Updated on July 3, 2024
Looking for volunteers for the 11th edition of Project M.A.R.E.
Thanks to a strategic partnership with the Italian National Agency, the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Punta Campanella is offering the opportunity to 5 ocean enthusiasts from all over Europe and partner countries to take part in Project M.A.R.E. 2024, a mid-term European Solidarity Corps (ESC) which will take place from May 2024 to December 2024. Successful participants will find themselves inside the Project M.A.R.E. family, a community of close to 100 ex-volunteers and sympathizers from 15 different countries who all share a deep-found relationship with the sea.
Background Info
Project M.A.R.E. represents a unique volunteering experience in collaboration with the MPA of Punta Campanella to support marine conservation initiatives which aim to reduce human impacts on the marine natural resources within the region. Volunteers will work to spread awareness about the richness of marine ecosystems, to promote ecotourism, to stop anchoring and pollution, to clean up beaches and the sea, working side by side with operators of the MPA and many local organizations which work to achieve similar goals.
During the last eleven years of activities (from 2013 until today) volunteers have participated to many local initiatives, international meetings and conferences, and they have achieved many results in terms of support to the MPA and personal development. This life-changing experience provides a powerful way to make people understand the interactions between humans and ecological systems, helping them to understand the direction to take in their lives.
Site Info
Punta Campanella MPA is located around the Sorrento peninsula, between the Gulf of Naples, the island of Capri and the Amalfi coast and it contains one of the most biodiverse sites within this basin. This territory is made of “mountains that fall into the sea enchanted by the song of sirens”. Due to its location that is difficult to access by land, as well as its transparent water, the Sorrento peninsula became a preferred destination for luxury and mass tourism. In this context, the MPA aims to protect natural places, like Ieranto bay, which are high interest sites for the biodiversity as well as for their cultural and historical value. In those places can be found traces of ancient civilisation that makes them even more fascinating and mysterious.
The continuous human exploitation of coastal areas has led to a need for marine conservation and therefore the MPA was created. Due to the difficult access by land and the transparent waters, this area is the perfect place for boats and yachts to stop and anchor during holiday periods. This leads to a big threat for marine life, especially Posidonia oceanica meadows and hard substrate communities made of encrusting sponges and algae, the so-called coralligenous assemblages.
Since its foundation in 1997, the MPA is carrying out many summer initiatives to reduce the impact of mass tourism (between June and September) and to let people enjoy the Park in a sustainable way. Monitoring, ecotourism and conservation are the keywords to have a balanced usage of marine resources and volunteers play an important role in carrying out these operations.
The work of the MPA Punta Campanella doesn’t stop at the borders of the effective marine protected area, but goes far beyonds, wherever it is needed, through collaboration with several organizations and entities involved in marine conservation and education. For instance, since 2006, the park of Punta Campanella is actively working on a marine turtle conservation program in collaboration with the Antorn Dhorn Zoological Center, but also creating strong relashionship with fishermen and other actors of the sea. Thanks to these collaborations, the park of Punta Campanella started taking part in a summer program of sea turtle nest monitoring in 2020.
This year, the MPA of Punta Campanella is looking for volunteers to take part in project !
1. Project MARE – MPA Punta Campanella
Who?
4 volunteers
Where ?
Massa Lubrense, 80061, Napoli (MPA Punta Campanella) (Hosted in Nerano)
When?
10th May – 30th November (the project is started, yet the team of volunteers is not complete)
Doing what ?
Supporting the MPA in a lot of different activities (monitoring of natural sites, guided visits, scientific studies, educational activities outdoor and indoor)
1. Project M.A.R.E. – MPA Punta Campanella – Position offered
the project is meant to host 4 volunteers that will commit themselves to the project for a duration of 7 months (May to December 2024 (**)) and that will work at different levels of organisation:
- The project team consisting of the group of volunteers from different nationalities and backgrounds and the coordinator.
- Team of the MPA of Punta Campanella made of biologists, educators, mariners, divers, park guards.
- Local organisations (environmental organizations, diving centres, charter companies, other parks, etc.) that work to achieve the same goals.
