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PAGE D'ENTRÉE » Les Etats Unis » Grand Canyon & le Californie |
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Grand Canyon & le Californie
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| Introduction Grand Canyon et le Californie |
| Population: |
298.7 mio (2006) |
| Capital: |
Washington DC |
| Currency: |
USD (1 USD = ca. 5.5 kr) |
| Governance: |
Federation republic |
| Time: |
Danish time minus 6-10 hours |
| Misc: |
BNP: 13 mia USD (2005) |
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Click on below links to see slide shows of previous participants:
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Introduction
EXIS organizes, in collaboration with American Conservation Experience, voluntary work in the Grand Canyon, Arizona and and from May 2007also in California. This possibility is open all year round to young people 18-40 possessing a real interest in nature and ecology.
American Conservation Experience is a volunteer program for both international and American participants who want to make a difference in the world. Gathering a team of conservation minded volunteers contributes to the breakdown of cultural barriers while advancing ecological awareness on a global scale. The programme gives you an opportunity to meet volunteers who share your interest in nature, and to see one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Also visit: http://www.usaconservation.org |
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The Grand Canyon
In 1540 Captain Garcia Lopez de Cardenaz was the first European to discover the Grand Canyon. Cardenaz and his team stayed at the Canyon for 3 days, trying to get to the river at the bottom. Unfortunately, due to a lack of provisions, they were forced to give up. 3 centuries passed before other Europeans arrived at the Canyon.
The Canyon, measured from end of Lake Powell to the Grand Wash Cliffs at Lake Mead, is 443 km long. It averages 16 km in width, with the greatest distance being about 29 km and the least being about 8 km. Its depth, as measured from the north rim, is slightly more than 1,737 meters. The south rim is approximately 365 meters lower than the north rim. The park covers 4,931 km2. The alti tude of the Colorado River, at the bottom of the Canyon, averages out to around 670 meters. Hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, just to the bottom - not back to the top, requires at least one full day. It is possible to take a one-day mule trip to Plateau Point almost at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. This is still 366 meters above the Colorado River but provides some excellent views of the river, the inner gorge and the south rim. Even the mules take 2 days to go all the way to the river and back. |
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Flagstaff
The base of the voluntary work is in Flagstaff, Arizona in the West of the United States.
There are many stories surrounding the manner in which
Flagstaff got its name. Perhaps the most commonly heard story refers to a lofty pine stripped of its branches and used to hang an American flag with rawhide strings for a Fourth of July celebration. The flagstaff became a symbol for the valley and could be spotted miles away. It was said that those journeying west were told to travel straight west, until you come to a flagstaff where you will find a good place to camp. In 1876 Thomas F. McMillan arrived and set up his home near a spring. He is recognized as being the town's first permanent settler. He built a cabin at the base of Mars Hill. Then in 1881, the first post office opened and the railroad barrelled into town. Flagstaff began to grow. The town had timber, sheep and cattle and by 1886 Flagstaff was the biggest city on the main line between Albuquerque and the Pacific coast.
Flagstaff is commonly known as the “gateway to the Grand Canyon”. This small city of 60,000 habitants offers much more than the close proximity to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
Flagstaff is a city rich in cultural diversity and educational opportunities. Northern Arizona University is teeming with outdoor enthusiasts drawn to the largest continuous pine forest in the world, the state’s highest mountain, steep powder skiing at Arizona Snowbowl, rock climbing, mountain biking on tracks that rank among the best and most extensive in the United States, canyoneering along creeks flowing through limestone and sandstone gorges, etc. The state has a large Indian population, divided into 21 tribes, which make Arizona even more unique and of cultural interest.
Links:
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California
The accommodation is located in Santa Cruz, California, only 60 miles South of San Francisco. Highlight projects are at Yosemite and King’s Canyon/Sequoia National Parks, but also a wide range of project opportunities with the State Parks along the coastline and in the Redwood Forests just inland. Santa Cruz is really spectacular. It’s just like Flagstaff, except it has a large public beach with an amusement park and a roller coaster right next to downtown. It’s the most famous city in the USA for surfing and is the start of the famous Big Sur Coastline and the Monterey Marine reserve which heads south for hundreds of miles. Sea lions are common along the rocky coastline just outside town. The mountains just inland, 20 minutes from Santa Cruz, have some of the largest Redwood Trees in the world and fantastic mountain biking trails. In fact, a famous brand of mountain bike is named after Santa Cruz. The downtown is just like Flagstaff, with lots of fun pubs and interesting restaurants. And perhaps most importantly, it only costs $13 and takes 90 minutes to reach San Francisco by bus and train.
