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Help during the reindeer-calf marking in Varangerbotn in Norway!

5.0
(30 reviews)30

The experience

I'm Katrin,
My place is located in Varangerbotn in Northern Norway
every autumn in September (start varies according to weather and animal) the reindeer calves are marked with the owner's mark, and slaughter animals will be selected and sent to the slaughterhouse. this is a centuries-old tradition in Sami reindeer husbandry. During this work, I may need help keeping the animals, and other related tasks, or household.

What you offer

30 hours of help per week

Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.

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.

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

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 Tours: We’ll take you on tours and rides around town. For free!

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

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

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Fluent English or Fluent Norwegian

Between 23 and 45 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

You will learn about The Sami culture and reindeer. The Sami are one of the world's indigenous people and have rights and the culture, traditions and languages are protected by law. The reindeer are gathered into corrals during autumn, where the new calves are marked by cutting a pattern into their ear with a knife. All the Sami reindeer herders have their own unique earmark for their reindeer. In the same period, we are also selecting out reindeer for slaughtering. If you come here volunteering in the period we are doing this, you will have the opportunity to get to experience this old tradition.
Here is also museums in the area you can visit.


Tasks and schedules will often change due to weather and animals, and we expect you to be 100% flexible with changing help schedules and days off. This is NOT a 9-5 job!

Activities & Shift

the reindeer in the reindeer district, which consists of many other reindeer owners, are collected in several small enclosures during calf marking. here I will need help with tasks such as holding on, chasing, pulling them into the correct enclosures. Otherwise, it can consist of other tasks such as looking after the dog or the cat, normal housework and other things in the waiting time, which can be alot of as we are completely controlled by the weather, wind and the reindeer.
- Help around with different tasks around my home
- Help and assisting with fixing fences
- Help with cutting and clearing trees around my home
- General househelp, cleaning
- Cooking
- Cutting reindeer meat
- Preparing Sami handicraft, for example with reindeer skin
- Dog walking
- Cleaning
- Cat sitting

Rules

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- In good physical shape
- Strong
- NO health problems
- Hardworking, responsible, and FLEXIBLE with help and helping hours
- Independent
- Minimum age 24 years old.

YOUR APPLICATION SHOULD INCLUDE:
- A few sentences about yourself, your age, and where you’re coming from
- How long you intend to stay + date
- Language Skills
- Allergies or dietary restrictions