Feature photo: www.worldon2wheels.com; Photo: emma.maria

In response to my question about how many hours a day the WWOOFers worked, the host replied, “We expect the WWOFers to enjoy the work enough not to mind how many hours they work.”

A red flag should have begun waving itself madly, but all I could see was the cheese factory on site, the fact they made their own pasta, and the assortment of animals on the farm. I ended up working about 12 hours a day on that farm, but never with the cheese or the pasta.

After having good and bad experiences WWOOFing in four different countries, these are the questions I’ve learned to ask:

1. How many hours do I work each day?

The purpose of this question is to be prepared for the expectations of the farm. The answer also gives you a reference point for addressing concerns if you find a significant discrepancy once you’re at the farm.

Asking about days off is also a good idea. One guy arrived at a farm and thought he had every weekend off. He was unpleasantly surprised to learn this was not the case.

2. What kind of work will I be doing?

Photo: strikeael

I always like to know there is a variety of work to be done. At one farm I never did the same thing twice; I faced new challenges like milking goats and making a basket out of willow.

At another farm I only did two things: herd goats and cut grass. Which one do you think I enjoyed most? This question is important because you can find out if the work will suit you physically and if the tasks offer the experiences and challenges what you want.

3. I only speak English. Does that matter?

In France, I WWOOFed at a host who had moved from England, so language was not a problem. In Italy, however, I encountered a few problems at two farms. The first host did not like speaking in English. Instead, the host spoke to the other WWOOFers who spoke Italian, never directing anything to me.

Photo: strikeael

Their listing had indicated English was spoken, but it was a quiet and unsocial two weeks. At the second farm there was frequent miscommunication because the host spoke little English and was impatient with misunderstandings. Better to be clear from the start!

4. Do you allow WWOOFers to use the internet?

WWOOFers are often travelers who want to stay in touch with family and be able to make further travel arrangements. Yet I was surprised by the number of farms that were unhappy to let me send a quick email or look up a train schedule.

Some people are simply of an earlier generation, don’t use the internet themselves, and don’t see why you should. Others have had bad experiences of WWOOFers using their computers. Either way, if you plan to stay connected, it’s wise to ask about the host’s policy.

Make sure you leave for a host prepared; otherwise, unpleasant surprises might take away from what could be a rewarding experience.

Community Connection:

Read some other practical tips in our First-Timer’s Guide to WWOOFing.

Photo: greenforall.org

If you’re between the ages of 18 and 29 and you have an incredible, feasible idea for a clean energy project that can be put into practice, you might be interested in the Focus Roots Fellowships being offered by Focus the Nation, a national climate change awareness project.

Applicants must write a 1,000 word essay detailing the scope and nature of their proposed project, a 300 word introduction to a mentor who will provide expertise and support, and a projected budget for your project. This year’s fellowships are being offered in two categories–sport and art–and should focus on the use of sport or art to move the applicants’ communities away from coal energy toward cleaner energy.

Full details can be found here.

Community Connection:

Read up on “clean coal” in this article from the Matador archives.

Photo: David Reece

If your RSS feed or Reader includes the usual online travel mag suspects–World Hum, Gadling, and Vagabonding–then you’re probably already aware of National Geographic’s Geotourism Challenge 2009, a

“global search for innovative ideas in tourism that celebrate the distinct destinations of the world by honoring culture, cherishing history and enhancing the environment.”

You can find the full details of the contest here, and submit your own nomination for geotourism hero.

But as long as you’re online, take a few minutes to visit Nat Geo’s partner in the Geotourism Challenge: Ashoka Changemakers.

In a nutshell, Ashoka’s Changemakers program is “the world’s first global online open source community that competes to surface the best social solutions, and then collaborates to refine, enrich, and implement those solutions.”

Photo: giarose

What that means concretely is that the Changemakers website offers lots of practical tools, resources, contacts, funding sources and competitions to get your own creative changemaking juices flowing.

So… if you’ve read our articles about starting your own NGO or non-profit, of if you’re inspired by stories like this one by Matador’s own Misty Tosh and are ready to tackle your own big international project, head on over to the Changemakers site to meet other people like you!

Photo: Tempo No Tempo

Maybe you read our Earth Day article earlier this week and rolled your eyes with a sense of exasperation and self-satisfaction.

“I already use rechargeable batteries and carry a reusable bag and a travel mug. None of my appliances are plugged in unless they’re being used.”

Maybe you even have a window garden.

Good for you.

But are you the greenest person on the planet?

That’s what National Geographic and the other sponsors of the Greenest Person on the Planet Competition want to know.

If the answer is yes, you’ll win an iPod or an iPhone, as well as some environmentally conscious prizes: 10 trees planted on your behalf and an animal adopted in your name by the Defenders of Wildlife.

But you’ll have to prove you’ve got what it takes to be the greenest person on the planet.

For all the details about how to enter the contest, visit the competition’s website here.