Call for Youth Exchange Swamp Savers: Youth Exchange for Wetland Preservation
31 August – 8 September 2025
Cottbus | Germany
About the project
Swamp Savers is a youth exchange project bringing together young people from different European countries to promote intercultural exchange and hands-on environmental action. Hosted in Brandenburg, Germany, an area rich in peatlands, the program combines practical conservation work with workshops on biodiversity, climate protection, and political engagement.
Participants will engage in the renaturation of a former peatland, build and install nesting boxes for birds and bats, and explore methods of sustainable land use, such as composting. Through interactive learning and teamwork, they will gain skills in habitat restoration and environmental advocacy while building connections across cultures.
Involved countries
Germany, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey, Latvia and Lithuania
The venue & accomodation
Cottbus is a city in eastern Germany, located close to the Polish border and approximately 120 km from Berlin. It is known for its green spaces, historic architecture, and its proximity to beautiful natural areas, such as the Spreewald.
Accommodation
We will have a seminar room, which will be converted from a cafeteria area. In nice weather, we will also do activities outside. Accommodation will be organized by separating rooms for men and women, with participants of different nationalities in each room. There will be a maximum of 3 to 5 participants per room, except for one room that will accommodate 10 participants. There will be shared bathrooms located outside the rooms.
The eligible participants
There will be 6 participants per country.
The participants:
- are aged 18 – 30 years old (group leader 18+ years old)
- have at least basic level of English
- are able to demonstrate their motivation and interest in the project
Financial conditions
Accommodation, food and all materials at the project will be covered by the Erasmus+ programme. The travel costs for the Czech participants will be covered within the limit of 285 EUR Green travel.
Plase note that in case you are selected for the project, you will be asked to pay a membership fee of 900 CZK (or 35 EUR for payments from abroad) – we will use this contribution to cover the compensation for the trip coordinator, the costs of materials and preparation, and the complete support of the participants before, during and after the trip. Instructions for paying the membership fee will be sent to you by e-mail, along with instructions to confirm participation and other steps.
The membership fee also ensures your membership in the Youth Progress organization, free entry to all local activities and is paid annually – if you decide to go on another project with us this calendar year, you will not have to pay it again.
Your participation in the project is fully financed by the ERASMUS+ program. However, the program does not reimburse us, the sending organization, so thank you for helping us continue to provide these great opportunities to young people. 
* In case of cancellation of participation by the participant, the contribution is non-refundable.
** In case of cancellation of the project by the organizers or due to force majeure, the contribution will be refunded to the participant’s account.
*** The membership fee may be waived in exceptional cases, e.g. if the participant faces a financial disadvantage, which will be evaluated individually by the sending organization.