European Wilderness Volunteer Diary

The Diary of the European Wilderness Society Volunteers

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

Graz: Kunsthaus, Schlossberg and Schloss Eggenberg

Olha is here and I’m continuing to unfold the culmination of my 7-day expedition across Austria’s beloved cities, my path led me to the final destination: Graz. Also read about the start of the adventure here: A Day in Salzburg: St. Peter’s Abbey, Hohensalzburg Fortress and A Lot of Walking and Vienna: Belvedere, Schönbrunn and Lovely 4 Days in Austria’s Capital City There, my hosting organization team members graciously arranged a place to stay for me. I was picked up from the station, drawn to the flat, and received a curated list of must-visit spots in Graz. My first stop....

Vienna: Belvedere, Schönbrunn and Lovely 4 Days in Austria’s Capital City

Olha is here, and I’m thrilled to continue recounting the story of my trip around Austria! In my previous post, I delved into the captivating allure of Salzburg, a city that left me yearning for more as I embarked on the next leg of my journey: Vienna, the majestic capital of Austria.  Read about the start of the adventure here: A Day in Salzburg: St. Peter’s Abbey, Hohensalzburg Fortress and A Lot of Walking Despite the lingering fatigue from the preceding day’s ambitious trek of 24 thousand steps, conquering both uphill and downhill terrains, the sheer exhilaration of my....

A Day in Salzburg: St. Peter’s Abbey, Hohensalzburg Fortress and A Lot of Walking

Olha is here and I’m excited to recount my day in Salzburg — the starting point of my grand Austrian adventure during my volunteering at the European Wilderness Society with the support of Erasmus + European Solidarity Corp programme! Picture this: A rainy morning as a backdrop for the start of the adventure. But yet from that moment on, the sun accompanies me all the way to the end. With the help of Lisa, our project manager, I set off to Radstadt. From there, I boarded a train to my first destination: Salzburg, the cherished hometown of Mozart. During my travels, I never adhere to a....

Organic farm on hill and tour to Grossglockner

Olha is here, and I’m thrilled to continue sharing my mesmerising experience in Lungau! Organic farm On Friday, I embarked on my next adventure – a visit to a small organic farm located on a hill. It seemed like the mountain road, with its 18 serpentine turns, was made specifically to lead us to a picturesque destination – one charming household. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a family and their animals. I counted at least 10 cows, but there for sure were even more, including young calves. Sadly, this farm had encountered a heartbreaking problem with neighbors and lack of....

Volunteering trip to the picturesque places of Lungau

Hello everyone! It’s Olha here, and I’m excited to share that my beginning as a volunteer with the European Wildlife Society concluded with an incredible outdoor meeting and a delightful trip to the stunning places of Lungau. Lake Prebersee First stop was the mountain lake Prebersee in Schladminger Tauern. Nestled at the foot of Mount Preber (2,740 meters), the lake and its adjacent wetlands are among the most popular attractions near Tamsweg. The serene waters of this high-mountain bog lake, situated at an altitude of 1,514 meters above sea level, reflect the beauty of the....

Tamsweg, first volunteering day and  the medieval festival

Hey there! I’m Olha from Ukraine, and just a few days ago, I arrived in Tamsweg, kicking off my thrilling volunteering adventure in Austria and diving straight into the mesmerizing medieval festival in Mauterndorf! Application and welcoming Let me take you back to the beginning. At the end of June, I´ve submitted my Application package, and very soon, I became an official volunteer for 2 months with the European Wilderness Society. Then, I embarked on my journey to Austria. Packing throughout the night, I dashed to catch the train at 6:50 a.m. I travelled across Poland, and had my first....

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