Bali: Environmental Conservation Placement

Introduction

The beautiful Indonesian island of Bali provides an ideal setting to gain experience in innovative environmental work and help ensure that local farmers steer a course of sustainable development.

As a participant on the Environmental Internship programme, you will be working with a local NGO and Balinese farming communities to improve environmental practices and standards. Many of the farmers you’ll meet have already been working to counter the negative environmental impact of the so-called ‘Green Revolution,’ a set of initiatives sponsored by the Indonesian government in the 1950’s and 60’s to increase crop yields using harmful pesticides. Yet many farmers continue to use unsustainable amounts of fertilisers, and despite living in one of the most beautiful regions of the world, there is little awareness of the impact of non-biodegradable waste upon the environment.

This NGO works to design and implement various environmental strategies to reduce man’s impact upon the Balinese landscape. They have initiated a Permaculture centre and wormery run by farmers to produce compost for their fields, with excess being sold to nearby farms. Mobile rice mills and organic rice intensification training are creating new awareness whilst doubling yields in a sustainable manner. New initiatives to trap mosquitoes have been founded, biogas plants built, and a new micro-hydro electric generator is being built in a nearby village with plans for more in the near future.

This is a proactive organisation with plenty of new ideas still in the pipeline and your contribution to these on-going activities and your new ideas will be more than welcomed.

Daily Life

This is a very flexible placement and your daily life will depend on which project or projects you choose to get involved with.

Permaculture Workshop Construction
We are in the process of building a workshop training centre where permaculture techniques can be taught. It is in the middle of primary rainforest, and is being built with live trees for the main struts. This means the building will grow as the trees get taller, and a second level will eventually be added.

Hydroelectric Plant Project
One of many projects that are always ongoing is to build a natural pool which is filled by run off water from the nearby rice paddy fields. This pool will include fish and will be a nice cool place for tourists to swim in. The run off from the natural pool will then flow down to the river below, passing through a hydro-electric generator which will power the building above.

Waste-water Management Projects
Numerous restaurants in Bali are now asking for an effective waste-water management system to be installed of which you can help be a part of their design and implementation. All waste water from the kitchen and toilets of the restaurant flow into a septic tank, which is then pumped into the restaurants gardens and then back into the ground water. You will learn how this is designed, installed and maintained.

Permaculture Centre
In the Permaculture centre daily work will involve compost making, tending to the wormery, weeding and helping with other chores. You will get to take part in Permaculture training workshops every Friday to learn new methods and strategies. If you have any expertise in the subject, you will be very welcome to add to the discussion.

You may also be asked to create documentation for all the different methodologies, strategies and activities, help create instructional videos and other administrative tasks.

Mobile Rice Mill
The main activity in this project is, as the name suggests, milling rice! You will assist local staff in visiting the different villages in the area and meeting local farmers, helping them to operate the machinery, record outputs, or resolve technical issues. This is a great way to visit the local areas and get to know the locals in depth.

Micro-Infrastructure Construction and Maintenance
Get involved in the construction of various micro-infrastructure projects, including; Biogas, hydro-electric plants, wormeries, Permaculture centres etc. You will learn first-hand how to plan, design, and then build these modern, sustainable marvels.

Travel & Accom.

You will be met at Denpasar International Airport and taken directly to the project HQ.

Accommodation with the project coordinator is available and included in the monthly fee. However many interns decide to rent their own room nearby, as there are many inexpensive options nearby, with swimming pools, breakfast included etc. for around £10 – 15 per night. There are also many restaurants to choose from, with local dishes starting at just 50p. You can rent a motorbike for around £1 per day.

Requirements

• Min age 18
• Minimum 1 month commitment – 15-20 hours a week
• Enthusiasm and interest to work in farming and environmental projects
• Basic English or Bahasa Indonesia
• Full travel & medical insurance
• Necessary vaccinations
• Necessary flights & visas  (we will provide the necessary sponsor letter for your visa)

Costs

* All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee.
** Place is confirmed with a £250 deposit

What’s Included:

Project Fee includes all

• accommodation
• breakfast
• in-country support
• all related project activities.

What’s not included:

• Food (lunch and dinner)
• flights,
• insurance,
• visas (if applicable)
• vaccinations. Full support will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Scooter rental will cost an additional £50 per month.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators. We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.