European Voluntary Service

European Voluntary Service (EVS) is the European Commission’s project that allows a young person (18–30 years) to become a volunteer in another country for a specified period, normally between 2–12 months. The service activities can be, for example, in the field of environment, arts and culture, activities with children,young people or the elderly, heritage or sports and leisure activities. Each project has three partners, a volunteer, a sending organisation and a host organisation. The project has to take place in a country other than where the volunteers lives, is non-profit-making and unpaid and last for a limited period (maximum 12 months).

Working in Zemaitija national park is a good chance to discover the most beautiful places of Lithuania and acknowledge the European importance of protected areas

The volunteers will also assist the park’s specialists during landscape monitoring: photographing and making landscape digression surveys, visitor needs surveys and visitor flow surveys.

The volunteers will be asked to prepare material for a leaflet/small publication and the internet website about the park in their language. It would be a great contribution to the park’s publicity.

Once acquainted with the park’s territory, environmental, cultural heritage and the exposition of the park visitors’ centre, museums, the volunteers will the able to assist guided tours for foreigners and later after learning some Lithuanian even to Lithuanian groups.

Each year Zemaitija national park hosts various crafting seminars. The volunteers will have an opportunity to join them by helping in the organization and also learning the some traditional crafts (blacksmith, wood carving, eggs painting, weaving, baking bread, culinary heritage and many others).

On their initiative the volunteers will be able to organize intercultural evenings for the local community, share their culture with the local people, informally teach foreign languages, dances, songs and traditions to pupils, offer assistance at the old people’s home. The volunteers will be able to suggest and realize ideas which would contribute to the park’s objectives. They will be free to initiate actions of environmental protection, hikes and many other activities with the village community.

Volunteers will have an opportunity for intercultural learning not only during their communication with local young people, but with other EVS volunteers from different EU and Eastern European counties as well.

THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF VOLUNTEERS IN ŽEMAITIJA NATIONAL PARK (2012)

THE FIRST IMPRESSION ABOUT VOLUNTEERING IN ŽEMAITIJA NATIONAL PARK (2014)