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Entertainment
On your days off you have the possibility of spending your time visiting the unique countryside, mountain biking, hiking, skiing or simply taking a stroll in Flagstaff or Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz recreation can be snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, sea kayaking, mountain biking, San Francisco, Big Sur Coast, rock climbing, beaches, whale, dolphin and sea lion watching.
Dependable busses depart for San Francisco every hour for $10 as well as regularly to Monterey and other coastal cities and parks. Yosemite, LakeTahoe, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are less than 4 hours by car. For more information about the Santa Cruz area: http://www.bikeroute.com/SantaCruz/
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Climate
Grand Canyon
Flagstaff enjoys four distinct seasons. Moderate summer temperatures are punctuated with afternoon rain showers in July and August. The winter brings an average annual snowfall of 108 inches, much to the enjoyment of skiers, ice skaters and snowboarders. As the snow thaws into spring, blooming wild flowers are abundant and fragrant along Flagstaff’s many hiking trails. Autumn is highlighted with the changing of the Aspen leaves that transform the surrounding mountains into a golden tapestry of colour.
California
California has a sub-tropical climate with temperatures from 13-15 degrees in wintertime and 20-24 degrees during summer.
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Accomodation in Flagstaff and Santa Cruz
During work all volunteers stay in camps. Most projects are located in remote locations and virtually all involve camping. Volunteers should bring sleeping bags and sleeping pads to use during projects, tents are provided by project leaders. Some projects have developed camp sites with warm showers while others are in remote locations without facilities.
Volunteers stay in a hostel or dormitory on days off. Housing is communal, with up to 4 bunk beds per room and shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Usually volunteers team up for cooking on weekends and share household tasks such as cleaning etc. |
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Projects
Volunteers are trained in basic trail maintenance as well as advanced construction techniques such as dry stone wall construction, bridge construction, use of mechanical tools, rock drilling and splitting, etc. Please note that these project descriptions are intended to give volunteers a general sense of the type of projects and locations that the programme has on offer. Participants rotate frequently between projects to give an overview of the range of the vital restoration work taking place on public lands throughout the Southwest.
Program leaders will assign volunteers to rotating projects each week. Of course they will make every attempt to assign volunteers to project that match their interests. However, most projects have limited space, and members will not always be assured of participating in their preferred project each week. Since all projects are outdoors and weather can be unpredictable, project descriptions are always subject to changes. Projects are dependent on weather, nesting and migrating seasons of native wildlife, etc. Volunteers should study the list of current projects (following) to get a general idea of the type of work they will be accomplishing, but should not expect these to be the exact projects. |
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National parks
The list of national parks:
- Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Zion National Park (Utah)
- Grand Teton National Park (Montana)
- Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Arches National Park (Utah)
- Walnut Canyon National Monument (Arizona)
- Sedona, US Forest Service (Arizona)
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Arizona)
- Tonto National Forest (Arizona)
- Gila Wilderness (New Mexico)
- Wupatki National Monument (Arizona)
- Arizona Trail Association
- Glendale City Parks (Arizona)
- St George, Bureau of Land Management (Arizona)
- Arizona Game and Fish Department
- White Mountains (Arizona)
- Mesa Verde National Park (Arizona)
- Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)
- Centennial Forest (Arizona)
- Northern Arizona University)
- Canyon de Chelly (Arizona)
And in California:
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Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim
June til October
Trails on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon are in need of attention as National Park Service resources are primarily devoted to repairing washouts and the damage caused by mules on the heavily used interior corridor trails. Volunteers will install water bars, rolling grade dips, and other erosion control devises while working in the mixed conifer forests overlooking the 5,000 foot depths of the Grand Canyon. Accommodations will be in tents under the star lit skies of the remote North Rim. Participation in this project will involve working 8 consecutive days followed by 6 days off to explore the fabulous natural attractions of northern Arizona.
