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Explore Vancouver Island & help in Garden Paradise

5.0
(22 reviews)22

The experience

Our tiny community is focussed on maintaining a 2 acre property with vegetable & flower gardens (soil amendments, planting, harvesting, mowing etc) A love of outdoors & strong muscles, building experience, power-tool proficiency, and a keen willingness to help despite the variable weather conditions are desirable traits for our needs. We eat healthy, and aim for sustainability & non-consumerism by finding creative reuse for materials.

What you offer

25 hours of help per week

Cleaning: Help clean the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas.

Kitchen Hand: Help prepare, finish and serve meals.

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

What you get

2 days off per week

Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Free Hiking Tours: We’ll take you on excursions and hikes around town. For free!

Bikes at your disposal: You can use our bikes any time you want.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Intermediate English

Between 20 and 60 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

Travel insurance

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

Various accommodation: RV, cabin or Hippie SchoolBus & 3 full healthy meals a day for 5 hrs help/5 days-week or equal (coffee, tea, water and some snacks are provided--BUT it is NOT an open kitchen)--bring your own EXTRA treats, snacks & drinks

usually self-serve Breakfast from a selection of items; Lunch & Dinner will mostly be prepared (I will accommodate food preferences, note: we eat alot of vegetables)

DAYS OFF: ONLY breakfast is provided & leave the kitchen completely clean;
Please bring your own food for your days off; or go offsite for meals. DO NOT expect access to food & snacks on these days. NOTE: If you wish to stay on site on off days: lunch and dinner can be provided with only 2 hours work exchange, if its convenient for us.

Keeping the bathroom & kitchen clean and dishes done, is YOUR responsibility--ALL the time--this is self-maintenance, and does not count as part of your work-exchange...also I will LOVE YOU FOR IT!!

Main tasks are usually garden related (watering, weeding, planting & harvesting, mowing) but occasionally housework, building and repairing too.

Activities & Shift

Generally, Monday thru Friday , we expect to be up and eating by 9am, working by 10 am for 2-3 hours before lunch, and then another 2-3 hours sometime after the lunch break. We usually eat dinner about 7pm. In the break, we may head out to the beautiful Cowichan river for swimming or tubing, to Fuller Lake for a swim, or simple relax & chill-out in our abundant and beautiful flower garden, with its own small pond, swing and cold bathtub.

Saturdays are always off, but as Worldpackers come and go on various days, we have to be flexible for the other day off. Sometimes we are not home to supervise, in that case, we appreciate you being conscientious about doing your exchange work while we are gone (and we will make pre-arrangements for your meals).

Rules

~ please NO social CIGARETTE smoking. Without being asked, kindly take your cigarette for a walk--away from the house & others.

~Please DO NOT HELP yourself to our kitchens--except for designated items. I have a food business, availability & integrity of my ingredients are of utmost importance. KEEP YOUR OWN SNACK FOOD in your accommodation--WITH CARE! (see below). All dishes are done promptly after every meal & are not part of your work hours.

~Keep accommodations VERY clean, tidy & free of spills & crumbs so not to attract ants or mice. Use the refrigerator provided as safe storage.

~its a relaxed atmosphere, enjoy drinking & smoking (420 friendly) We do not tolerate drunkenness. We appreciate mindful, honest communication & a solid work ethic. We also appreciate cleanliness & environmental responsibility: reducing, reusing, recycling and proper waste disposal.