Wilderness Diary

Diary of European Wilderness Society Volunteers
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Volunteering at European Wilderness Society

Hi! We are writing from Tamsweg, Austria, where the European Wilderness Society is based. While Rebecca was the first volunteer, who wrote the earlier blog posts, the rest of us volunteers have taken up her mantle to keep this blog going. Here we write about the personal aspects of volunteering life and the adventures we get up to. In the office we each have differing roles but as a team we are all focused in helping each other, in order to meet the mission of making Europe wild again. Here you’ll read about our adventures in the mountains alongside office work and trips further afield.

Our destinations

Taking the office into the wild

4 weeks agoZiva Alif2 min read1 comment

For me, the lockdown was happening at an incredible speed. All the new measures the government announced one day after another – not only in Austria, but also in my home country Slovenia – meant that the first few weeks seemed like months. Never before have I seen our lives transform at such a high speed. One day, I was working in the office, hanging out with friends and saying how the Corona panic is overexaggerated. Three days later, I was not able to leave my home anymore. Read more about how our other volunteer Jonas and the rest of the team experienced the lockdown. As such....

A turbulent start to the Covid-19 lockdown

4 weeks agoJonas Sommer4 min read1 comment

Last time you heard from us, the world was still a different one. We were in the midst of the skiing saison, the busiest time of the year in the Lungau. We enjoyed the slopes, great weather and busyness that the tourists bring with them. My last skiing trip before the shut down Until the beginning of March, we thought we would have a regular winter. That would mean skiing until easter, going to the office almost every day and enjoying the first signs of spring together. As you can read in my last post, I had big plans for March. But as you know, everything turned out very differently. First....

Overtime in Tamsweg

3 months agoJonas Sommer4 min read1 comment

When I last wrote something on here, it was still the beginning of winter. I had just had my first taste of the infamous Krampuslauf in Tamsweg and still had to catch up on my skiing skills after a few years of absence from the slopes. Now, three months later, I had a winter full of picturesque snowy landscapes, winter sports and work. Winter in Tamsweg A week after the Krampuslauf, we started a stand at the christmas market in Tamsweg. Six days – two weekends from Friday to Sunday – we sold crepes, waffles, punch and wild art. Our goal was to raise awareness for the European....

Winter in Tamsweg

4 months agoZiva Alif4 min read1 comment

Living in Tamsweg in the centre of the Alps provides one with a great opportunity to experience the true winter. A winter where the temperatures often go below -10°C in the mornings and where there is snow for several months. The first snow was already back in November and the 30 cm we received in one day caused power shortages and large transport issues. However, mainly it just allowed me to admire the whiteness all around, especially the snowy peaks. However, while the first snow soon melted, the second one, from December, persisted much longer. Soon, I became very used to this whiteness....

Krampuslauf and visitors in Tamsweg

5 months agoJonas Sommer2 min readAdd comment

Ziva has told already told you how we joined the Climate strike and explored the christmas market of Salzburg. But that was not the end of that weekend. Abigail and Andi joined us in Tamsweg until Sunday morning to witness the famous Krampuslauf in Tamsweg. Please read: Ziva and I joined Fridays for Future in Salzburg After all the marching and standing in the cold, we slept like a log after the long drive back to Tamsweg. So, the morning began quite slowly, but after a rich brunch, we wanted to show Abigail and Andi our beautiful home. After eating, we set off to the St. Leonhard, the....

Fridays for Future Protest in Salzburg

5 months agoZiva Alif2 min read1 comment

On the Black Friday, the 29th of November, the European Wilderness Society team headed to Salzburg to participate at the Fridays for Future protest. At 15.30 we met in front of the railway station where the protest started, together with two other volunteers, Abigail from Baden, Austria, and Andi working in Munchen, Germany. Together we marched through the city centre of Salzburg for about two and a half hours, chanting along the following lines: “What do we want?” “Climate Justice!!!!” “When do we want it?” “Now!!!” 2 500 people attended the....

  • 6 Volunteers so far
  • 7 Countries visited
  • 120 km Kilometres hiked
  • 30 + Diary entries