“Hi guys, my name is Oisín, I’m from Ireland, and I am 23 years old. I start my masters in Irish history this month. I took a gap year after my bachelors degree because I wanted to gain some worldly experience before getting back to my studies. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend much of this time travelling and working around Australia after which I took the opportunity to volunteer with Planta Uma Árvore to do some environmental conservation work. I spent three months volunteering here and found it to be a very rewarding experience. It is a good opportunity to exercise relative independence while being able to do positive work to protect the natural environment (and to exercise physically by working with the trees). I learned a lot about Portuguese culture, about the flora and fauna of Portugal, and about nature conservation. I got the opportunity to gain experience writing articles for the local paper and to go on a field trip to the Azores Islands which was cool. The area I spent my volunteering period in is in a beautiful area in the north of Portugal (with more cows than people) and there are endless different hikes that can be undertaken. There is sufficient time

away from work to be able to explore Portugal, and after work there is plenty of time for reading (if you are so inclined). The Plantar Uma Árvore association is very human and they have been nothing but kind and helpful to me, the other volunteers, and the trees throughout my time here. I highly recommend you take the opportunity to participate with the association if you are given the opportunity to do so and you will find it benefits both you and the world around you.”