Link: CONSERVATION HOLIDAYS (http://www.talgud.ee/en)



For those who would like to try something different - exchange the cities for woods and meadows, carrying shopping bags in a department store for, maybe a once-in-a-lifetime-experience of building sheep-folds on an islet, listening to a bar band for a natterjack toad concert (here we can't guarantee the difference).

And don't think its only work - there will be plenty of time for seeing around, swimming and sunbathing. Most of the work will be related to the protection, reconstruction, clearance and maintenance of age-old seminatural plant communities, habitats, parks and landscape forms, but often also simply collecting rubbish. ELF has been organising conservation holidays since year 1998, and none of the participants has found the work too hard. And almost always there will be sauna, campfire, swimming opportunities, guided excursions.

Most of the conservation holidays organized by ELF will take place on the islands or coastal area, but sometimes also in the forest. The coastline of the Baltic Sea in Estonia is characterized by numerous bays, straits, and islets. As a result of the gradual uplift of the earth's crust (3 mm a year in north-western Estonia) new islands are constantly appearing in addition to the present 1500 ones, and the area of the older islands is increasing. The islands of West-Estonia, including Ruhnu (located in the middle of the Gulf of Riga), form the West-Estonian Archipelago Biosphere Reserve which was established in 1990 under the aegis of UNESCO. The territory of the Reserve, together with its water areas, covers 15 600 square km. The Reserve was established to protect valuable and vulnerable ecosystems and to promote sustainable and balanced development of the islands.

ELF welcomes everybody willing to pitch in!

Detailed information and dates are available http://www.talgud.ee/en.

For further information please contact: tarmo [at] elfond.ee