Volunteers should be open-minded, curious and tolerant with a positive attitude and willingness to learn. We would like to host people with a particular interest and love for nature, the ocean, marine conservation, environmental education and outdoor activities to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience set in a multi-cultural context.
Duties and tasks
The MPA works on the activities that are listed below. According to the period of the year, volunteers will be involved in one or more of them. They will be expected to actively take part in these initiatives with a positive attitude using both the English and Italian language.
Marine Conservation – to mitigate human impacts on marine natural resources by reducing illegal activities and making people aware of the MPA and its goals.
Environmental Monitoring – to collect information about abiotic, biotic and human factors in the MPA and its surroundings.
Info & Awareness – to educate people about the park’s rules and threats to marine resources.
Outdoor Adventures – to meet nature face to face and enjoy its power and energy.
Beach and Sea Clean-ups – to try and mitigate one of the biggest human impacts on the marine environment: pollution.
Cultural Exchange – to learn about different cultures, tolerance and diversity.
Ecotourism Promotion – to spread info and open the doors to eco-compatible interactions between humans and nature.
Environmental Education – to participate in raising awareness of younger (or not) generation through educational activities
Schedule
Volunteers will support the park initiatives with a 30 to 40 hours/week commitment (6-8h/day). They will enjoy 2 weekly free days (not necessarily during weekend days). They will also enjoy 2 monthly free days to travel across this wonderful country or just to relax, which they can save up and choose themselves. The work will be done at the office and in the field (± 50/50 depending on the time of the year).
The schedule is more or less as follows (**):
| Description | Timing | ||
| TRAINING and ORIENTEERING |
|
May – June | |
| INTO THE BLUE |
|
June-September | |
| MATURATION |
|
October-November | |
What We Offer
The project is a part of the ESC programme and is financed by the Italian National Agency. Thanks to these funds we can cover these expenses for volunteers:
Round trip – arrival and return to and from the Sorrento Peninsula at the beginning and end of the project;
Accommodation – shared accommodation and rooms with other volunteers;
Food Expenses – an amount of 150€ per month is guaranteed to each volunteer to cover food expenses (possibly in the form of coupons);
Pocket Money – an amount of 150€ per month is guaranteed to each volunteer for extra expenses;
Training – several training sessions, including weekly Italian classes, will be provided to volunteers in order to give them the best tools to support our work;
Orienteering – the first step of the project is to integrate in the local community, to orient yourselves in your new place and to understand the geography of the territory and the province of Naples in order to feel at home;
Mentoring – volunteers will take part in weekly meetings with the mentors and the coordinator to analyse and reflect on the training process, the progression of activities and the possible problems that might be faced during the project.
If this opportunity sounds interesting to you, do not hesitate and apply to join Project M.A.R.E. 2024!
(*) Dates are susceptible to change.
Check out our Instagram and blog to better understand who we are!
HOW TO APPLY: send a mail to mareapplication@gmail.com with :
- Curriculum Vitae
- Motivation video of 1 minute through WeTransfer in which you briefly explain who you are and why you believe to be the right person for Project M.A.R.E. 2024.
- Finally, due to the short period covered by the project, the MPA won’t be able to offer italian classes as intensives as it did the previous years. However, the work will require a high level of interaction with locals, and thus a capacity to understand and/or learn italian fast. So, we ask all the candidates to specify their italian level, knowing that it will be an important (but non exclusive) criteria for us. Successful applicants will be invited for an on-line interview to do as soon as possible.
If you want further informations, contact us with your questions at mareapplication@gmail.com.
Updated on June 17, 2024
EcoPatrols 4 Environmental Goals : Implementation of modules 6-7-8 !
Hello there ! Here we come again to give you an update on our environmental education project : EcoPatrols 4 Environmental Goals ! These last months, in the company of our test group composed of students of the Liceo Salvemini, we progressed by leaps and bounds. Indeed, between the 6th of May and the 3rd of June, we finished our program, implementing the module 6 (06.05.24) about water as a resource, the module 7 (17.05.24) about sustainable agriculture and food system, and finally the module 8 (03.06.24) about environmental activism !
