O testemunho final da Cristina (SPEA)

December has arrived and, with it, the end of my ESC project at SPEA BirdLife. It's amazing how quickly time has passed. When my greatest fear was having to commit myself a year to a project; Now, if I could, I would sign for a few more years. 

Life has taught us these years that time flies and that you have to take advantage of every moment and little detail. Therefore, sometimes it's good to stop to breathe and take a look back to be aware of all that you has been lived and enjoyed. Value all those people, places, experiences, knowledge and shared moments. That are entering into your heart and make you be the person you currently are.

This project came at the perfect time since, due to the difficulties caused by the pandemic, my life had changed drastically, and my work and personal situation were aimlessly trying to search, but without finding anything that would fully motivate me.

For this reason, I cannot feel more grateful to have had this enriching opportunity, in which I have found my ideal job thanks to the SPEA BirdLife team, who have also trained me on the job, thus making it easier for me to reach my professional goal: the environmental conservation.

Such a special project could only happen in a city as magical as Lisbon, surrounded by people as wonderful as all those who have surrounded me throughout this year. Which has meant that, on a personal level, I have also grown exponentially, now finding myself even stronger and wanting to continue living and enjoying as I have done so far.

These last few months have been accompanied by a lot of cumbia and samba, viewpoints, sunrises, sunsets, new people and people who are already family, many trips, projects and, above all, a lot of freedom and personal empowerment.

So I close this stage with gratitude and with my backpack full of experiences, tools and energy to continue walking through this beautiful path that is life.

Thanks for everything.

See you soon, Cristina.

 

 

 

 

 

O testemunho No. 2 da Cristina (SPEA)

Hi again! 

Summer has arrived and, with it, being aware that half of my ESC Project has already passed...That is why I am here again, to write my “Mid Term Testimony” and update you a bit on how things are going!

I can only begin being thankful for having had this great opportunity. And, although the year wasn’t started very well due to the new measures implemented because of the increase in COVID cases in Portugal, it was also possible to take advantage of those days at home cultivating myself in other personal aspects. 

Then, with the beginning of the spring and the end of the lockdown, everything improved remarkably, also accompanied by the opportunity to participate in the field work trips of SPEA, my host organization.

From that moment on, I have carried out countless activities and projects with them, with different objectives and in very different places, which have made me grow a lot personally and professionally.

Some have consisted of placing and monitoring nest houses, making bird counting, improving and conservating natural habitats, controlling invasive species, doing environmental education activities, ornithological walks, helping to implement good agricultural, ganadery and electric lines practices, etc. In different places around Portugal like Setúbal, Ilhas Barreira, Sintra, Lisboa, Vila Flor, Ilhas Berlengas, Lagoa Pequena, etc.

Apart from the Project, I have also had such a good time traveling and enjoying with the rest of the volunteers and other friends, discovering different parts and secrets of Lisbon, as watching sunsets in Cacilhas, having barbecues in Monsanto, learning to do surf in Carcavelos, dancing cumbia in Zona Franca or Arroz estudios, ... And visiting and camping in places like Sintra, Cascais, Setubal, Óbidos, Nazaré, Batalha, Viana do Castelo, etc.

And for closing this stage of the project, during the last months, I had the opportunity to share that I created and learned during the January and February’s lock down in some of the Lisbon Street Markets with my new watercolours brand “TarentolArt”. 

They have been some incredible months with a lot of opportunities and, although sometimes I must face some adversities that appear along the way, I would not change anything.

I will update you on the last stage of my ESC Project!

Big hugs, Cristina.

O testemunho no. 1 da Cristina (SPEA)

Hello everyone, I am Cristina, a girl from Salamanca, Spain, who started her ESC volunteering on the 1st of December 2020, the last Spin's volunteer of the year. 

Since I arrived, I have been very well received by the rest of the volunteers, especially by my flatmates, together with whom I have been meeting and discovering new people and places, and all of them were amazing. I am very happy because, despite of COVID, I’m still feeling that we have done a lot of cool things and plans. 

Regarding my project, I am a volunteer at SPEA (Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves) in the Department of Terrestrial Conservation, but also collaborating with the Department of environmental education and the maritime one. 

I feel very lucky to have this great opportunity, because I know that I’m going to learn and enjoy a lot. And I think that SPEA's work is essential, because environmental conservation cannot be worked on isolated. Society's support is needed so this effort and work are not in vain. Therefore, it is essential to educate and raise awareness to create the interdisciplinary environmental revolution that World needs.

 

Apart from my main Project here, I am also doing other activities to continue learning and growing in a personal way, like the Portuguese classes organized by Spin, some online courses, painting, or groups with local people, as my new Batucada's group: '' Nice Groove ''; which I could not miss in my Lisbon experience this year (because all the previous times that I have been in Lisbon were with my batucada group from Salamanca "Blocco Charro").

Because all of this, although we started the year with another lock down, I still have a lot of desire and energy to be able to carry out all the events, activities and good times that await me this year. 

I'll keep telling you in few months! 

Beijinhos, Cristina.