Hi! I’m Juli, and I recently had my first activity with IYNF as a European Solidarity Corps volunteer in Wildalpen, a village in the Austrian Alps.  

Some of the highlights for me were the creative workshops – one of which consisted of me instructing people on how to create lino cut prints, an artistic process which I enjoy a lot and which also found great enthusiasm by the participants. Later, they produced a lot of cuts and prints in the cozy corner, which we set up as a spot to take breaks, chat, or do things like making art.  

Although with markedly fewer participants, the second workshop was about the process of screen printing. This is a method by which you can print custom works cut into a plastic sheet onto textiles like clothing or bags. It led to a very engaging process in which we printed different motifs on little bags we got for the activity, improving our technique of printing over time. We also learnt new things about the material we were working with while trying out slightly different methods in how much pressure we applied, how many layers of paint we printed, or which specific tools out of the available ones we used.  

The two hikes I undertook were another highlight. One hike involved going to a pretty lake after walking for some time along a stream through the woods. The other one was on the same path that the climate hike would take place on, ending in a stunning view over not only the valley Wildalpen is situated in, but also surrounding settlements and mountains. While the second hike was especially exhausting, the experience of the hike and the view were more than enough pay-off.