Early May, we went to the buildings of the Liceo Salvemini, where we met our usual group. There, we talked about the topic of water as a resource, and about
its repartition throughout the world as well as the numerous infrastructure needed for it to reach, drinkable, our home ! The students had the opportunity to learn a lot about this topic, first going from their own representations of water.We talked about the unfairness of water distribution throughout the world, and talked about all the people that, still today, don’t have access to healthy water. Talking through problems, imagining solutions, we managed to learn a lot and keep smiling, as there is always something we can do to make things better
After the drinkable water, we parted ways for two weeks until we saw each other again in mid May to talk, this time, about our food consuming habits. Even though this thematic is complex and vast, we managed to talk about a lot of very important topics and to learn how, as consumers, we can make responsible choices ! 
For example, we took the time to take a look at various recipes and to calculate the amount of kilometers the ingredient took to reach our plates… And sometimes, the answer was frightening ! This allowed us to grow more conscious of our eating habits. We also talked about the advantages of choosing local products, sold by small producers, instead of products sold in the supermarket. Overall, we had a great lesson about the repartition of the richness along the food production chain.
Finally, after exploring 7 modules of environmental education, we entered our last phase : module 8, dedicated to environmental activism. Indeed, learning about environmental conservation is very important, but it is also very important to learn how we can act, as citizens, to create changes in the world around us. Starting by ourselves, our friends, and neighbors, until our political representatives, as citizens we have power to change things ! 
That is what we wished to transmit to our students through module 8. In order to do so, we thought together about the meaning of activism and its importance, and then we put our thought in practice : the students organized a manifestation, created posters and a communication campaign, and were brought to think about the problems that are dear to them. It has been a very interesting moment.
Overall, we are now reaching the end of our path with our dear students from the Liceo Salvemini. Over these months shared with them, they gave us a lot more than just an opportunity to test the manual and the activities we created. They offered us moments of shared thoughts and preoccupation, of shared hope and dreams, of shared energy, all of it channeled toward the creation of a more sustainable future. For all this, we want to thank them dearly.
For us, now that this testing phase is closed, we need to enter into the next phase : confronting our results with the results of the other organizations testing the manual, modifying the activities in order to make them better, and finalizing all the communication and bureaucratic work. There is still a lot to do, but as always, we do it with a lot of energy, and the feeling of working to build a better future !
Stay tuned for more info, and stay safe.
Updated on May 14, 2024
Exploring the Underwater World: Uncover the Biodiversity of Ieranto Bay
Nestled along the rugged coastline of southern Italy lies the enchanting Bay of Ieranto, a hidden gem renowned for its pristine waters and breathtaking marine biodiversity. Recently, the volunteers from the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Punta Campanella embarked on a mission to unveil the secrets of this underwater paradise. Teaming up with both professional fishermen and dedicated divers who frequent the bay, their aim was to establish a comprehensive database documenting the rich tapestry of fish species that call Ieranto Bay home.
Armed with curiosity and a desire to preserve the natural wonders of this marine sanctuary, the team set out to conduct interviews. Their goal? To gather firsthand accounts from those who intimately interact with the bay’s marine environment, seeking to unravel the mysteries of its aquatic inhabitants and track their fluctuations throughout the year.
Building a Database: The endeavor began with a series of interviews conducted by the MPA volunteers. They engaged with seasoned divers of Punta Campanella Diving Center (Fabio Russo, Andrea Montalbano, Daniels Klavins) and Barracuda Diving Center (Fabiana Savarese, Aventino Zuddas), who explored the depths of Ieranto’s azure waters, and professional fishermen, such as Agostino Sbaratta, Cammarota and Antonino Torvillo, who cast their nets into its bountiful depths. Through these interactions, invaluable data was collected for the creation of a comprehensive fish biodiversity database.
Tracking Trends: One of the primary objectives of the interviews was to identify trends in fish populations over time. By delving into historical data and comparing it with present-day observations, the team sought to discern any notable shifts in species abundance or distribution. From the frequency of sightings to the emergence of new species and the disappearance of old favorites, every detail was meticulously recorded to paint a vivid picture of the bay’s evolving ecosystem.
