A Wild Diary

European Wilderness Volunteers

Volunteering

Hello! I’m a volunteer with the European Wilderness Society, and here on this blog you’ll find personal updates about my time living in Austria. You can read all about how often I get lost and how often I find myself caught in a thunderstorm inadequately prepared. Adventure is never far away!

About me

Amphibians, Reptiles and Medieval people

by Biff Houlston | 10/07/2019 | Blog | 0 Comments

Amphibians in Mariapfarr As the snow began to melt and the signs of spring started to emerge, so did the herps. On one of my walks I found myself around the lake of the Der Outdoorparc Lungau. It was the breeding season of the common toad, Bufo bufo. Thousands (or so...

Learning to ski

by Biff Houlston | 09/07/2019 | Blog | 0 Comments

As a passionate and armature herpetologist I was very keen to start exploring of Austria to see the various snakes, lizards and amphibians the country has to offer. But with the largest dump of snow the Lungau had had in many years... it meant I had a long time to...

Getting to Austria

by Biff Houlston | 09/07/2019 | Blog | 0 Comments

My time here in Austria started officially in February but first I would need to get there. Volunteers before me moved with a suitcase and backpack; taking only the essentials and necessities. With a year ahead of me, a want to visit friends old and new along the way...

Monsters stalking the streets

by Rebecca Hollely | 15/02/2019 | Blog | 0 Comments

One of the perks of living in a new country is experiencing a whole new culture. This is a big part of why I decided to move to Austria, to live somewhere new and discover a different culture. When I packed my bags eight months ago though, I had never in my wildest...

A Wild Video

by Rebecca Hollely | 04/12/2018 | Blog | 0 Comments

We just published a video about our wild adventures in Ukraine this summer. Wilderness, art, friendship, culture… it was a bang of a week and this video is a little glimpse into our time there. Please enjoy!

Winter is coming

by Rebecca Hollely | 05/10/2018 | Blog | 0 Comments

The first snow feel of the year, and all the accompanying happiness.

Becoming one with the European Wilderness Society

by Rebecca Hollely | 05/10/2018 | Blog | 0 Comments

Just a quick update to say hello, and what I’ve been getting up to. As always there are buckets of English tea.

Let’s get wild at the Zoo!

by Rebecca Hollely | 17/09/2018 | Blog | 0 Comments

9th September. Nick and I went to the zoo to make wolf masks at a family event, and it’s hard to say who had the most fun.. us or the children.

A good-for-the-soul, adventurous hike in the Alps

by Rebecca Hollely | 07/09/2018 | Blog | 0 Comments

Recently I went hiking in the Alps, an adventurous, good for the soul hike that made me extraordinarily happy. And I took a bunch of photos. Enjoy!

Ready, Set, Ukraine!

by Rebecca Hollely | 07/09/2018 | Blog | 0 Comments

Ukraine. We drove through Austria, Hungary and crossed the border into Ukraine, saying goodbye to the EU for ten days. It was like we entered a whole new world when we got to the Carpathian Mountains. We drove past forested hills and clear rivers; I stuck my head out the car window and dubbed it the ‘Ukrainian Shire’.

The European Wilderness Society

Founded in 2014, the European Wilderness Society is a Pan-European, Wilderness and environmental advocacy, non-profit, non-government organisation. Their mission is to, identify, designate, manage and promote Europe’s last Wilderness, WILDForests, WILDRivers, WILDCoasts and WILDIslands.

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