Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ)

Placement Location

Tropical Greenhouse of the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences

"Green Meeting Place" - Tropical Greenhouse with Teaching and Show Gardens

Faculty of Life Sciences

Marie-Curie-Straße 1

47533 Kleve

Description of the Placement Location

Under the motto "Biodiversity you can touch – look, feel, smell, taste, hear," the Tropical Greenhouse of the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kleve houses a collection of tropical and subtropical crop plants under glass. The outdoor facilities include 3 show gardens: a traditional meadow orchard with an educational fruit trail, an apiary, and a barefoot path; a "living table" with perennial plants; and a seasonal garden with annual plants.

The facility serves as a green meeting place for the nature and environmental education, training, and further education of students, pupils, children, and interested adults. Key focus areas include sustainable land use, the preservation of biodiversity, and fair trade. In addition to regionality, an international orientation with a connection to the tropics and subtropics plays a significant role.

Since August 2014, the university has offered 2 places for a "Voluntary Ecological Year" (FÖJ) in the Tropical Greenhouse.

The workplace is extensive: The tropical greenhouse, the adjacent show gardens, our bee colonies, the equipment hall, and the equipment room with climate cabinets offer scope for practical work. The office, complete with a computer workstation for FÖJ participants, and our seed collection provide space for organizational tasks.

In addition to the greenhouse, you will also get to know the daily operations of the university.

The two FÖJ participants sign a contract with the LVR (Rhineland Regional Council) and the university. This contract regulates all important matters, such as the 39-hour working week, training courses and internships, holiday entitlement, etc. The complete guideline for the FÖJ can be found on the LVR homepage.

Working hours are recorded by the FÖJ participants in a time sheet (working time account). We organize daily working hours in coordination with the participants, keeping them as flexible as possible.

In return, we expect flexibility from the FÖJ volunteer. The greenhouse is open to visitors on 4 Sundays and one Saturday a year from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM; the presence of the volunteers is required on these dates. Time off in lieu will be granted promptly as compensation.

Watering duties may also be necessary on alternating holiday weekends; this is done on a voluntary basis and counts as working time.

We offer FÖJ participants an interesting internship placement with many opportunities.

Task Areas for the FÖJ

1. Horticultural Work in the Greenhouse and in the Teaching and Show Gardens

Creation and renewal of plantings in the greenhouse and outdoor areas (planting fruit trees and shrubs, sowing arable crops, etc.)
Plant propagation and seed harvesting, especially for old and endangered crop and wild plants
Care of bees, beekeeping
Care of the seed collection
Pruning and care (weeding, watering, fertilizing) of plants
Composting of plant residues, maintenance of the composting facility
Preparation of plant substrates
Ensuring plant care and watering duties in the greenhouse

2. Assistance in Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development

Conducting guided tours
Planning, organizing, and participating in events on various topics (Fair Trade, pumpkins, strawberry cultivation, etc.)
Creating plant profiles
Preparation for internships and practical exercises in the degree programs
Assisting in the development of teaching and learning materials

3. Participation in Research and Development Projects

Support with sampling plant and soil material in the field
Participation in field measurements
Monitoring and support of pot experiments
Assisting in conducting laboratory experiments and analyses
Data collection, data entry, and data analysis

4. Other Activities

Maintaining appearances (keeping things tidy)
Developing promotional materials (posters, flyers)
Maintenance of materials, tools, and machinery
General administrative tasks
Internet research for various tasks
Microscopy
Photography

Interests and Special Requirements

Interest in working with plants and in nature
Enjoyment of working with youth and children
Interest in bees and beekeeping

Further Information

1 place for graduates of Secondary Level I (intermediate school leaving certificate)
1 place for graduates of Secondary Level II (higher education entrance qualification / A-levels)
Every FÖJ participant develops at least one project from planning to execution. This is how our herb spiral and fragrance path were created, for example.
There is no accommodation available at the placement site.
FÖJ participants can receive a subsidy for meals in the university canteen.

Sponsoring Organization / Governing Body

The FÖJ program belongs to the Federal Volunteer Service. The competent authorities for the approval and recognition of FÖJ placement sites in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are the two Regional Councils (LVR).

Applications are submitted via the LVR internet portal:

https://sodys.freiwillig24.de/profil-foej-lvr

You can also obtain information directly at the placement site.

The recognized placement sites are obliged to comply with the Youth Volunteer Service Act and to implement the quality standards of the FÖJ NRW.

Among other things, the FÖJ central office verifies whether the facility is suitable for employing young people in a volunteer service and whether there are sufficient ecological and meaningful fields of activity to employ at least two participants.