Rare Encounters and Exotic Discoveries: As the interviews unfolded, tales of rare encounters and exotic discoveries captivated the team’s imagination. Divers recounted mesmerizing encounters with elusive species seldom seen in other dive sites, while fishermen shared stories of unexpected catches that hinted at the bay’s hidden treasures. From the graceful movements of a solitary seahorse to the vibrant hues of a tropical fish out of its usual habitat, each sighting added a layer of intrigue to the ongoing exploration of Ieranto Bay’s underwater realm.
Conclusion: As the interviews drew to a close, a wealth of data had been amassed, laying the foundation for a comprehensive understanding of Ieranto Bay’s fish biodiversity. From the bustling activity of the summer months to the serene tranquility of winter, the ebb and flow of life in the bay were captured in vivid detail, providing a glimpse into the intricate web of marine life that sustains this coastal paradise.
In the coming years, this database will serve as a vital tool for conservationists, researchers, and policymakers alike, guiding efforts to preserve the delicate balance of Ieranto Bay’s marine ecosystem. For now, the journey continues, as volunteers, divers, and fishermen alike venture forth to unravel the mysteries of this underwater world, one dive at a time.
Updated on March 13, 2024
Implementation of educational modules in school – Updates for Modules 1-3
It is time for new updates about our project EcoPatrols. We are now more or less at the end of the first half of the project, and things are going pretty good. As it was planned, we finished the preparation phase in 2023, with the national workshop in which we tested 3 of the thematic modules we had prepared. As for this year 2024, it will be dedicated to the testing of the 8 modules with a test-group in each of the participating countries, in order to verify the feasibility and the relevance of the activities.
For this phase, each partner organization had to invite a group of around 20 youngsters (14-18 years old) to follow the 8 months program, going through all the modules to test them one by one. Here, at the Marine Park of Punta Campanella, we decided to work with the Liceo Linguistico Salvemini of Sorrento, with a class of fourth grade, which had to do their PCTO.
The first module, titled « Eco-Literacy », has been tested on the 26th of January with our group. We must say that the students have welcomed us warmly and have shown interest for the activities right from the start.
During this day, we went through 5 activities that allowed us to introduce the whole manual. Indeed, the students starting learning about ecology, but also about a lot of other words and concepts connected to it and to environmental themes. Through a couple of concrete exercises, they managed to hone their collaborative skills as well as their analytic skills, and they learned what is the good attitude to adopt when one wants to study environmental problems ! In other words, at the end of the day, they were all more eco-literates. And even though doing all the activities has been very tiring (for the students as well as for our facilitators), we all finished this first day of testing with a smile on our face and with the satisfaction of the accomplished work.
After the first module, we took a couple of weeks to prepare the next encounter and the presentation of the second chapter of our environmental educative adventure. It is on the 17th of February that we met, once again, the students in order to talk about biodiversity and ecosystems. Those concepts, that are often used those last years when we talk about the environmental crisis, are not always understood fully. 
The objectives of this second module was to teach to the students how the organisms are organized in the natural world, and how everyone of them is connected to the others through different kinds of relationship. The students have been particularly pro-active for this module, and went through the activities with a lot of energy. They went from questioning themself to building an ecosystem, while studying the relation between different kind of animals animals and between animals and their environment, as well as the influence of human being on natural ecosystem. At the end of the module, we took the time to talk a little bit about the services that the ecosystems are providing to humans, and about the impact that the humans have on the ecosystems. This last topic was a good way for us to close the day, as it allowed us to smoothly introduce the module 3.
Indeed, a couple days later, on February 21st, we went through the third module dedicated to « Climate change and human impacts ». 
Thus, after seeing, in module 2, how animals and plants were interacting with each other and their environment in the natural world, we studied how those organisms were heavily impacted by human activities. Through the activities of the third module, we went through the main threats impacting the ecosystems, their causes and consequences. The students have had the opportunity to get in the shoes of the impacted organisms, but also to think about solutions that they could implement on a local level to mitigate the impacts we have on nature !
