Being a Wild volunteer
Our team is currently shortlisting for our next volunteer to start early next year, and we are excited to welcome a new volunteer to Tamsweg. But in the meantime we thought we’d share a little of what our most recent volunteer has been up to in her first three months with us.
Settling in
The first few weeks were all about settling into the office and into Austrian life. This involved a deal of writing, reading and proofing reports in the office. There were also field trips to visit the Wilderness camps in Kalkalpen National Park, and the opening of the (M)Ursprung exhibition in Muhr. Out of office hours there was a trip on Tamsweg’s steam train with the team, a visit from the Erasmus volunteers of Salzburg, and plenty of cycling!
Ukraine and WILDArts
The whole team were in Ukraine for ten days, as part of WILDArts. This provided an opportunity to experience Wilderness, but also meet a group of inspirational artists and learn about Ukrainian culture. The whole trip was also excellent for team building! You can read more details on the Wilderness Diary here.
Erasmus+ Training
Part of the Erasmus+ volunteering programme is On-Arrival training. This was four days training in Vienna, for all the volunteers in Austria that were just starting their volunteering period. The focus was on non-formal learning and intercultural relationships, and gave an opportunity to form friendships between the volunteers and explore the city. You can read more on the Wilderness Diary here.
Public Engagement
Together with the team, Nick Huisman and Rebecca Hollely, represented the European Wilderness Society at the OZO Artenschutztag at Salzburg Zoo. Over the day they made around 300 wolf masks with enthusiastic children, and had an excellent time.
Hiking
And living in the Austrian Alps would not be complete without some hiking!
My first few months volunteering with the European Wilderness Society have been wild, and amazing. In three months I have learnt so much; about Wilderness, nature conservation, Europe, and also about myself. I cannot wait to continue learning, growing, and contributing towards the future of Wilderness in Europe for the duration of my volunteering period. Let’s get Wild!
Rebecca Hollely
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