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testimonies:italy:josephine

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Living With Nature

A- Respect the rules to respect nature

The environmental center was a place in the mountain whom lives with the nature, so we had some rules to respect. That way our presence didn’t disturb more that necessary the ecosystem already in place.

For example, we must had throw the toilet paper in the bin and it was forbidden to throw the toilet paper in the toilet. The risk it was to obstruct the pipe, because the stools went to the nature directly, the nature doesn’t need of toilet paper to damage her. This rule was applied in every toilets of the centre so there was a bin in every toilet with a sign, to remind to every users the rules; this rule was respect most of the time, but even after 5-6 days there always some person who forgot the rules. In connection with the bin, in the kitchen there was 3 bins: the bin who reuse like food for the rooster and his hens, the bin of compost and a big bin for everything else. It was also important to respect what to put in these 3 bins, in order to not make sick the hens or put the mess in the compost. Finally, we had to be careful to our cigarettes and the cigarettes of the others. Because we lived in community we must take care of the other mistakes (about the rules), about trash, bin, compost or ashtray. Even if the person doesn’t felt concern about one of this rule, she need to be careful.

B- Free time individual or in group

The centre of Serra Guarneri is a middle of nature so during our free time and when the weather was good, it was the perfect place to enjoy of our environment.

The land was huge, even if we did a walk with all the groups; us the French group we decide once to go on a walk and to visit a different location at the one with the group. It was the second day, we had time and we went to lost ourselves in the forest with the cactus and the field of the centre. It was a moment, to discover this environment but also to talk about these firsts days in Sicily. When the sun show himself, the weather was good and harm. It was the day to relax in the sun before started constructions, a little nap after the lunch and before the construction work. I share this time with few people and a nice dog; we talked, listened to music, read. Some mornings, I share a moment with the Portuguese girls. After the breakfast, we went on big tree, an ash tree where it was possible to climb. The weather a little bit cold, but this moment of sharing was a good memory, because we spend this time together laughing and enjoy the view.

C- Activity of Franca

Franca was the person in charge of our group in Serra Guarneri, she uses to lead child, this time she had to lead bid-child. She used some methods to make us discover nature to another point of view, to felt more nature with all our sense, to know and understand nature.

The first day, we did a walk in a parc next to the place, a parc were nature is preserve and each tree have his importance in the ecosystem. The first part of this walk was important because we did several times after this one. Another time we follow this path to discover a path close to enchanting for me. This path we did it one by one, without our shoes (by choice); one by one we walked to this path with no shoes to felt more the nature by our foot, eyes and ears. It was sensory walk. Another time we follow the same path that the first one but during the night with lantern; we were by pairs, with each of us our own lanterns (we did these lanterns by ourselves few days before) and we went until the place where we can see the city and the lighthouse, with less talking and more silence. When we arrived at the place to be, we stayed in circle, each his turn, turn off his lantern (light with candles) after making a wish in our mind. When everyone made his wish and turn off his lantern, the circle broke and the people alone or with someone went to see the view we had in front of us of the sea, the city by night and the lighthouse. We already saw the view the first day, but it was different; first because it was by day but also because the sense and sensation were different with the lanterns and because it was dark. It’s only after to get back to the centre (alone or with someone) that it could talk; it wasn’t forbidden to talk during contemplate the viewpoint but anyway everybody was silenced or whispered.

The first day in Serra Guarneri, we didn’t know each other, so Franca decided to let us know ourselves and the others with an activity. This activity was the symbol activity. We had a long paper, 4 colours pots (blue, green, red, yellow) inside a tray, a paintbrush in each pot and some rules to respect before to start the activity. The principle was to draw a symbol with one of the colours. The first rule was to always leave one pot in the tray, second rule we didn’t have the right to pass between us the pot, the pot must return in the tray before someone else take it and the third one nobody must talk. This activity teaches me my symbol, my colour symbol and some rules if they don’t respect it doesn’t disturb the good operation of the activity if at least one of these rules is respected. During the activity I did not notice that some rules was disrespected. In the end of the activity, we say which one of symbol was ours and explain (if it was possible) why we drew this symbol with this colour. We also talked about there disrespected rules during the activity, and how we explain this disrespected. My symbol was a drop of water but in green. Green because it’s the colour of the nature, and a drop because, one drop can make the difference. Explain the colour I say it to the group but explain the symbol I say I didn’t know but it was false, I suppress myself because someone already did the same reason for another symbol.

At the end of these days in Serra Guarneri, Franca organized the last activity to know what everyone thinks about these days passes, what is their conclusion. The activity was to write 10 points on paper of these few days spent together or alone. It’s not really an activity of nature, but I did this one in nature by night. I reflect on this trip sit on a bench and enjoy the viewpoint in front of me. It was a nice moment, because it was just me, my thoughts and the nature. So, wrote these 10 points was kind of easy for me.

testimonies/italy/josephine.1541168857.txt.gz · Last modified: 2018/11/02 15:27 by Cecilia