Overall, we can say that our program is going smoothly. Together with the students, we are working hard to test the modules and to evaluate them in order to improve them afterward. In the meanwhile, we are sharing with our public a lot of important environmental that allows them to raise their awareness about environmental issues. We are convinced that sharing knowledge is the best way to prepare them to be responsible and sustainable citizens in the future !
Updated on January 18, 2023
Sea turtle monitoring in Cilento told by one of us
One of the most important topics, among a billion things we do, is perhaps the work in Cilento with turtles. This work gives us a lot of tools to bring to whatever activities we engage in during the summer and onward.
Cilento is located in the south of Naples, however always in the region of Campania. This involvement with nature comes from 2016 with the creation of the Center for Recovery of Marine Turtles in Massa Lubrense, or if we do not want to consider the center we can say that in previous years because there were work was being done. Before this, the biologists found the first sea turtle nest in Campania in 2002. So the need to work on this urgent issue.
M.A.R.E. project volunteers go to this region at least twice to:
First: find the tracks left by the turtles.
Second: monitor the nests we had found.
On our first trip to Cilento we were at the Campeggio Le Saline a few meters from the beach of Palinuro. Every morning we woke up more or less at 4:30 to start at 5:00. The Zoological Station of Naples (SZN) chose Palinuro, Porto Palinuro, Calanca, Capo Grosso, Mingardo, Ficocella, Bau Bau, Camerota and Lentiscelle to look for tracks. Materials such as cap, comfortable clothes, comfortable shoes, sunscreen and especially water were things we could not forget. The walk was, as it was done, until 8:00 maximum. We did it in pairs and did not stray too far, because the best form of finding the trail is between the water line and 5 meters ahead. The goal was to walk close to each other and be as careful as possible. We had a protocol from Caretta in Vista with the important information to follow (rules, photos with track resubmissions, sign-posting and other things). For those unfamiliar with this topic it could be a form of help before coming as a proper volunteer who belongs to another association.
As Project M.A.R.E. we go two people at a time (at least this year) and then we find people who come from other parts of Italy. It is a very good process and I recommend you to join us whenever you want. We can explain things we do and mainly talk about turtles because there is so much to know and learn. After the work day we sleep so we don’t become zombies in a couple of days. For those who like to camp near the beach it is a great opportunity to take advantage of this kind of mix of nature and cultural exchange.
After work it was normal to go back to the tent to get some sleep and only after that to think in having lunch. Then in the afternoon, we didn’t have some kind of commitment, so we often went for a swim or a walk around town. The aperitivo in Cilento has a different flavor and I didn’t know this tradition – I think I can call it that – so it left me surprised.
This is pretty much how a day works in the first phase of work. We went another time a few weeks later and during that time the work, for me, was the same for a few days and I added an assignment that I will tell about right away.
It has, in fact, become the most rewarding part and where I have made the most progress at the personal level and also at the scientific level. Creating a control around the nests is the form how we work there. As we found them before is easy to recognize afterwards. In small groups, we put ourselves in working time schedule and there is always at least one person who is close to the nest and give the information the people need to understand the reproductive cycle of a turtle. Many times a relationship is formed, even if it is for a short time, with people who come to visit. I have met some families as well as young kids and people with the same age I have. They brought us food, coffee, things to eat for breakfast and beers. So far, I maintain a friendship relationship between us from a distance. The people I worked with every day in Camerota left a mark on my heart that I will carry for the rest of my life. Great moments. The days of smiling, jumping into the water, eating, drinking, walking, teaching and little sleeping time were things that brought us together as a group.
Small turtles are found under sand, roughly between 30 and 50 cm, and it is not known how many there are. It is thought and known that there are about a hundred of them. Seeing them moving up and out of the sand left me speechless and wide-eyed.
This is a short summary of the days and activities that happen, it is however possible to find more information on Instagram and Facebook. Talking and writing about turtles would make a very long and beautiful thesis. Lucky is the person who will do it.
- Some interesting facts about turtles
In the world, we have 7 sea turtles species in which 3 are found in the Mediterranean Sea. The Chelonia mydas (green turtle) the Dermochelys coriacea (leatherback turtle) and the Caretta caretta we already know.
