This October, Marimurtra welcomed Lilia and Sonja. They are the new participants of the “Volunteers for a Green Future” project, coordinated by the German organisation NaturKultur e.V., which is part of the European programme European Solidarity Corps (ESC).
The goal of the ESC is to bring young people together to build a more inclusive society, supporting vulnerable individuals and responding to social challenges. It offers inspiring and empowering experiences for young people who wish to help, learn, and grow.
The Fundació Privada Carl Faust is the host organisation of the project, responsible for welcoming the volunteers and involving them in activities at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden related to education and scientific outreach, sustainable conservation, and research. In addition, the Consorci de Normalització Lingüística collaborates by offering a basic Catalan language course to facilitate their integration.
The project lasts nine months and receives more than 90 applications each year. For this reason, the volunteers, very grateful, said the following:
“Hello! My name is Lilia, I’m 23 years old and I’m from Bonn (Germany). I’m very happy and excited to be part of this project. The first days have been full of new experiences — a new language, new people, and a new workplace. I feel very welcomed and I’m eager to learn more about the Botanical Garden, the Catalan language, and its culture.”
— Lilia Kaiser
“I’m Sonja, I’m 19 years old, and in recent months I’ve been learning about gardening, enjoying time outdoors, and spending time in Botanical Gardens. The combination of all this has given me the perfect foundation to complete this volunteering experience at the beautiful Marimurtra, which makes me very excited. I’ll also be able to discover Catalonia, its people, and its culture, which makes me even more eager to be here.”
— Sonja Queck
Since 2019, Marimurtra has been taking part in the ESC programme, welcoming international volunteers to its facilities as part of a well-established project linked to the European Union.
