Meet the Northern Ireland Tree Campaign Volunteers
Gabriella
Ballarini – Riva Lugure -IM- Italy
May 2005 to present – Field Assistant
Ed eccomi qua…eccomi giunta al momento della verita’, o meglio, al momento in cui sento di essere pronta a parlarvi della mia esperienza di volontaria.
Il mio primo giorno a Clandeboye era un giorno di sole, molto facile da ricordare da queste parti; David mi portava in giro e mi presentava a tutti quelli che incontravamo, era anche il giorno del mio compleanno e nessuna festa mi attendeva, anche perche’ nessuno mi aveva mai vista prima di allora…..ma non sapevo ancora che una sorpresina mi stava aspettando!!
Infatti, durante il pomeriggio, mentre lavoravo nel giardino, sento qualcuno arrivare da lontano ed una canzoncina canticchiata in una voce ancora straniera a quel tempo…la mia torta di compleanno arrivava accompagnata da quelli che sarebbero stati I miei compagni di viaggio, colleghi, amici…
Da quel giorno sono passati piu’ di 8 mesi senza che io me ne rendessi conto.
Durante il tempo trascorso qui ho riscoperto il ritmo delle stagioni, I loro colori e l’odore dell’erba umida appena tagliata, ho scoperto che si puo’ viaggiare e sentirsi liberi, lavorare e sentirsi felice, ho scoperto che l’incontro non esiste solo con gli altri, ma anche con se stessi e con la natura attorno.
Le persone che ho incotrato lungo il mio “viaggio” qui mi hanno regalato nuove lenti per vedere il mondo, mi hanno fatto assaporare nuovi cibi e conoscere nuovi linguaggi. Mi hanno protetta e viziata, si sono aperti a me ed io a loro……
Questa e’ stata la mia vita qui, ho imparato che per far crescere qualcosa, qualunque cosa, bisogna saperla coltivare e che se non ci si riesce e’ perche’ non ci si e’ concessi abbastanza tempo, non si e’ amato abbastanza…
Manola
Grotjohann - Berlin, Germany
May 2006 to May 2007 - EVS
On an early afternoon in the end of May, a city girl with a giant suitcase arrived in Belfast, soon to be picked up by a man in a red Conservation Volunteers van. It was raining softly and she had a nervous, but curious, look in her eyes. That was me, exactly one year ago, used to trees growing out of cement pavements and a sky limited by tall grey buildings.
By the time we drove past Clandeboye on the main road to my new home in Bangor, I didn't know what was waiting for me behind these old walls. When I first entered the hidden grounds of the estate, I found myself in a fairy tale: the courtyard with its tower full of white doves, the sun shining warm and golden through the trees along the nature trail, wooden bridges, a dazzling lake.. "Is this a dream or really the place I'm going to volunteer for the next four seasons?", I asked myself in confusion and slowly realised my luck while I was shown around the demo garden and woodlands.
During my year in the Northern Ireland Tree Campaign, new horizons were opening almost every day. Wellies and flowers in the hair became new fashion accessories. I saw my first proper rainbow during seed collecting with the Tree Nursery at Lough Neagh - mesmerizing!
My lovely colleagues/housemates/friends Susan, Ana and me were laughing tears while using leaf-blowers to maintain the nature trail and singing the 'Ghostbusters' theme. Innocent looking rhododendron causing a lot of sniffs among the staff, emerged as an 'exotic' and became the potential victim of bow saw and lopper. And then there were the kids; after building and flipping compost heaps, children were one of the biggest challenges for me. As an only child, I never had more contact with the next generation than watching them in a doctor's waiting room begging and screaming for the fifth ice cream.
The 'Environmental Adventure' activities during the summer, the 'Autumn Harvest Seed Workshops' and the winter tree planting changed my slightly annoyed attitude into amazement. I found myself fascinated by the childrens' sensitivity for the wonders of nature and loved the astonishment in their faces when Andy (my boss) told them about the 'secret' ingredients in a popular chocolate spread and the fact that it wouldn't exsist without the hazel tree.
Hard to imagine that my time in Clandeboye is over so soon, but I know that the EVS circle will bring new volunteers, sneaking into the kitchen or the Nursery to snaffle some biscuits, staring at the wildlife in the pond and having hopefully as wonderful and exciting a time as I had in Northern Ireland.