They are considered poikilothermic, that is, their lives depend on the temperature of the surrounding environment, as well as their sex. In a simple form, it is known that, in the eggs, with heat, they become female and with cold, they become male. Maturity comes more or less at 20 years of age and the incubation time lasts about 2 months.
In the western part of the Mediterranean, there are marine protected areas with dedicated turtle protection. As if you can see in the picture down there are more turtles in the Eastern basin.
With climate warming, the research that is being done and continues to be done shows us a change in behavior and particularly in nesting. The turtles are starting to nest west of the Mediterranean more and more.
The image down shows the number of nests per 15 km, the size of the symbol increases in proportion to the number, the green dots indicate nests before 2020.
— Pedro Ribeiro
Updated on January 6, 2023
An Invitation to the Cultural Nights
An important aspect of the project is the cultural exchange. It is a central dimension that we live every day, being diving into Italian culture but also surrounded by the cultures of each of us. However, there is a particular moment in which this exchange becomes even more conscious, even stronger: it is during the cultural nights, in which one country is in the spotlight, with emblematic dishes, music, games, dances, stories and explanations shared together, in a magical moment which involved a bit our families too. Indeed, with their advice, the food specialties they provided or even their presence during the event for some, they added a special touch.
In these moments, we can understand a bit better the essence of where we come from, with our personal and national history, that get mixed well to add a bit of diversity to the melting pot of cultures we have lived and shared every day. These nights are also the opportunity to see what unite us, beyond borders, what we have in common whether we are from the Mediterranean coast, from the mountains or from the Northern latitudes. To make you understand a bit more what it is all about, here is an invitation to the cultural nights with this little article!
- Italian night (29 April 2022)
This night was the first one of our project, and one of the most enriching. It was the occasion to discover Italian culture in a very interactive way, between language game, cooking activity and cultural discussions. We learned to prepare two recipes of local delicacies, with all their story surrounding them, particularly thanks to Alba and Domenico Palumbo.
First, it was the turn of pasta alla Nerano, valued specialty of the peninsula which finds its origins in the “Maria Grazia” restaurant in Marina del Cantone, in the 1800’s. This recipe has been a beautiful introduction to the local gastronomy, with the use of three cheese types (caciotta, parmigiano, caccio cavallo) which mix into this creamy dish of which every local family has a different version. Some prefer to make the pasta creamy, others to add a bit of grated lemon skin… For Alba however, the final touch is the fresh basil leaf, which gives a certain elegance obviously!
Then, we started the preparation of limoncello together, another great symbol of the peninsula! With twenty something small peeled lemons, we created a basis for the conception of a short maturation liqueur. The following month it was ready – with other determinant steps of which we have now the secret…–. Joke aside, if you want to know more about these recipes, here there are (in Italian), drawn by me!
- Spanish night (15 June 2022)
The Spanish cultural night has been a great occasion to meet Claudia’s parents: with an Aragonese dad (Mariano), a Galician mom (Cristina), who live in Barcelona, the family makes a good synthesis of Spain, with its cultural nuances and its various identities.
The night more than a delicious Spanish food – tortillas de patatas, escalivada (catalana), queso manchego, jamón ibérico and arroz con leche for the dessert! – gave the opportunity to listen to Claudia’s dad, -translated by Olivier- talking about the diversity of Spanish culture, explaining the variety of every comunidad autónoma traditions. After that, there was a beautiful game about the Spanish sayings. It has been beautiful to remember how another language gives this particular look at the world, different from the other languages but also with points of similarity!
Here are two selected sayings:
“Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo” – The Devil knows more from oldness than from the fact that it is a devil.
This means that the experience gives more knowledge and wisdom than tricks and the inherent intelligence one’s have.
“A enemigo que huye puente de plata” – To the enemy running away, [you give him a] silver bridge.
This saying also quoted by Cervantes in Don Quijote, recommends to free oneself from their enemies or every person who can /want to cause oneself damage. Therefore, every mean to keep the enemies away are valid, including a silver bridge.
