Month: November 2026

Hey there! My name is Mikaela, I am a Biology student and an IVY volunteer with the LASPEH 2.0 project in Montenegro. LASPEH 2.0 brings together partners from Italy, Albania and Montenegro to help protect important habitats and species in the South Adriatic area. I really like this side of the project because nature has no borders, and protecting it often means sharing knowledge and working together. As an IVY volunteer, I mainly help with administrative and communication support, but my experience here has gone far beyond that. I have had the chance to visit all the national parks in Montenegro, discover different cities and learn much more about the country, its culture and its people. One of my favorite experiences so far was a field trip around Barno Lake with a specialist in invertebrates. I helped photograph the area while we observed and identified different plants and animals around us. We also collected some water samples from the lake and later looked at them under the microscope to identify the microalgae present there. As a Biology student, moments like this mean a lot to me. Being able to leave the classroom, see these things with my own eyes and learn directly from professionals working in the field has honestly been a dream. Every conversation, field trip and new place has taught me something different. I also had the chance to be part of a short interview while visiting Lake Skadar, which was a really fun and unexpected part of the experience. It was nice to talk a little about what I am doing here and share my perspective as an IVY volunteer. Soon, I will also take part in a meeting with the project partners, where people from all the countries involved will come together to talk about what has happened in the project so far and discuss the next steps. I am really looking forward to seeing this cooperation happen in person and understanding more about how a project like LASPEH 2.0 works behind the scenes. And my IVY experience has not only been about nature. Living in Montenegro has given me the chance to visit places I probably would not have known otherwise, meet many different people and experience the culture in a much more personal way. Through IVY and LASPEH 2.0, I am learning about conservation, international cooperation and also about myself. I am really grateful for everything I have experienced so far, and I am excited to see what comes next! – Mikaela, IVY Project Partner at Public Enterprise for National Parks of Montenegro, for the Interreg IPA South Adriatic project LASPEH 2.0 – Enhancing the protection of priority habitats and species in protected areas of the South Adriatic