My participation in the ESC project “Living Permaculture” is absolutely a life experience for me. Even though I volunteered in Boodaville only for two months, it was enough to receive a new perspective of how I see nature and how the humans can interact with the earth in a positive and creative way.

During the project I had the chance to use my knowledge as a Biologist in a practical way, but also to learn new things about the world of permaculture. Moreover, only by living so close to nature I found out something new every day about the earth and myself. Apart from that, living in such a small village during the winter is a unique experience that made me realize how distracting is the life in big cities and how significant is for me to live in a place where I can observe the season changes. Gradually the colors of the forest were changing and as the sky was getting greyer, our land was getting greener thanks to the seed bombs we offered to her.

One of the greatest things I learnt being a volunteer in Boodaville is the importance of communication and expression of our feelings. Living with three more women, two cats and a dog, and sharing with them a common goal, the improvement and maintenance of Boodaville land, made it clear that we need to communicate deeply with each other and find ways to avoid conflicts. I am so grateful I can take with me home these gained skills and use them to improve my relationships with my friends and family. By the end of my volunteering, I was surprised to find out that I can now express myself so easily even using words that are not on my mother language!

Overall, this project meant a lot to me. The whole experience of living in the nature and exchanging knowledge with these wonderful people that we share similar ideas and perspectives of the world really inspired me and made me feel grateful and connected to my mind and body. The feeling of being part of a community where everyone can contribute with their own personal skills and wisdom, and where solidarity is a protagonist, filled me with hope and made be believe more in myself and humanity. Moreover, after the project I am way more motivated to pursue my dreams of a sustainable way of living and to start my own projects.