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Grand Canyon: Kanab Creek Wilderness
October and November
Kanab Creek is the largest tributary canyon system on the north side of the Grand Canyon. The Kanab Creek Trail was originally constructed as a horse passage but 75 years of erosion and neglect has left it impassable in places. Volunteers will work under the guidance of the North Kaibab National Forestry to restore several badly damaged sections of trail by constructing large rock retaining walls and steps from the abundant sandstone found in this part of the Grand Canyon. This project ranks among the most demanding and exciting, not only due to the extremely remote backcountry location requiring a 16 kilometres hike to reach, but also with respect to the physical nature of working with stone. This project represents a unique opportunity to work and explore a truly spectacular location that few people will ever get to see. Teams will work 8 consecutive days followed by 6 days off.
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Grand Canyon South Rim
May to November
Admiring crowds all too often trample spectacular locations such as the popular lookouts at the Grand Canyon. In this programme volunteers help restore the natural environment by planting native species, eradicating exotics, collecting seeds, potting plants for the nursery, and constructing barricade fences. Work can be as simple as hiking along the canyon rim collecting seeds to be used to germinate native species in the nursery or as demanding as running 60 pound rock hammers to chisel post holes for fences out of solid Grand Canyon bedrock. No matter what the level of difficulty, the common denominator to Grand Canyon revegetation projects is that the work is immediately and tangibly beneficial to the ecosystem of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Volunteers enjoy the rewards and satisfaction of contributing towards the restoration of one of the world’s most inspiring places.
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Walnut Canyon National Monument
May to July
Nine hundred years ago the Sinagua Indians lived in stone dwellings under the overhanging limestone cliffs of Walnut Canyon National Monument, 161 km east of Flagstaff. Many of these structures are well preserved within the protective boundaries of the Monument. In 1996 over 1,300 acres of land was added to the monument to be protected and preserved for future generations. Volunteers will work alongside young adult Americorps volunteers from the Coconino Rural Environment Corps (CREC) to construct a fence along the new boundary line. By participating in the construction of this new fence line, volunteers will help prevent cattle from trampling archaeological sites and will clearly designate the Park Boundaries in order to discourage potential human impacts within the monument. Work will involve digging thousands of post holes in rocky ground, stretching miles of wire, and tying countless pieces of wire across many miles of surprisingly remote, inaccessible terrain. Volunteers will live and work in a backcountry camp alongside other participants 5 days a week. This is a project for those who enjoy adventure, long hikes, sunshine, and the feeling of contributing towards the protection of culturally significant sites.
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North Rim Botanical Monitoring
May – August
Please note that participants in this project do not rotate to other assignments. Therefore this project is only open to participants in the full program.
Volunteers will assist staff in conducting botanical surveys to measure regrowth due to the outlet Fire of 2000. Typical duties include identifying native and non-native species, assisting in mapping plant populations using new technology, and to stop non-native species by hand pulling. Approximately 50 percent of the activities will be scientific surveys while 50 percent consists of manual labour. This project provides an excellent opportunity for students in natural sciences to gain practical, hands on experience alongside professional biologists while acquiring skills related to survey/monitoring and GPS/GIS techniques. Work on this project will always consist of 8 day tours followed by 6 consecutive days off.
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Slot Canyon Access Trails
August and September
Canyoneering in Zion has increased by 267% in the past 5 years. Camping and day-hiking has doubled in the same period. This intensive use has placed most facilities such as trails and campsites in a state of disrepair, as staff and funding have not increased. Most canyons are narrow and cliff-sided: so-called slot canyons. These canyons are difficult to access, often requiring climbing/rappelling gear. Many points of access to the Zion slot canyon are extremely steep, with highly erodible sandy soils, covered with a thin layer of vegetation. Once this vegetation is damaged, soil erosion occurs, often resulting in mass wasting. Steps and rock/soil stabilization structures, compatible with wilderness guidelines, will be built to provide safe access and stabilize steep slopes at key access points. Participation in this project will involve working 8 consecutive days followed by 6 days off.
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Aspen Grove Restoration
July and August
Spectacular forests of Aspen trees are in danger of being replaced by Pine species throughout the South-western United States. With the elimination of native predators such as wolves throughout the region, elk were able to reproduce in unsustainable numbers. This proliferation has threatened the survival of Aspen groves since newly sprouted Aspen trees are a favourite meal for elk. In order to allow for successful regeneration, volunteers will help constructing barricade fencing, preventing the elk from decimating the saplings. Work will occur at high altitude (3000 m.) and will consist of pounding fence posts, stringing and tying wire, and pounding nails. Participation in this project will involve working 8 consecutive days followed by 6 days off.
