Location
Kibbutz Lotan is a young community set far away from any urban setting. It is a quiet and stunning ecovillage in the Arava Desert, about 55km north of Eilat, where the community can focus on modern and progressive goals of equality, ecology, economic cooperation, home and community building, and Tikun 'Olam - repairing the world. The Kibbutz maintains a co-operative lifestyle.
The EcoCampus itself is a prototype model for sustainable living, and simply living in it can be a learning experience in itself. A main focus of this EcoCampus is living comfortably while making a low carbon footprint and utilizing environmentaly sound techniques. In 2006, Kibbutz Lotan received the Global Ecovillage Network's award for Ecovillage Excellence in recognition of its work in promoting practical ecology.
Kibbutz Lotan's population is equally divided between native-born Israelis and immigrants and volunteers from all over the world.
About the project
The 7-week intensive Green Apprenticeship program is a very special opportunity to study the award winning techniques of Kibbutz Lotan directly from its innovators, so that you may understand and create alternative solutions for the issues facing the modern world in the future.
The program incorporates the following subjects, taught through both theoretical and practical instruction:
- Local food production
- Permaculture
- Ecological design techniques
- Natural / alternative building
- Sustainable technologies - composting toilets, grey and black water purification systems, solar ovens, geodesic domes
- Community design
- Environmental ethics
Participants are also interwoven into the daily life on the Kibbutz.
** Scholarships may be available based on need. The scholarship request form may be found on the final page of the GA application form.
Green Apprentice Practical Work and Contribution
In addition to classroom learning, and theoretical instruction, the Green Apprenticeship program combines practical work in the following categories so as to fully prepare the participants for similar issues faced in the modern world:
- Organic gardening
- Natural and alternative building with mud, straw bales, tires, and trash
- Composting - with food scraps and with the help of worms (vermiculture)
- Permaculture design projects - ecological design from the garden and home to the workplace
- Care of EcoCampus neighborhood - maintenance and development
- Plus, countless opportunities for individual or group eco-projects
Volunteers work and study during the Israeli work week - Sunday through Thursday, with Friday and Saturday free.
Typical Scedule
A typical day's schedule may look something like this:
8:30 - 13:00: Classroom or outdoor activity
13:00-14:00: Lunch in community dining hall
14:00-16:00: Classroom or practical activity
18:00-19:00: Dinner in community dining hall
Evening sessions are scheduled a few times a week and may include group presentations, speaker series, or movie night.
Fridays are usually reserved for optional field trips, enrichment classes, working on group/personal projects, or personal travel and rest time. No work is done on Saturdays, or on any Jewish holiday.
Accommodation & facilities
Accomodation for Green Apprenticeship participants will be in the Eco Campus neighborhood of the Kibbutz, which is itself a practice in ecological and sustainable living. Living quarters are 10 dome-shaped apartments, made of straw-bale and earth-plaster, built on earthquake resistant geodesic frames by past course participants and eco-volunteers. Window placement is selective, allowing for ventilation which cools the buildings in the evenings. The neighborhood boasts solar ovens, solar hot water collectors, solar photovoltaic panels, waterless sanitation systems, greywater treatment, vermiculture composting of food waste, and LED pathway lighting.
3 meals a day are also included, each taken in the communal dining hall, with vegetarian options available.
Internet: Wireless and shared computer for emails
Laundry: washing machine available
Travel Highlights
Participants are encouraged to arrive early in Israel, in order to spend some time travelling and seeing the country before the project begins. Additionally, it is recommended to leave some personal time at the end of your stay, to explore and travel with the new perspectives you have been given during your time on the Kibbutz. Participants are also encouraged to take part in cultural and religious events on the Kibbutz and in the region that will occur throughout the 7 weeks. There are also tours, hikes, and other fun activities built into the program schedule during your stay. The tourist beach city of Eilat lies on the Red Sea, just 55 km away.
Minimum Requirements:
- Min age 20
- Good English or basic Hebrew
- Good physical fitness
- Motivation to work in practical ecology
- Able to work in harsh desert climate
- Full travel & medical insurance
- CV / Resume
- Two recommendations from employers, teachers, or the like
- Doctor's letter stating you are physically and mentally fit to work on a kibbutz in a harsh desert climate
- Volunteer Visa (to be obtained in Tel Aviv prior to start of program)