Free Internship & Volunteer Opportunities in Cyprus at GROL Garden

VOLUNTEERING IN CYPRUS

GROL Garden provides food, accommodation, yoga, and opportunities to learn, in exchange for assistance with farming or gardening activities.
You can come as a Volunteer and stay as an Intern.


LEARN MORE HERE:

Where are you located?
GROL Garden is located in Northern Cyprus. The city is called Girne or Kyrenia.

What is GROL Garden?
GROL Garden is an Urban Permaculture Project focused around the cultivation of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
We organically grow a wide variety of food plants. We have citrus and olive trees throughout the property.
We also have chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. None of the animals live indoors.
We have recently built our first Aquaponics system in order to produce fish and vegetables in a truly sustainable way.
This first system is a trial and we hope to improve and expand it over time.

How old is this project?
GROL Garden became a serious project in 2013. This is a relatively new project, so of course we aren't self-sufficient yet.
However Our Goal towards being Self-Reliant is being realized with each day, and each contribution.

How does your Garden Operate?
Our Garden has a base community of a few people, some living on the property and some with a less active role.
We have 2 managers who live on the farm: Yam & Ihsan. Another key member is Dervis, who lives in nearby Lapta.
Our Garden also consists of a revolving group of International Volunteers visiting from all over the World.

What are we looking for in terms of Volunteers?
We are looking for long-term Volunteers for helping around the Property who are interested in sustainablity.
Our agreement is 30 working hours a week in exchange for room and board.

What kind of duties do Volunteers have?
Our Garden/Farm is expanding, so duties could change on a daily/weekly basis which range from
animal care, planting, seed germination, watering, weeding, soil preparation, compost tumbling/mixing, etc.
 This is a hands-on experience, so if you're afraid of insects or digging in dirt, this will not be a good fit for you.

Volunteers may also use their exchange hours towards non-gardening activities, such as:
---Walking dogs (7 large, strong dogos that need daily walks)
---Yoga (willing to teach/inspire)
---Massage (willing to give to other volunteers)
---Vegetarian/Vegan cooking with our Vegetables
---House Keeping Manager
---Some Art Activities

Although management guide the project and have a basic roadmap for future projects, some of our best ideas originate
from volunteer suggestions.
Many Volunteers often have great insight and are valuable resource, so we encourage input and idea sharing.

What is the accommodation like?
In exchange for volunteer work, we will provide:
-Housing (bed, pillows, sheets, clothes rack)
-Food (own-grown, minimal budget for foods)
-Yoga classes (normally 3x a week)

Cooking on the Farm is Vegetarian.

We have an outdoor kitchen with cob oven, an outdoor shower, & a compost toilet


How many people are on the farm?
We usually have anywhere from 2-10 volunteers at a time. At the moment we can house up to 12+ volunteers inside.

What is the Visa Situation?
The rules are different for Citizens of Specific Countries. Visitor Visas can range anywhere from 15-90 days.
You receive your visitor visa upon arrival to North Cyprus. Please note how many days they write on your stamp.
Visitor Visas can sometimes be extended. Please ask the managers to contact Derya to arrange this in advance.
Those who stay over the limit are changed daily fines which add up quickly, so be aware of your visa status.

Is there Internet?
YES

Are there Animals?
On the farm, yes. We have chickens, ducks, cats, dogs.
There are NO animals living in the apartment or house though.

What are the rules on Smoking?
Smokers Need Not Apply. Smoking is prohibited on the farm.
--If you are a social smoker who might smoke a cigarette while at a bar, that's not a problem,
because it does not effect the farm. But if you are a day smoker, this will be a problem.


Transportation & Getting Here:
If you arrive from a Ferry terminal, we will pick you up if its less than an hour drive.

It is inexpensive and easy to reach GROL Garden using public transportation from all three airports in Cyprus.
ERCAN AIRPORT is the most economical and simplest.

To learn more, find us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/GROL.Garden.Girne

Also Check out Our Website for More Information:
www.GROLgarden.info

hello I am interested in grolgarden. I have many years of organic farming on all aspects of permaculture from compost making to sowing seeds. Hard working and conscientious. Would like to join your team of volunteers to learn and share about sustainability.

Hello there.

My name is Rachel Terry and I am staying with family in Seattle, Washington.  My life has taken many turns and I am in the process of rebuilding it as well.  I hope to develop a stronger root system.  I have been interested in the island of Cyprus since I was a little girl.  I had a pen pal who lived in Cyprus and my fascination grew from there.

I began an independent study of plants, trees and flowers during forest walks I took with my dog each day.  I taught myself about types, names and characteristics of different forms of forest life.  I loved this time so much.  I gradually incorporated my interest with medicinal plants and that led to learning about ethical wild plant foraging study as well.  Currently I have been trying to teach myself about growing plants and flowers along with learning about proper pruning and supporting plants with various diseases/conditions.

I have been photographing plants and flowers for many years.  When I have lived in urban areas, I found myself focused on the plants that popped up in different area in spite of development.  It felt magical and reminded me to be persistent and enduring in my own life.

My photographs did not come through on site and I apologize for not being able to attach a face with this message.  I am very interested in learning about planting and sustainable growing from more experienced individuals as well.

I hope to hear back from you in near future.

Rachel