Those who volunteer in schools in Finland need to head for other tasks during the school summer holidays. One of them is Anne Bernhardt who spent last summer doing nature conservation tasks outdoors with Aurajokisäätiö in Turku.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your volunteering year in Finland?
My name is Anne, I’m from Germany, and in 2025 I turned 19 years old. From August 2024 until August 2025, I spent my volunteering year in Finland. For the first ten months, I volunteered in a primary school in Alavus, which was a wonderful experience.
My main motivation for going abroad was to experience a new culture, learn a new language, and step out of my comfort zone. I also wanted to grow personally and become more independent. During my free time, I travelled a lot and explored many beautiful places in Finland. But what truly made this year so special were the amazing people I met — from my host family and friends to my colleagues at school, the local volunteers, and the Aurajokisäätiö team. Their kindness and support made me feel welcome and turned the year into an unforgettable experience.
How did it feel to switch from the classrooms to the outdoors with Aurajokisäätiö?
At first, I was a little nervous because it was such a big change. We originally had another idea for a summer project where I would have worked with children and teenagers, which felt more comfortable for me. But when that didn’t work out, I had a video call with two team members from Aurajokisäätiö. They were incredibly kind and supportive, which made me feel much better about joining their project.
The focus was on nature protection, which was completely new for me. I had spent my whole life in schools, so switching from classrooms to outdoor work was a huge step. It also meant leaving my host family and, for the first time in my life, living on my own. I was curious and excited, but I have to admit, I was also a little scared — especially of ticks! Luckily, I quickly learned how to dress properly and felt much more confident after a short time.
How did you co-operate with the team of Aurajokisäätiö?
I was part of the team responsible for controlling invasive plant species, mainly Himalayan balsam. Most of the time, we worked outdoors removing these plants from affected areas. About twice a week, we organized “talkoot” — local volunteer events where people from the community joined us. We provided snacks and drinks, worked together, and had a great atmosphere.
Everyone was so friendly and always spoke English with me, which helped me feel included right away. I only spoke Finnish a few times, but people encouraged me a lot and even helped me learn new phrases. I also learned so much from the local volunteers — not only about plants and environmental work, but also about their daily lives and different perspectives.
What were some of the challenging and the rewarding aspects of this voluntary work?
One of my biggest challenges in the beginning was my fear of ticks, but I quickly overcame it after I learned how to protect myself properly. The work was also physically demanding at times, especially on hot sunny days, but we always had breaks in the shade, which made it manageable.
The most rewarding part was seeing real progress. Sometimes, it felt like the Himalayan balsam would never end, but after just a few days of teamwork, we could see the difference — that was an amazing feeling.
Another great moment for me was when I understood parts of Finnish conversations during our talkoot events or when someone asked what a Finnish word meant in English — and I actually knew the answer. Those little victories made me really happy.
At one point, I asked in Finnish if I could take a photo, and everyone praised me for saying it correctly. What they didn’t know at first was that I had practiced the exact sentence with Io beforehand, so the credit really goes to her, not me.
I often joked that my Finnish would be so much better if I spoke it more — and every time I said that, people immediately started speaking Finnish with me for the next five to ten minutes. Unfortunately, my answers were never as detailed as I wanted them to be, but those moments were always fun and motivating.
What kinds of things did you achieve together, and what did you learn from the cooperation?
Together, we achieved a lot! In some areas, we managed to significantly reduce the amount of Himalayan balsam, even though we know it will grow back next year — hopefully less than before. We also mapped the area of the fringed water lily, created a fun game for marketing purposes, and encouraged locals to take care of their environment.
One of my favorite memories is connected to the game we created. We spent an entire day designing it and coming up with different rules. When the local volunteers played the game, they got surprisingly competitive — and so did I! It was so much fun to watch and be part of.
I’m very thankful to the Aurajokisäätiö team. They often spoke English just for me, welcomed me with open arms, and made me feel like a real part of the team. I learned so much about plants, nature protection, and the environment. But even more importantly, I learned a lot about myself — I became more independent, gained confidence, explored my love for nature and collected so many unique experiences that I will never forget.
Text: Minna Räisänen
Photos: Anne Bernhardt’s album
The story has been pubslished in MaailmanVaihtoa 2/2025 magazine.