“Olá! My name is Carmen, I am 23 years old and I am from Spain.

Last Sunday I said goodbye to one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I have ever lived after 3 months working in Serra do Alvão with Plantar uma Árvore association. Apart from the gratifying work we did, mostly planting to restore the native forest and controlling invasive species, I could enjoy the wonderful landscapes of Portugal, not only in Alvão but also during the fieldtrips to Buçaco and Sintra.

I have been living in a small village called Afonsim where, as Gil our amazing coordinator always says, there are more cows than people, so I have had a perfect time to enjoy the peace and quiet of such beautiful and welcoming place. I have learned a lot about the

environment and vegetation of the north of Portugal, quite different from what I see regularly in the south of Spain, but I think that the personal learning and growth is even bigger. I have been very lucky to share this time with extraordinary people from different Europea countries, with their different ways of living and understanding life, what made me learn too and, above all, create new moments and memories that I will always keep with me. I miss you, guys!”