European Wilderness Volunteer DiaryThe Diary of the European Wilderness Society Volunteers

Becoming one with the European Wilderness Society

Popping in to mark the passing of seasons

Hello world. I’m dropping by to post a little update on volunteering. Life is busy in the office, we’re in the throes of selecting our next volunteer (super exciting), and I’m working on publications, the Wilderness Academy and a few follow up details from Ukraine. For me, busy is good! I like to keep myself occupied, and I enjoy the buzz that comes from knowing that I’m contributing.

So I’m happy in this little corner of the world. Of course, being me, I balance the brainwork out with bike rides, a bucket of tea, and lots of reading. Autumn is slowly taking hold of the Lungau, leaves are falling and I’m eagerly awaiting the larch trees turning yellow – the sign that Autumn is truly ruling here.

I spend as much time outside as I can, soaking up the sunshine before the long winter. We’re all of the same mind on the team, and had our most recent team meeting here near Zederhaus, which is where I visited with Max, Anni and Nick my first week in the office in Tamsweg. Even being amongst the Alps for the last four months though my opinion on the sheer impressiveness and beauty of the landscape hasn’t changed. I still look at the mountains every day and think wow, counting my lucky stars that I get to be here. I mean, look at those colours, and the light on the mountain, and the sky aahhh. Endless joy and inspiration.

The boundaries between my volunteering and my life are beginning to blur, and my brain is expressing it in strange dreams. For example I dreamed that I fell into Olanga WILDRiver, because why not. I was with Nick and Verena, and they had to call Max and Anni to save me from hypothermia. Any interpretations are welcome because its meaning is a mystery to me!

But I take this as a sign that my volunteering is more than just a job… it’s my passion, my purpose and a large part of my life now. I like this feeling, my love for nature has evolved with me, and now I am working to protect and promote Wilderness and wildlife through Europe.