bilbao
In Bilbao, the port and industrial city in northern Spain, there is an incredible amount to experience and discover! The cityscape of the largest city in the Basque Country is dominated by skyscrapers in the center. Here modern architecture mixes with traditional houses. The famous Guggenheim Museum with its grey, vaulted building is very striking.
But there is also a lot to see outside of the city. For example, you can reach the beach in 30 minutes by metro. The mountainous surrounding area also invites you to hikes and excursions to the neighboring towns. Note that in the Basque Country you will usually not find the sunny weather that Spain is known for. In summer it is also very warm, but it cannot be compared with the high temperatures in the south.
If you want to see a different side of Spain, away from the usual tourist destinations, then Bilbao is a good destination for you! Art and culinary enthusiasts in particular will get their money's worth here.
Your free time in Bilbao
Outside of working hours, you can of course use the time at your leisure and have the opportunity to explore the port city of Bilbao, where there is so much to discover!
Let yourself be carried away by the urban vibe in the skyscraper-lined city and enjoy the many opportunities that are available to you here. The volunteer accommodations are located in the city center and are therefore not far from fitness studios and other sports facilities, shopping centers and museums, such as the famous Guggenheim Museum for modern art. Foodies will definitely get their money's worth here too - you shouldn't miss the delicious pintxos that are so typical of the Basque Country! This is small finger food, often pierced with a toothpick, that is served in restaurants and bars everywhere.
In addition, we offer you free leisure activities all year round, from Monday to Friday: wine tasting, salsa courses, city tours and excursions as well as museum visits and other activities are waiting for you!
If you prefer to take it easy, the beach is only about 30 minutes away, where you can enjoy a lazy day or paddle out to sea on a surfboard. So Bilbao offers you the perfect combination of urban bustle and relaxed beach atmosphere!
You can also book sightseeing tours. "Game of Thrones" fans in particular should prick up their ears here: In the footsteps of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister you can discover some of the impressive filming locations of the series. Among these is the Dragonstone Fortress, which is actually embodied by Gaztelugatxe, a small island in the Bay of Biscay. What is special about the island is the approximately 200 meter long stone bridge that connects it to the mainland.
Head to the Basque Country and get to know Spain from a completely different perspective!
On-site procedure
Arrival in Bilbao
Once you have landed in Bilbao, a member of our team will be waiting for you at the airport and will take you directly to the accommodation. The drive from the airport to the apartment takes about 30 minutes.
Orientation program in Bilbao
The orientation program starts on Monday and lasts about an hour. Here you will be explained what you can find where in the city, what cultural features there are on site and you will get more information about your project work and the Spanish course.
Your first day in the project
The Spanish language course begins on the first day at 9:30 a.m., lasts until 13:30 p.m. and takes place in the first two weeks of the project. An employee of the school/institute will then take you to your place of assignment. There you will get to know the project, the team and your tasks.
Pricing
-
base fee€ 2.500, -
included
Services
Before departure
- Individual advice and support from our trained RGV team in Munich
- Organization including placement in the project and coordination of your stay on site
- Assistance with preparation: visa, health care, travel insurance, etc.
- Non-binding flight advice
- Travel ABC with packing list for your travel preparation
- RGV t-shirt
On site
- Leisure activities subject to availability (e.g. salsa dance course, wine tasting, excursions)
- Orientation program with the team on site
- Support and guidance from the on-site team
- RGV 24h emergency number
- Project t-shirt to wear during on-site activities
- Airport transfer on the agreed day of arrival
- Accommodation in Volunteer Apartment
- Two-week Spanish language course (20h/week)
Note: Under additional services you can extend the language course by additional weeks for a fee.
After return
- Participation confirmation of your voluntary commitment
- Reflection course on your experiences abroad
- Evaluation sheet and optional feedback discussion
not included
Services
- Airport transfer on departure day
- Round trip
- Private expenses on site
- Excursions with microlight flights
- Travel and cancellation insurance
- Visa and Vaccinations
- All nights outside your agreed accommodation
- Public transport and extra transfers
- Daily drive to the project
- Meals
Individual
Recommended additional offers
& must-haves
Would you prefer to stay in a single room? Are you vegan or do you have special requests for food? Or do you want to do some cool trips with other volunteers in your free time and explore the country?
With us, you benefit from a variety of optional additional services that you can add individually to your booking, depending on your preferences.
Cheap flights with our flight partner thanks to volunteer rates.
Would you like to receive a cheap flight offer for your stay abroad that is perfectly tailored to you? After you have successfully registered, you can have a non-binding offer created.
The excellent rates for volunteers, students and young people are a great advantage. Arrival times and flight time changes can also be sent directly to RGV upon request, so that our RGV teams in the destination countries are always informed about your arrival times.
