Food production currently accounts for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions released annually, and has become a focus for climate activists in past decades due to the industry’s destructive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other unsustainable farming practices. Community gardens have emerged in recent years as a sustainable way to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint and to grow food for disadvantaged communities. In this project, volunteers will help cultivate and maintain a community garden in the Romanian city of Miercurea Ciuc. Because the local citizens often live together in small apartment complexes, the community garden gives families space to grow their own vegetables and creates a public area for children to play. Volunteers will be crucial in maintaining these gardens and will undertake a variety of tasks in support of the local community, including planting, watering, harvesting, composting, maintaining drainage systems, and doing other general upkeep. On the weekends, volunteers can spend their time visiting local markets, participating in outdoor activities, and exploring Romanian cities. Volunteers will share a volunteer apartment or house while they are in Miercurea Ciuc, be provided with groceries by the accommodation manager and receive one cooked meal per day at either a restaurant or their work location.
This trip lasts between one and 24 weeks, and costs $504 for one week. Due to winter temperatures, the project is closed between November and February. The trip is led by IVHQ, a volunteer travel company with 338 projects in 50 countries, rated #1 Volunteer Travel Company by Go Overseas 7 years in a row. It is a cost-effective option with some programs as low as $20 per day with accommodation and meals included. They are a Certified B Corporation, 100% carbon neutral and every project aligns with a UN Sustainable Development Goal.