NO BORDERS
Lipu - Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli
Massaciuccoli, Italy
⭐️ Activity Title
Volunteer in Italy with an association for Birdwatching and Protection of Biodiversity
🌍 What is the European Solidarity Corps (ESC)? The ESC is the EU programme that funds young people aged 18–30 (up to 35 for humanitarian aid) to volunteer on solidarity projects across Europe, with travel, accommodation, food, insurance and monthly pocket money covered. This overview explains who can join, the project types, durations and how to apply. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc
🔷 Activity Details
Description
Join the LIPU Massaciuccoli Oasis in Tuscany, Italy - a nature reserve located between Lucca, Pisa, and Viareggio. Surrounded by lakes, reeds, and wildlife, this unique place is both a haven for biodiversity and a vibrant community space. Volunteers support bird monitoring, habitat conservation, wildlife care, environmental education, and biodiversity gardening. Activities range from building bird observatories and maintaining wooden trails to welcoming visitors, organizing awareness events, and creating educational materials. Daily life includes shared cooking, cleaning, and living in close contact with nature and people. Expect manual and physical work, shared spaces, and a meaningful connection with the natural world.
Accommodation, food and transport arrangements
LIPU is located in Massaciuccoli, a small town located in the municipality of Massarosa, halfway between Viareggio, Lucca, and Pisa. The location is remote and quiet isolated from the intense city life. Volunteers will stay in guesthouse with rooms shared among volunteers of different genders. The volunteers will receive pocket money of 6€ per day. The food will be provided by the hosting organization. The volunteers will have the ingredients that are provided by the host organization to prepare the meals. Alcohol, suites, and personal items will be on charge of volunteers.
Training during the activity
Volunteers will participate in the On Arrival Training organized by the Italian National Agency. The coordinating organization No Borders, will organize trainings with the volunteers and the coordinator of LIPU.
Participant profile
Please check your SPAM for our email. SEND YOUR CV and MOTIVATION IN ENGLISH! Available for the entire duration of the project: beginning of October 2026 – 31st January 2027.
We are looking for volunteers: ▪️Want to have close contact with nature and birds 🐦▪️Ready to live in a rural and ISOLATED area;▪️Huge plus previous studies or work in biology, biodiversity, veterinary, ecology, etc. ▪️Sociable, community-oriented, ready to live and be in a team 24/7; ▪️Active, empathetic, open-minded, and respectful; ▪️Willing to support in educational activities for children, young people, and adults; ▪️Ready to share living spaces, including bedrooms, possibly with people of DIFFERENT genders. ▪️Ready to do manual tasks, outdoor work, and get your hands dirty - in ALL weather conditions. ▪️ Knows how to cook for yourself and ready to do it for the group; ▪️Clean shared spaces. ▪️Accept mainly vegetarian lifestyle at the Oasis (occasionally including local animal products shared by neighbors). ▪️ Love for tracking or hiking on long distances▪️Intermediate English and strong motivation to learn Italian.
✍️ How do you write a motivation letter for ESC and Erasmus+? Research the project first, then follow a five-part structure that shows motivation, relevant skills and learning goals. This guide includes a full annotated example, how to adapt it per activity, and the mistakes that cause rejection. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-motivation-letter
💡 How do you prepare a strong Erasmus+ or ESC application? Read the call carefully, write specific motivation, show skills with examples, and state clear learning goals. This guide gives 10 practical tips plus the common mistakes that lead to rejection. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/erasmus-application-tips
🔑 Key Information
Activity dates
From 05/10/2026 to 31/01/2027
Activity location
Massaciuccoli, Italy
Activity type
Individual volunteering
Looking for participants from
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden
Activity topics
Social challenges
Disaster prevention and recovery
Environment and natural protection
Health and wellbeing
Education and training
Employment and entrepreneurship
Creativity and culture
Physical education and sport
Nutrition and subsistence agriculture
WASH (Water, sanitation and hygiene)
Support to local Small and Medium Enterprise
Deadline for applications
Application deadline: 14/09/2026 17:07
Project code
2025-1-IT03-ESC51-VTJ-000348011
⚖️ What's the difference between ESC and Erasmus+? The ESC is for volunteering and solidarity, while Erasmus+ is broad learning mobility (study, training, youth exchanges). This guide compares age, funding, duration and application route, and includes a "choose this if…" decision guide. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-vs-erasmus
🔗 Official Project Page
https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/opportunity/54153_en
🔐 How do you register on the ESC Portal? You create an EU Login with two-factor authentication, then complete your profile on the official ESC Portal. This step-by-step guide also fixes common problems like "0 opportunities" and the country-list lock. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/register-esc-portal
🩺 What insurance do ESC volunteers get? Every ESC volunteer gets free group insurance (currently Henner) that complements the EHIC and covers medical, accident, hospitalisation, liability and travel. This guide explains what's insured, the coverage period (home-to-return plus two months) and how your organisation enrols you. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-insurance
🌍 What is ESC Humanitarian Aid Volunteering? It's the ESC strand (EVHAC) that sends people aged 18–35 to work full-time in countries outside the EU, after mandatory two-stage training. This guide details the training, the application steps and what's covered. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-humanitarian-aid-volunteering
💰 Is ESC volunteering fully funded? Yes for core costs: travel is reimbursed by distance band (€28–1,735+), and accommodation, food, local transport, insurance, language support and daily pocket money are covered. This guide gives the official 2026 figures and the honest travel-band caveat — note there is no salary. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/is-esc-fully-funded