These special tariffs give you special added value:
- maximum flexibility for rebookings and cancellations
- generous baggage allowance
- Additional discounts on one-way flights: The new volunteer tariffs include attractive discounts to reduce your financial burden on one-way flights (e.g. for stopovers, project or country combinations).
Benefit from the 4 in 1 ERGO travel insurance.
You can easily book the long-term travel protection of ERGO Reiseversicherung after you have registered. You will receive the links to this automatically after a successful registration.
The following building blocks are included:
- Health Insurance
- Comfort protection: accident, liability and interruption insurance
- Travel insurance
- Interactive online TEFL/TESOL course for volunteers
- Interactive online TEFL/TESOL course
- Spanish language course for volunteers and interns in Bilbao, Spain
-
Per week (subject to availability)Einzelzimmer105 €
-
Two tools to get you started on your personal developmentPersonal development introductory courseFree of charge
Bilbao
Team
site
If you have any questions or problems on site, you can contact us at any time Rodrigo, your primary contact. He is outgoing, friendly and always there to give you a hand. He has a degree in Marketing, speaks English and will take care of everything on site. Rodrigo will brief you on each part of the program and can also tell you a lot about life in Spain.
Jose, the director of the program, is also on site as a contact person. He has a degree in Psychology and has extensive experience in study abroad programs since its inception in 1999.
The third in the league Alfred, has a degree in economics and law and is also one of the founders of the initiative. He has strong leadership qualities and is a perfect team builder.
RGV
FAQ
to the project
How far in advance do I have to register?
Ideally your registration takes place at least 3-6 months before the desired departure date, But also short-term registrations are up 1-2 months before the planned departure is possible.
But it could be that your dream project is already booked. In this case we will try together to find a suitable alternative for you.
Can I travel with a friend or in a group?
Yes! On request we enable a double room if you for two with a friend or a friend, or an apartment or other suitable accommodation for groups.
We are very happy to enable our participants to go on a project and share accommodation with friends. Shared accommodation is usually possible both in the volunteer house and with the host family, although the room in the volunteer house may also be shared with other participants. In some locations there is also the option of sharing an apartment.
When registering, please always mention the person(s) traveling with you!
Can I combine projects?
Yes! You can combine projects at one location, at different locations, but also in different countries. It is also possible to combine a project with a trip. You can specify your desired combination directly when registering.
Combination options at a glance:
- Combine programs in one country
- Combine programs across countries
- Combine a program with a language course
- Combine a program with ours Adventure & Trips
There are a few things Project combinations to note: The minimum length of stay per project must be observed and you may incur additional costs for country combinations, for example for an intermediate flight.
What are the project fees used for?
Although we are a non-profit organization, there are costs associated with volunteering abroad. Find out here, why volunteering requires money and what your project fee is used for.
Do I need a visa?
As an EU citizen and from Switzerland, you do not need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. If you want to stay longer than 90 days, you have to apply for a residence permit in the first month at the location.
What language skills do I need for the project in Spain?
English and Spanish are spoken in the project. A good knowledge of English is definitely required, knowledge of Spanish is very helpful on site. If you do not have any knowledge of Spanish, you will have to take a language course on site.
What are the requirements for the environmental project?
No special prior knowledge is required to participate. Motivation, good health, the ability to work in a team, fun working outdoors and an interest in environmental issues are important.
What do I have to bring?
Comfortable clothing that can get dirty.
Ready to volunteer in Spain? Start your adventure abroad with Rainbow Garden Village!
Rainbow Garden Village has been offering volunteer work and internships abroad since 1999. What started as a small student initiative in Ghana has now grown into an organization with over 250 projects around the world.
You can be sure that your work as a volunteer will be an unforgettable experience. Bring your commitment and your knowledge to do good locally - and at the same time benefit from the unique experiences that will promote your personal development.
Become part of our RGV community!
We look forward to you.
RGV
Your way
to the volunteer
1
Choose your volunteer project and register online.
2
We will review your application and confirm your participation.
3
Prepare for your assignment online or in our preparatory seminar in Munich.
4
Here we go! During your volunteer work, we will support you at any time with our on-site team.
Gallery
Impressions &
Impressions
More projects you too might be interested
Are you not sure yet? Think about whether a spontaneous assignment as a volunteer abroad is the right choice for you or whether you would like to Voluntary social year (FSJ) abroad want to decide.
With RGV you achieve flexible volunteer work in different countries worldwide. Maybe there is one too Internship abroad the ideal choice for you to gain valuable experience abroad.
Bali & Indonesia | Farm work
from 2 - 24 weeks
from 18 years
Spain | environmental Protection
from 2 - 12 weeks
from 16 years
Ecuador | Eco Village
from 3 - 24 weeks
from 18 years