- Greek night (28 June 2022)
Another great night of gastronomy, in which Xenia’s parents participated, involving the volunteers, Xenia and her mother (Jenny) to elaborate the typical dishes, including moussaka, tsatziki con “fried zucchini” (kolokithakia tiganita), gemista e choriatiki (salad). These Mediterranean flavours made Mahdi say “it’s like another type of Tunisian food that I don’t know of yet!”, underlining the shared influences from a Mediterranean coast to another.
Once a more, evocated through traditional dances of the Pontos region (Pontus), the particular story of Xenia’s family has been the occasion to discover another facet of Greek culture. Indeed, with these dances, sirtaki e kotsari – learned from Xenia’s dad side (Thodoros) –, it allowed us to catch a glimpse of a Greek population who lived on the Black Sea coast and who transferred to Northern contemporary Greece in the moment of the population exchanges between Turkey and Greece in the 1920’s. Theodoros also made us discover tsípouro, a typical Greek liqueur that accompanied this convivial moment.
The dance all together, also with our American interns friends, will remain a great moment of conviviality, living the Greek culture, through its more lively form.
- French night (17 August 2022)
For the French night, happening a little after Ferragosto (15th of August), it has been the occasion to cook together, also with my parents and my brother. The occasion to celebrate outdoor, in a period that made sense, because coinciding with the period of celebration in my village.
We started with an aperitivo with various typical products of the département I come from, Cantal: cheeses (cantal, saint-nectaire), various types of dried meat and a blond lentils salad.
After, we ate truffade, this typical dish of the village celebrations, made of potatoes and fresh tomme, prepared with the direction of my dad, more particularly to make the long strings of melt cheese while serving. My mom prepared plum clafoutis for dessert.
All helped to prepare and the summer atmosphere on the terrace added a touch creating a nice convivial moment. After some explanations about the dishes and enjoying the dinner, we started the also typical activity of my village celebrations: the “boules carrées” (‘squared boules’) tournament. This game of boules with wooden (pine) cubes was invented to be able to play on sloping ground in the mountainous countryside. Rita, Alessandra, Boris and I, with the help of a carpenter from Monticchio (Salvatore), handcrafted the boules. This night has been the perfect opportunity to play in Conola garden, with the adequate slope to make the cubes roll – but not too much.
It was also the first cultural night with all the volunteers together, after months with always one missing or more (with the turtle monitoring in Cilento). A familial, friendly moment, to remember, like all the cultural nights.
- Tunisian night (5 November 2022)
This celebration was also a great culinary experience. The dishes were numerous, prepared with all of us, with the direction of Ons and the support of Anas and Mahdi, but also the precious help of last year volunteers, the great Mehdi and Mayssa!
There were of the table so many colourful and tasty dishes: امك حورية (omek houria), طاجين (tajine), سلاطة مشوية (mechwia salad), سلاطة خضراء (“green salad”), كسكسي (couscous), شرمولة (charmoula) – a typical dish from Monastir, Ons and Anas’ city–,بريك (brik), but also فريكاسي (fricassé). The chance to taste also this emblematic ingredient of Tunisian cuisine, a type of puree made with a basis of red chili peppers, garlic and olive oil: harissa (هريسة). This dressing is also the symbol of the diversity of Tunisian culture because its recipe varies between every family – and also inside the same family – or Tunisian region. Then, as desserts, to delight our taste buds, there were بوزة (bouza) andيويو (yoyo), who get very well together.
After dinner, we made a game to identify our names in Arabic and then write them with the Arabic alphabet. We also played a game about the resemblances between Tunisian language and Italian, looking for the words with Italian sounds in Tunisian, sign of close contacts between the two countries.
Following this, we shared a bit of dancing and a bit of music to conclude a very warm cultural night, perfect in the grey and rainy period of autumn.
- Portuguese night (10 December 2022)
Everything started with the World Cup match opposing Portugal against Morocco, perfect moment to share an aperitivo all together, with Portuguese products sent by Pedro’s family (dried hams, herb-flavoured cheeses, lupin beans, pão recheado,…). Luís, friend of Pedro who came for the cultural night, also made us discover chouriços, alheiras, morcela and linguiças, types of sausages – some of them were vegetarian –, flambé in a specific oval dish, called “assador de chouriços”.