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Arizona trail
May and June
The Arizona Trail is a 1200 km hiking, cycling, and equestrian route across the entire state of Arizona, from Utah to Mexico. This ambitious trail crosses every conceivable ecosystem within the diverse state of Arizona, from the Sonoran desert, dotted with Saguaro cactus, to the high foothills of the San Francisco Peaks outside Flagstaff. Volunteers will be helping to construct one of the final stages of the Arizona Trail route, a 5 km section along the steep, rocky hillsides of Mormon Mountain in the Coconino National Forest. This challenging section of trail will represent an outstanding opportunity for volunteers to learn rock-working skills guided by professionals. As with all of our trail projects, work on the Arizona Trail is not for the feint hearted, but for those who enjoy a genuine challenge in a remote setting.
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Prescott National Forest Trail System
August to October
The Prescott National Forest maintains dozens of miles of multi-use trail in various ecosystems. Volunteers will work with the US Forestry Service in order to accomplish preventative maintenance such as removal of encroaching brush and basic erosion control in a variety of locations and trails within the system. This project will provide an excellent overview of trail maintenance techniques common to Arizona public land management agencies, while introducing participants to more beautiful forested scenery in central Arizona.
Below are the descriptions of the Endangered Species protection projects that ACE will be involved with. The work in the Las Vegas region falls under the category of endangered species protection - even the trail work since it is designed to discourage impacts on the threatened Bearjaw Poppy flower. That's a really exciting project since that flower will certainly go extinct in the next ten years if nothing is done. It's a demanding project requiring a lot of rock to be moved, but how often can volunteers say that they have directly contributed to the survival of a species?
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Apache Trout Protection
June to October
All of the fish native to the state of Arizona are endangered, with many on the brink of extinction. The introduction of exotic sport fish such as the Brown and Rainbow Trout has jeopardized the survival of native species that cannot compete for habitat. The Apache Trout is endemic to only 13 small streams and rivers in the remote mountains of Eastern Arizona. ACE will work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, National Forest Service and with conservationists from Trout Unlimited to preserve habitat by building creek barriers to prevent exotic species from migrating upstream and thus competing with the native Apache. ACE will participate in a variety of projects associated with this restoration effort, including hauling endless loads of rock for use in the barriers, surveying creek habitat to count frogs and insects, setting up water temperature monitoring stations, and taking fin samples for genetic testing. While much of the work will be physically and mentally exhausting as well as repetitive, volunteers will gain the satisfaction of contributing directly to the effort to prevent one of the rarest fish species in the world from disappearing into extinction.
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Desert Tortoise Habitat Protection (Las Vegas Area)
November to March
The Desert Tortoise is native to the Mojave Desert surrounding Las Vegas, Nevada, the fastest growing city in the United States over the last 10 years. Urbanization brings intense pressures on the fragile habitat of the Desert Tortoise, as off road vehicle activities, collection by humans, vandalism, and predation by ravens has conspired to endanger the survival of this officially threatened species. ACE crews will work alongside wildlife biologists from the Bureau of Land Management in an effort to close and replant illegal roads, preventing jeeps and all terrain vehicles from rampaging through fragile tortoise habitat. Work will involve transplanting native desert plants and constructing fences to block access to critical habitat. As is true with many ACE projects, the work will demand patience for repetitive tasks and a positive attitude, while affording the opportunity to contribute to the protection of a threatened species in a uniquely beautiful desert environment. Volunteers should be prepared to camp in temperatures at or just below the freezing point in order to take part in the winter project.
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Sunrise Mountains Trail Construction (Las Vegas Area)
November to March
Rapid growth into the desert and wildlands outside of Las Vegas is impacting the habitat of many species of both plants and animals. Recreational bikers and hikers have created an uncoordinated maze of trails through the drainages of the Sunrise Mountains, 15 miles south of Las Vegas. This sprawling, unplanned network of trails cuts through the habitat of the threatened Bearjaw Poppy, a small white flower endemic to the washes of the Mojave Desert. ACE will work with the Bureau of Land Management to design and construct a permanent trail system to prevent recreationists from impacting fragile flowespecies by creating their own trails. Volunteers should be prepared to camp in temperatures at or just below freezing point in order to take part in the winter project.
