By participating in the European Voluntary Service program we want to give younsters from our organization the possibillity to spend a time abroad on a meaningfull and usefull way.
The biggest aim is to make the young people from our organisation known with other cultures. As we see the western society is getting more multicultural we think the knowledge about other cultures can have an important value in the process of understanding.
Another aim of us is to help and encourage people to go abroad. For a lot of youngsters going abroad is just one step to far. They just need a helping hand for practical things, contacts,… and support during the whole proces. We, as an national organization, want to help them during all stages of this proces. The advantage we see in this is that its usefull in the first place for the volunteer, and in the second place for us, as organisation.
And last by helping a youngster to go abroad, we think we can also add an extra value. By sharing our knowledge, experience,… we think we can help them and assist them to make the best descisions for them.
In the past, we already applied for 3 times with 2 of them succesfully. The first of volunteer went to Spain from september 2004 till june 2005.
Our second volunteer went to the Netherlands from september 2006 till july 2007

The Jeugdbond voor Natuur en Milieu is a Flemish youth organisation with about 3000 members between 8 and 25 years (Flanders is the northern, Dutch speaking part of Belgium). The JNM unites, without any political or ideological distinction, boys & girls who are interested in nature observation and conservation and who want to be involved in environmental protection. All is done by young people, for young people, which rendersthis organisation exceptionally democratic.
The concept of a youth organisation for nature studies exists in Flanders since 1958, in the form of the BJN (Belgische Jeugdbond voor Natuurstudie - Belgian Youth Organisation for Nature Studies). In 1983, the JNM came into existence - the product of a fusion with a similar organisation: the Wielewaaljongeren. The scope of activities broadened: not only nature studies but also environmental protection. The JNM works with branches or sections on the local level, and with working groups and camps on the national level.
Locally, the JNM contains 45 branches. It is in these local clubs that ordinary, grass-root members get the chance to experience nature values in their neighbourhood. These sections each publish a kind of a magazine and organise local nature excursions, slide shows, environmental actions, weekends, meetings, etc. The sections each elect an executive committee and national representatives. Consequently, these branches are the real basis of the organisation.
On the national level, the JNM has several working groups, in which the nature study and environmental protection activities materialise. The nature study freaks cooperate permanently in groups on insects, birds, plants, mammals, sea life, amphibians and reptiles. These groups operate relatively autonomously: they all have their own committees and representatives in the annual meeting of the JNM. These working groups organise camps, weekends, excursions, slide shows, actions and census projects. The data, collected in these projects, are useful inputs for nature policy in Flanders.
The JNM is also directly involved in the field of nature protection and environmental policy. There are working groups on nature conservation, energy, transport, agriculture, waste, etc. The volunteers in these groups examine definite environmental issues, spread information among the other members, launch campaigns on these problems, and promote an ecological way of life.
In July, August an September, the JNM organises about 45 camps in Belgium and several foreign camps. Additionally, during the year many training courses are organised on the nation level. Most of the summer camps concentrate on one or another subject of nature studies or nature conservation. There are some camps, which are especially organised for members between 8 and 12 years. Other camps aim at young people between 12 and 15 years old or - in short - the newer members. Finally, some of these camps are accessible for foreign guests.
the national (Flemish) level, the JNM has a secretariat in Ghent. For administrative functions, there is a staff of two secretaries and one pedagogic expert. Three magazines ('t Kikkertje 8-12 year, Euglena: 12-25 year and Bestuursberichten: organisation news) are being published. As said, the association is managed completely by volunteers younger than 25. Representatives of the local branches and the national working groups unite once a year during a 5 days national meeting in December and elect an executive committee for the next year.
On the international level, the JNM is a member of YEE (Youth and Environment Europe)