Then, we participated to a general knowledge (cultura geral) game, with crossed words in Portuguese about geography, music, or even football in Portugal. The occasion to know more about this beautiful country with an Iberian culture, looking towards the Atlantic.
After that, the cultural night kept going with the continuation of the buffet, but with warm dishes, and still during the whole event, the assador was on. We tasted as the first dish, a canja, followed by migas and alho francês à Brás, to finish with a serradura, a creamy dessert. All of this with a soundtrack composed of fado, Antonio Variações and other Portuguese songs to dive into the culture of the country of carnations.
To know more about these dishes, here are the favourite recipes of Pedro, with their short presentations:
- Migas
“For centuries “migas” have been a traditional dish eaten in the Alentejo region, especially in winter. It is a highly caloric dish that was born as a way to make the most of the bread, already very hard, and that fed the men who worked in the fields.”
Ingredients:
– 0.5 pack of corn bread (broa)
– 0.5 package of cabbage or something similar (couve para caldo verde)
– A specific type of beans (feijão frade)
– Salt
– Black pepper
– Chopped garlic to taste
– Olive oil
Preparation:
Place a pot of water seasoned with salt on the stove and when it is boiling add the chopped cabbage, and let it cook. Meanwhile, break up the corn bread into small pieces.
After the cabbage is cooked, drain it and set it aside. In a large pan, add the chopped garlic and olive oil, let the oil heat up, then add the crumbled corn bread and stir. Then add the cabbage and the beans and mix everything together, add more olive oil if necessary.
You can use olive oil flavoured with garlic, which is tastier.
- Alho Francês à Brás
“Alho Francês is an option to replace the codfish (traditional dish). Can be done with chicken and other proteins. It is widely consumed in Portugal and also in Macau. The excellent flavour depends on the relationship of the components of the recipe, especially the amount of onion in relation to the cod and the olive oil used to make this dish. The recipe was created by a tavern keeper from Bairro Alto, in Lisbon, by the name of Brás.”
Ingredients:
– 20 ml olive oil
– 1 onion cut into half-moon slices
– 100g of the white part of the leek, sliced
– 1 bay leaf
– 100g fried potato sticks
– 2 eggs
– Salt
– Black pepper
– 1 sprig of chopped parsley
– Black olives
Preparation:
- Break eggs into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Beat well with a wire rod.
- In a pan heat the olive oil, the bay leaf and the onion. Stir and let it braise a little. Add the leek.
Mix together and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the potato. Mix well and allow to heat through. Add the eggs, stir and cook over medium heat
for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to overcook the eggs.
- Finally, add the chopped parsley and remove from the heat. Accompany this dish with olives.
- What’s next
This is a list that is going to be augmented, with the future Croatian and Belgian cultural nights! More than a list, with this article I wanted to show the beautiful moments of exchange and sharing that punctuated our volunteering. The cultural nights have always been powerful moments out of time, precious moments, but also – to be honest – a bit stressful for the ones who have to organise it, because it is not a simple thing to highlight the essence or at least a personal angle of your own culture. At the end of the day, after a bit of adrenaline, the fact to see all the volunteers, mentors, friends of the project, and also families and friends of the volunteers enjoying these special moments, it is without a doubt one of the most beautiful things of the carrying out of these. I recommend you, if you have one day the opportunity to create events as much convivial with family or friends, do not hesitate! A cultural night is always worth it, in the sense that it also makes yourself discover what means your own culture, and it makes (re)discover subtleties and evidences of this one, always beautiful to share with others.
To conclude, I would like to thank all those who organised, helped, prepared and to sum up allowed these unforgettable nights to happen. Our mentors, coordinators, Gianna, Nacho, Mimì, Alba ; but also all the volunteers, the friends of the project like Alessandra, and many more who added their touch in the cultural exchange in general, but even more during these high points of the project. Grazie di cuore.
— Paul Descoeur
