Volunteer: Environmental Conservation in Bali

Global Nomadic • Toronto, ON, CA • 4d ago

Location: Ubud, Bali

Duration: Minimum 3 weeks

Cost: 800 for the 1st 4 weeks + 150 for each additional week

Fee Includes: all food, accommodation, pre-departure + in-country support, orientation and all project related activities

Does not Include: flights, travel insurance, personal spending, visas and vaccinations

Benefits

Work closely with experienced staff creating and implementing sustainable initiatives in Bali.
Hands-on experience in Permaculture, Mobile Rice Mills and other innovative technologies and techniques
Opportunities for environmental scientists, innovators and enthusiasts
Keywords: permaculture, environmental science, green technologies

Please note: This opportunity is designed to give you the contacts and experience to help further your career. You are not replacing any member of staff, but helping alongside them, whilst learning new skills. Simply click the APPLY Button to submit your application, and ask as many questions as you need.

Introduction

The beautiful Indonesian island of Bali provides an ideal setting to gain experience in innovative environmental work and help ensure that local farmers steer a course of sustainable development.

As a participant on the Environmental Internship programme, you will be working with a local NGO and Balinese farming communities to improve environmental practices and standards. Many of the farmers you'll meet have already been working to counter the negative environmental impact of the so-called 'Green Revolution,' a set of initiatives sponsored by the Indonesian government in the 1950's and 60's to increase crop yields using harmful pesticides. Yet many farmers continue to use unsustainable amounts of fertilisers, and despite living in one of the most beautiful regions of the world, there is little awareness of the impact of non-biodegradable waste upon the environment.

This NGO works to design and implement various environmental strategies to reduce man's impact upon the Balinese landscape. They have initiated a Permaculture centre and wormery run by farmers to produce compost for their fields, with excess being sold to nearby farms. Mobile rice mills and organic rice intensification training are creating new awareness whilst doubling yields in a sustainable manner. New initiatives to trap mosquitoes have been founded, biogas plants built, and a new micro-hydro electric generator is being built in a nearby village with plans for more in the near future.

This is a proactive organisation with plenty of new ideas still in the pipeline and your contribution to these on-going activities and your new ideas will be more than welcomed..

This is a very flexible placement and your daily life will depend on which project or projects you choose to get involved with.

Permaculture Workshop Construction

We are in the process of building a workshop training centre where permaculture techniques can be taught. It is in the middle of primary rainforest, and is being built with live trees for the main struts. This means the building will grow as the trees get taller, and a second level will eventually be added.

Hydroelectric Plant Project

One of many projects that are always ongoing is to build a natural pool which is filled by run off water from the nearby rice paddy fields. This pool will include fish and will be a nice cool place for tourists to swim in. The run off from the natural pool will then flow down to the river below, passing through a hydro-electric generator which will power the building above.

Waste-water Management Projects

Numerous restaurants in Bali are now asking for an effective waste-water management system to be installed of which you can help be a part of their design and implementation. All waste water from the kitchen and toilets of the restaurant flow into a septic tank, which is then pumped into the restaurants gardens and then back into the ground water. You will learn how this is designed, installed and maintained.

Permaculture Centre

In the Permaculture centre daily work will involve compost making, tending to the wormery, weeding and helping with other chores. You will get to take part in Permaculture training workshops every Friday to learn new methods and strategies. If you have any expertise in the subject, you will be very welcome to add to the discussion.

You may also be asked to create documentation for all the different methodologies, strategies and activities, help create instructional videos and other administrative tasks.

Mobile Rice Mill

The main activity in this project is, as the name suggests, milling rice! You will assist local staff in visiting the different villages in the area and meeting local farmers, helping them to operate the machinery, record outputs, or resolve technical issues. This is a great way to visit the local areas and get to know the locals in depth.

Micro-Infrastructure Construction and Maintenance

Get involved in the construction of various micro-infrastructure projects, including; Biogas, hydro-electric plants, wormeries, Permaculture centres etc. You will learn first-hand how to plan, design, and then build these modern, sustainable marvels.

Please note: all information above is subject to change. Please check the most up to date information on the Global Nomadic website when applying. Simply follow the link on the Apply Button above.