A different type of holiday - Volunteering in the Austrian Tirol

June 30, 2014 - PRLog -- For 2014, the Tirol Tourist Board will offer a total of ten volunteer conservation projects, allowing you to get involved for a day or two and help protect a range of habitats and animals that live there. By utilising your own skills and strengths, there are programmes from planting trees to counting wild deer populations or working on an Alpine dairy farm. Here are five volunteer projects that you can get involved in this summer. For more information visit http://www.tyrol.com/volunteering.

VIDEO: “Volunteer abroad on mountain pastures in Tirol - Farming in the Alps” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gTroi09IHRc)

Assisting Mountain Farmers

When? 12.07.2014 - 19.07.2014

Where? Hochgebirgs-Naturpark Zillertaler Alpen (http://www.naturpark-zillertal.at/en/high-alps-nature-park-zillertaler-alps.html)

This volunteering programme works together with the rangers in the Zillertal Alps Nature Park, assisting the local mountain farmers with their day to day tasks in preserving the natural habitat. At an altitude of 1000m, in the mountain meadows of Ginzling, there is a multitude of undertakings geared towards the protection and rehabilitation of these unique mountain environments. From invasive tree and shrub removal to weed control and from (re)building traditionally constructed dry-stone walls to field habitat restoration, the mountain farmers welcome any assistance.

What’s included?

The package costs €236 and includes 7 nights’ accommodation on B&B, two days assisting the mountain farmers in Ginzling, participation in the 2014 Nature Park Summer Programme, Nature Park Guide on the Mountain Resort of Ginzling and admission to the „Glacier Worlds“ exhibition at the Nature Park Visitor’s Centre. Flights are available twice weekly from London Gatwick to Innsbruck (transfer 1hr) withwww.easyjet.com

Contact: +43 5286 52181; info@naturpark-zillertal.at

For further information: http://www.tyrol.com/e-assisting-mountain-farmers

Bearded Vulture Reintroduction

When? 13.07.2014 - 09.08.2014

Where? Nationalpark Hohe Tauern (http://www.hohetauern.at/en/)

The Bearded Vulture is a bird of prey, the largest Alpine bird and the only member of the genus Gypaetus. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it lives and breeds on crags in high mountains above the tree line. The bird was hunted as a trophy in Europe and by 1900 was largely wiped out and verging on extinction. Even today, bearded vultures in Europe are considered endangered and in 1986 they were reintroduced in the Hohe Tauern National Park and in 2010 experts celebrated the first offspring born in the wild. This volunteer project is dedicated to re-introduce this wonderful bird of prey in the protected area of the Hohe Tauern National Park.

What’s included?

The package costs €280 and includes 7 nights’ accommodation on B&B, one day assisting with reintroducing the bearded vultures to their natural habitat, a guided ranger walk and a visit to the exhibition at the National Park Visitor’s Centre in Matrei. Flights are available twice weekly from London Gatwick to Innsbruck (transfer 2hr 30mins) withwww.easyjet.com.

Contact: +43 4875 5161 10; nationalparkservice.tirol@hohetauern.at

For further information: http://www.tyrol.com/e-bearded-vulture-reintroduction

Pasture and Grazing Management on the Sunny Slopes of Fliess

When? 29.06.2014 - 02.08.2014

Where? Kaunergrat Nature Park (http://www.kaunergrat.at/)

The Kaunergrat Nature Park is an area of outstanding natural beauty and a focal point for rare plants and wildlife activity. The local communities in the Pitztal Valley, Kaunertal Valley and in Fliess are dedicated to preserving the pastures and the mountain meadows for generations to come. This volunteering project takes place on the sunny slopes of Fliess and involves pasture and grazing management, including field habitat restoration, fencing, invasive tree and shrub removal and building traditionally constructed dry-stone walls.

What’s included?

The package costs €205 and includes 7 nights’ accommodation on B&B, one day volunteering on the conservation programme, a guided photography and nature observation tour around Piller saddle, a ‘Taste of Place’ tour sampling the ultimate ‘Tiroler Edle’ chocolate and the TirolWest guest card. Flights are available twice weekly from London Gatwick to Innsbruck (transfer 1hr) withwww.easyjet.com

Contact: +43.5449.6304; naturpark@kaunergrat.at

For further information: http://www.tyrol.com/e-pasture-and-grazing-management-on-the-sunny-slopes-of-fliess

Alpine Pasture Management at Thaur Alm

When? 06.09.2014 - 13.09.2014

Where? Thaur Alm, Hall in Tirol (http://www.hall-wattens.at/en/)

The seasonal migration between valley and lush, alpine pastures has shaped much of the landscape in the Alps. The varied topography and altitudes give rise to the great diversity in Alpine areas and the seasonal transhumance still contributes to traditional Alpine culture and life in the mountains. This volunteer project at Thaur Alm Alpine Pasture is geared towards the protection and rehabilitation of these unique mountain environments. Tasks will include invasive tree and shrub removal, weed control and field habitat restoration.

What’s included?

The package costs €320 and includes 7 nights’ accommodation on B&B, one day assisting with the preservation and rehabilitation at the Thaur Alm Alpine Pasture, a Nature Watch tour, visit to the Mountain Mining Museum and visit of the Organic Mountain Farming Festival in the magnificent old town of Hall. Flights are available twice weekly from London Gatwick to Innsbruck (transfer 15mins) withwww.easyjet.com.

Contact: info@karwendel.org

For further information: http://www.tyrol.com/e-alpine-pasture-management-at-thaur-alm

For more information on the Tirol region www.visittirol.co.ukor keep updated at www.facebook.com/visittirolor @VisitTirol (http://www.twitter.com/visittirol) on twitter.