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Protection of the Antilope on the border between Arizona and Utah
This project is very rewarding. Antelope (small dear-like animals) are incapable of jumping over fences, and the barbed wire prevents them from crawling under. There's a massive problem with antelope freezing to death and starving in the winter because the fences prevent them from migrating to find food. Entire herds die each year due to barbed wire. The work consists of taking off the barbed wire on the bottom strand and replacing it with smooth wire that antelope can crawl under. Some 10 miles of work has been accomplished and which hopefully will be enough to allow the antelope to survive. Another 100 miles to be done! The volunteers take great pleasure in saving antelope from starving and freezing to death, even though the location is not as glamorous as the Grand Canyon.
The scenery is pretty standard for that part of northern Arizona. Very open, blue skies, red rocks here and there.
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And for California |
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Yosemite Reveg (California)
Yosemite offers challenging and diverse reveg projects, including cutting down encroaching lodgepole pine trees with with hand saws, building fences, planting trees, spread mulch, cutting blackberry bushes, and of course planting
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Yosemite Trails
One of the premier trails programs in the USA, Yosemite crews are famous for their skills in rockwork Expect production oriented projects in breathtaking front and backcountry environments. Spend up to 6 weeks camping in remote high elevation mountain environments.
King’s Canyon/Sequoia National Park
Home to the world’s largest trees growing in lush forests in the soaring Sierra Nevada Mountains, Sequoia N.P.’s unique habitat is hreatened by invasion from exotic species. ACE crews will help eliminate one such species, reed canarygrass by running mowers and weed eaters, and laying black fabric down and anchoring it with blanket pins.
California State Parks
ACE is currently organizing both Reveg and Trails projects in many of Central California’s most beautiful state parks. 12 state parks in coastal preserves and Redwood covered mountainsoffer a wide range of restoration activities in a variety of climates within 2 hours of Santa Cruz.
Volunteers will rotate frequently between projects, just like in Arizona. There will be a mix of easy and challenging projects. The work will involve Revegetation/Planting and trail work. Some projects will require no hike; others may require a hike of 20 miles to reach the work site. Many projects will last 8 days with 6 days off. A few will last 4 days, with 3 days off per week. Food is provided on project but not on off days.
The minimum length of stay for California is 8 weeks and the program will run yearround.
Volunteers who stay 12 weeks will have the option of dividing the time between ACE CA and ACE AZ (6 weeks each location). They can choose whether to spend their first 6 weeks in CA or in AZ provided there is a place left for you. They will also be required to provide their own transportation between Flagstaff and Santa Cruz. It only costs around $100 to fly from Phoenix to Santa Cruz.
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Prices and arrival dates
Prices in Euros.
Arrival dates with or without (*) pick-up at Phoenix or San Francisco airport.
2007
6.1, 20.1*, 3.2, 17.2*, 3.3, 17.3*, 31.3, 14.4*, 28.4, 12.5*, 26.5, 9.6, 23.6*,7.7, 14.7*, 21.7, 4.8, 18.8*, 1.9, 15.9, 22.9*, 13.10, 27.10, 3.11*.
Last working day in 2007 is the 13th December with departure from Flagstaff on the 15th December.
This is why an arrival on 22nd September is your last chance for a 12 weeks stay and on 27th October for a 7 weeks stay. Arrival on the 3rd November means last chance for a 6 weeks stay.
During summer 2007 it is exceptionally possible to wortk during only 6 weeks. Arrival dates for these short summer stays are 7.7. 21.7, 4.8, and 18.8*.
2008
5.1. 19.1*, 2.2, 16.2*, 1.3, 15.3*, 29.3, 12.4, 26.4*, 10.5, 24.5*, 7.6, 21.6*, 5.7, 19.7, 2.8, 16.8*, 30.8, 13.9*, 27.9, 11.10*, 25.10, 8.11*.
Last working day in 2008 will be the 12th December. Only 8 or 12 weeks stays are allowed in 2008, with the exception of a short 6 weeks stay from the 8th November.
There is no airport pickup on dates with * anybody arriving at these dates will have to take the bus from Phoenix airport to Flagstaff or from San Francisco airport to Santa Cruz.
