Romain has been in Luxembourg since autumn 2025 and is volunteering through the European Solidarity Corps. Here, he describes his experiences so far:
"Community gardens, biodiversity and environmental education: a “brief” overview ...
November
On the very first day of my volunteering placement, I was able to plant around 700 trees and shrubs alongside other volunteers to create new hedgerows in Luxembourg and promote biodiversity.
December
Shortly afterwards, the annual community gardens forum took place, which I had helped to organise. Various community gardens came together there to discuss current challenges, share experiences and develop joint solutions. I had the opportunity to moderate a thematic discussion group.
My on-arrival training also took place in December. I got to know lots of other volunteers and learnt a great deal about the volunteer programme. The intercultural exchange was very interesting!
January
In January, several seed-packaging workshops were on the programme. Together with volunteers, we prepared local seeds for distribution. Depending on the species, the seeds were counted or weighed to ensure the correct quantities for the sachets.
February
There, I mainly carried out a lot of smaller tasks, spent a lot of time working on the website and also helped launch the ‘Multiply Diversity!’ project with other partners; a project aimed at explaining to community gardens how to produce seeds.
March
This was followed by various seed exchanges, which were complemented by a presentation on the topic ‘Seeds – What will we eat tomorrow?’. I had even made a little map beforehand to show our upcoming events.
In March, I also had the opportunity to take part in a two-and-a-half-day introduction to permaculture in France. The course was very informative and gave me lots of new ideas and practical knowledge for my work, as well as for my future garden.
April
An important part of my voluntary work involves collaborating with community gardens. Among other things, I support a food forest, which is incredibly interesting as I’d never come across one before.
Through the ‘Multiply Diversity!’ project, I also visit community gardens regularly and provide them with plants or seeds. Where necessary, I help them plant everything. Alongside this, there are various workshops held throughout the year that demonstrate the different stages of seed collection. I also produce technical information sheets for the community gardens. Naturally, I do all this with the help of SEED asbl, who have more experience. I contribute my time and my botanical and ecological expertise! The project runs until November!
In April, I also had the opportunity to take part in an Erasmus+ programme (I’d been given time off work for it, of course), which took place in Italy and focused on Green Educational Spaces. It was a hugely educational experience and also contributed to my personal development. I got to meet lots of different people, who were, in a way, very similar and like-minded.
My responsibilities also include organising various workshops and events focusing on biodiversity and environmental education. As part of the City Nature Challenge and the 48 Hours of Urban Farming, we organised activities to observe and document plants, animals and pollinators. With the help of an app (iNaturalist), local residents were able to actively contribute to recording local biodiversity.
May
As a personal project, I’ve set myself the task of building raised beds for Eisenborn (where I live with other volunteers). The project is currently still underway: the first plants have already been started, whilst the raised beds, made from pallets, are being assembled step by step.
Other than that...
I was also able to gain lots of new experiences outside my voluntary work. Thanks to the Kulturpass, for example, I attended discounted dance classes and took up solo jazz and Lindy Hop. I also spent a lot of time cooking and baking, often together with my flatmates. Meeting other volunteers in Luxembourg has also allowed me to make lots of new contacts.
All in all, my volunteering service has been a brilliant experience so far.
As I wrote on my film poster during my mid-term training: it’s a 6/5-star experience. I’m learning something new every day, I can actively contribute to exciting projects, and at the same time I have plenty of opportunities for personal development. Romain"
European Solidarity Corps
If Valentina's report inspired you to spend a few months abroad yourself, take a look at other projects from our partner organizations: You can apply for volunteer teams or longer voluntary service projects in other European countries through the European Solidarity Corps (ESC). There is a strict age limit of 18 to 30 years and there are a few steps to complete before and after the project in addition to registering with us or another organization. Find more information about the ESC here.