Restoration of the Volunteer House in Riet Vell Nature Reserve
Since 2000, SEO/BirdLife has managed the Riet Vell Nature Reserve, a natural area of high ecological value covering a total of 57 hectares. The reserve, which includes rice paddies and natural habitats, forms part of the Natura 2000 Network. These ecosystems play an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change.
For more than 15 years, SEO/BirdLife has run a volunteer programme in Riet Vell for young Europeans, many of whom come from Germany (approximately 30%). There, volunteers enjoy nature while learning how to minimize their impact on the environment, the local communities of the delta, and their own activities. Volunteers live and work in the heart of an area of exceptional ornithological and ecological value and stay in the Volunteer House, a building constructed in 1940 and located just 100 metres from the observatory and surrounding natural habitats. From this location, they can easily observe the rich aquatic birdlife that characterizes this unique ecosystem.
Following Storm Gloria in January 2020, volunteers were temporarily evacuated from the Volunteer House because the facilities suffered significant damage, including roof leaks, flooding, damage to the heating and sanitation systems, deterioration of the façade and exterior pergola, and the loss of several trees. Although temporary repairs have since been carried out and volunteers have returned during the summer months, further work is still required to ensure suitable living conditions throughout the winter.
The VGP Foundation-supported project therefore aims to restore the Volunteer House in the Riet Vell Nature Reserve. The rehabilitation works include replacing part of the roof, repairing the exterior walls, improving the sewerage and heating systems, and enhancing the overall living conditions for European volunteers, many of whom stay for extended periods of up to 12 months
Photos © SEO BirdLife