Fees in Euro
6 weeks: 522
7 weeks: 554
8 weeks: 587
12 weeks: 685**
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Weeks |
Fees in EURO |
6 |
522 |
7 |
554 |
8 |
587 |
12 |
685** |
**Volunteers applying for a 12 weeks program will be refunded a deposit of 360 Euros upon completion of the 12 weeks stay. Please note that if you decide to leave your project and return to your home country before the end of your working period, your deposit will not be refunded.
A 12 weeks stays allows you to combine both Arizona and California (6 weeks each).
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Included in the price
- Administration fees
- Accommodation: camping while working, and hostel on days off
- Food while working
- Phoenix or san Francisco airport pick-up on dates mentioned above
- Transportation between projects
- Equipment for work
- The presence of experts on all teams
- Tents
- An opportunity to see and live a wonderful landscape
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Not included in the price
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Airfares to Flagstaff or San Francisco and back home
- Health insurance
- Pocket money
- Food during days off.
- Transport between Flagstaff and Santa Cruz or the other way around.
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Procedure
Please complete the application form and enclose: C.V. in English. Upon reception of your application form EXIS will send you a confirmation and invoice. If you apply to participate in the full program length (12 weeks) you are entitled to a refund of 360 Euros which will be refunded after completion of your 12 weeks volunteer stay. Please note that if you decide to return home before the end of your working period, your deposit will not be refunded.
Link to pictures from volunteers:
http://www.hoegsbro.photosite.com |
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Before you depart
Helping the Conservation programme by volunteering demands courage, fitness, a love of nature and an ability to work hard. The programme is physical and very demanding, which is why it is not recommended for individuals with respiratory problems such as asthma. People unable to carry a backpack for more than 7 km or suffering from arthritis should not participate. Work will be outdoors in all types of weather. Remember to bring a warm sleeping bag and a sleeping pad. Other requirements are a sense of adventure, a desire to make a difference, and a willingness to remain flexible and positive through ever changing project work, locations, and weather conditions. |
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General information |
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Chat
In case you are in doubt and want to speak with ex participants, you are welcome to ask EXIS for a mail address or phone number. Futhermore it is good to know that potential volunteers can use this message board to communicate with former and current volunteers to get a realistic picture of what life with ACE is like. ACE doesn’t want volunteers to only have to rely on ACE staff or EXIS to describe what to expect. With the message board, volunteers themselves can respond to questions in an uncensored forum. You can even set a time to "meet" on the chat. This completely open forum for volunteers to seek information is the only way to ensure that no aspect of ACE is misrepresented or over glorified.
The address is: http://members.boardhost.com/aceusa/ |
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Visa
Most visitors to the United States enter the country as tourists. With the introduction of visa free travel to citizens of 27 countries, it is now possible for many travelers, to enter the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program (WVP) with the condition of providing a machine readable passport to all customs agents.
Your stay must not exceed 90 days in the USA and you are not allowed to accept paid employment or study in the USA.
Passport holders from Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Liechtenstein and Slovenia must be in possession of individual machine readable passports in order to travel visa free. For citizens of the other 22 visa free countries, including the United Kingdom, this requirement has been postponed until October 26, 2004.
For those people who have not been able to change their passport for a machine readable one before the 26th of October 2004 a visa is necessary to enter the USA.
Following is a list of what you will need to enter the US:
Return ticket and proof that you can support yourself during your stay in the USA (Visa Card, Travellers Cheques) even though ACE will supply you with your lodgings and most of your food.
To obtain a tourist visa under article 214b of the immigration and nationality law, the demander must deny all presumptions of immigration by justifying that you have a “reason” to return home and that you do not intend in any way to become a citizen of the USA. This can be in the form of a letter from your employer, school or other. Please bring along the proof that EXIS sends, concerning your stay and contact address of ACE.
Proof of a clean police record.
Important: Some travelers may not be eligible to enter the United States visa free under the VWP. These include people who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction, those with criminal records, (the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to U.S. visa law), certain serious communicable illnesses, those who have been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the United States, or have previously overstayed on the visa waiver program. Such travelers must apply for special restricted visas. If they attempt to travel without a visa, they may be refused entry into the United States.
Passport Validity: If traveling under the Visa Waiver Program, the passport must be valid for at least 90 days from the date on which the holder enters the United States. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport. Note: Passport holders from Andorra, Brunei, and San Marino must be in possession of a passport valid for at least six months from the date of departure from the United States, even if traveling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program |
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