Conservation Volunteers International Program

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Conservation Volunteers International Program Join us on a conservation trip to Travel with Purpose! https://linktr.ee/conservationvip
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ConservationVIP is a nonprofit dedicated to helping sustain some of the world's greatest landscapes, cultural heritage sites, and biodiversity through hands-on volunteer service.

ConservationVIP travelers stopped in Portovenere on the way to Riomaggiore. It is wonderful to be back on the Italian Co...
10/08/2026

ConservationVIP travelers stopped in Portovenere on the way to Riomaggiore. It is wonderful to be back on the Italian Coast at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"Portovenere was an important commercial and cultural centre dating back to the Roman period, from which archaeological remains survive in its vicinity. It is compact in form, the houses aligned along the coastline culminating in the Doria Castle, which dominates the settlement and is a historical palimpsest, with many traces of its medieval predecessor."Cinque Terre UNESCO World Heritage website.

The group will be helping with dry stone masonry projects that help preserve and protect the centuries old terraces and trails in this World Heritage Site.

Join us next year! Our 2027 trips are posted on our website and are ready for sign up - https://conservationvip.org/destinations/cinque-terre/

It's a wrap! ConservationVIP Scottish Highland travelers returned to Glasgow this morning and headed off for further Sco...
10/01/2026

It's a wrap! ConservationVIP Scottish Highland travelers returned to Glasgow this morning and headed off for further Scottish adventures or to return home. We spent a spectacular week on Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. We hope that our conservation and trail improvement projects in partnershipvwith the National Trust fir Scotland will help visitors enjoy this beautiful location even more!

Wednesday morning, we returned to the Ptarmigan Trail and focused on clearing the path above our previous location. This...
09/30/2026

Wednesday morning, we returned to the Ptarmigan Trail and focused on clearing the path above our previous location. This part of the trail was steep and thick with brambles, bracken and broom. We tackled the vegetation with loppers, shears and scythes until we progressed above the tree line where we were rewarded with views of "Ardess", the high waterfall in the east, and a long stretch of Loch Lomond to the west.
We returned to the lodge for a late lunch of homemade soup and sandwiches and then decided to head out for the remainder of the afternoon to do a sweep of the Hidden History Trail to tidy up the late summer grasses and bracken and also to remove a dead tree trunk that had fallen into a stream which crosses the trail.
All in all, it was a beautiful last day to spend in the Loch Lomond and theTrossachs National Park.

Tuesday morning, we went for a hike on the Ardess Hidden History Trail which starts at the lodge and winds uphill into a...
09/30/2026

Tuesday morning, we went for a hike on the Ardess Hidden History Trail which starts at the lodge and winds uphill into a beautiful hillside clearing, alongside babbling brooks and through a variety of woodlands before joining the Lower Ptarmigan Trail. Our ranger guide, Gordon, led the hike and provided insights on the farming community that lived here in the 18th century. This is a scenic trail full of archeological points of interest and easy to traverse if one is looking for peaceful views without a strenuous climb.
In the afternoon, we eagerly returned to tackle the groundskeeping around Ardess Lodge, opening up fence lines and walls and completing the trimming along the entry drive.

Sunday was ConservationVIP's Scottish Highlands team rest day. On this spectacular sunny morning, some chose to "bag" Be...
09/29/2026

Sunday was ConservationVIP's Scottish Highlands team rest day. On this spectacular sunny morning, some chose to "bag" Ben Lomond one of Scotland's taller mountains, while the rest chose a scenic driving tour. We started at historic Doune Castle, first made famous by the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," and later, Outlander. Then we explored the village of Callander. We finished our day with a boat tour of Loch Katrine, which inspired Sir Walter Scott's "Lady of the Lake," and Franz Schubert's beautiful song "Ave Maria." We were inspired too, with the peaceful setting bathed in golden light!

Today was our Scottish Highlands team rest day and a few of us were interested in spending the day hiking Ben Lomond, on...
09/29/2026

Today was our Scottish Highlands team rest day and a few of us were interested in spending the day hiking Ben Lomond, one of Scotland's Munros. The weather further encouraged us with blue skies and rolling mists that kept our views ever changing. By doing the loop trail we were also able to see two dramatically different sides of the mountain, both equally breathtaking. By midafternoon we had returned to the lodge to relax and swap adventures with our fellow travelers and then we all walked to the local pub for a dinner out at the local pub.

09/28/2026

To put it mildly, Sunday was a rain day in the Scottish Highlands. But this is Scotland. And when in Scotland, you just put on your rain gear and carry on!
We returned to the lower Ptarmigan Trail where our National Trust trail expert David instructed us on several projects along the way that we had cleared of vegetation on Friday. We spent the day creating a stone water bar, a couple of stone steps, turf removal to widen the footpath and several blocking mounds to encourage visitors to stay on the footpath.
Our rain gear proved its worth today as the rain was a constant companion, but on the bright side it gave us immediate gratification that the water bar was function beautifully!
We were very happy with our accomplishments today and equally happy to return to Ardess Lodge where a toasty fire and a warm dinner awaited.

On Saturday, the ConservationVIP Scottish Highlands team we stayed on the grounds of Ardess Lodge to focus on groundskee...
09/27/2026

On Saturday, the ConservationVIP Scottish Highlands team we stayed on the grounds of Ardess Lodge to focus on groundskeeping around the lodge, outbuildings, and the entry drive. This is necessary for tree/shrub health as well as to provide extra outdoor space for campers when the lodge exceeds capacity. Tasks included cutting back encroaching vegetation such as bramble (thorny and grabby!), broom, and pruning trees. We learned a new term "coppicing" - the practice of trimming back certain tree species and shrubs to near ground level to encourage new fast-growing shoots. This was performed on several birch and hazel trees.
The group cleared a significant amount of material and our NTS leaders were quite pleased and impressed with how much we accomplished today! The before and after photos speak for themselves.

On ConservationVIP's 2025 trip to Ben Lomond, we helped the National Trust for Scotland collect and process bracken stem...
09/26/2026

On ConservationVIP's 2025 trip to Ben Lomond, we helped the National Trust for Scotland collect and process bracken stems for a traditional thatch "cruck frame" building. After it dried, the bracken was bundled and attached to the roof frame. It is fun to see the front roof finished! More bracken needs to be collected and processed to finish the back side- next year!

Friday was our first full day at Loch Lomond. After a safety talk with our NTS guides, we worked on clearing the lower P...
09/26/2026

Friday was our first full day at Loch Lomond. After a safety talk with our NTS guides, we worked on clearing the lower Ptarmigan Trail near our lodge of bramble, bracken, broom and heather that has overgrown the walking trail this summer. We used loppers, scythes, shears and hand saws to cut the vegetation back about 2 feet to either side of the trail. This is a beautiful trail that winds uphill past a fast-flowing burn, or stream, that flows from "Ardess" a high waterfall that we can see from our lodge. As we progressed, we were rewarded with wonderful views of Loch Lomond.

Address

120 VILLAGE Square #9
Orinda, CA
94563

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 7pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

(925) 817-9962

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