The four-week May 2008 workcamp will offer three distinct projects. We will be acquiring a couple of second hand Mongolian Yurts (Gers) that will require repairs to damaged spars and fabric. In the first week of the camp (9-14 May) we'll unpack the materials and refashion a number of spars before setting up the Yurts in the hotel's north terrace. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to learn the basics of this durable waterproof structure capable of serving a multitude of purposes.

We will also be constructing an outdoor group room to be sited on the front terrace. The group room will quite likely be a round structure utilising the reciprocal frame principle that Nigel Hilton used to build our roundhouse group room at the 2002 workcamp at our previous Centre in Anilio.

The third project for this May's camp will be the construction of a small geodesic dome to serve as our sanctuary. This project will be an opportunity to learn how to build a small living structure out of natural materials (chestnut, bamboo) available from the Pelion forest.

In addition to the three main building projects, there will be a number of minor building and maintenance jobs. We'll have to erect a waterproof cover for the patio so as to make it an all-weather eating area and art studio. The solar panels that heat the hot water for the kitchen and showers need maintenance and we need to build compost bins.

In October we convene a second workcamp (3-17 Oct) to carry on whatever work remains unfinished from the May camp and to pack up the Centre.

The workcamps provide an opportunity to join the work rhythms of the Centre, to learn natural building methods and to participate in authentic community building. People often elect to stay on after the workcamp and join our summer staff and there are often opportunities for extending your stay in this way. In the camps we are building and maintaining physical structures, and we are building and enhancing interpersonal ones as well. All of our workcamp projects give excellent opportunities for gender role reversal as you can see from the photos on this page depicting workers from our previous camps.

In addition to the main building and renovation projects there is spring housecleaning, some rooms need sprucing up with paint, the organic vegie patch gets turned and planted, and of course there is the support team to help with cooking, cleaning, gardening etc.

The building work this May is being co-focalised by English eco-builder Stephen O'Brien, who has constructed his own eco-centre in the south of France near Montpelier, and Roger Doudna, longterm Findhorn Community member. Roger instigated the Whisky Barrel Cluster of recycled 'marrying vessels' at Findhorn EcoVillage. He built the first one, which has been his home since 1986, and has worked on all the others. Stephen and Roger will be assisted by Mark Taplin, small holder from Cornwall with extensive experience in building with natural materials and Hanno Voss, a carpenter/psychologist and former ZEGG resident.

Working together daily engenders a powerful community experience, yet there is still plenty of free time to enjoy the beaches and, in May, the late spring flowers along the forest paths. In October, there is an autumnal tranquility, and although evenings can be cool, the sea is at its warmest of the year, and most days are sunny and warm, with occasional showers.

Aside from those involved directly in the building work, we accept a limited number of support people on work exchange to help with cooking, clean up, gardening and preparing the centre for the summer workshop programme in May, and closing it down in October. Please enquire.

If you are interested in participating in two or all three of the work weeks in May, or the two weeks in October, please us with details of your experience, building, cooking, gardening skills etc.

The work camp and support team will be limited to 14 participants. We accept up to 6 people for full work exchange in each workcamp. We take a few more people in the camps who are able to contribute £50/€75 per week to cover food and accommodation costs. Please .