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Greetings to all! I am thrilled to share with you my experience as IVY in a culture- related Interreg project. My name is Antonios Trachanis, and I am from Greece. Volunteering with the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) program has been a revelation, and volunteering with the CHERRY project has been particularly rewarding. CHERRY—making Culture tHe N°1 ally of European RecoveRY—is an Interreg Europe project whose mission is to increase the resilience of cultural and creative industries (CCIs) following the COVID-19 pandemic impact. By improving policies and local plans, CHERRY aims to transform pandemic challenges into growth opportunities through new narratives and digital services’ development for the cultural and creative industries. With my participation within the CHERRY project, I have the opportunity to contribute in several meaningful ways of which the most valuable one is to support stakeholders’ meetings. Pilot initiatives organized by the project provide true networking opportunities for all of us. Within this framework I have been involved in systematizing documentation dealing with pilot project progress and expected outcomes. This is a key pillar of my work as it will be used to further develop the CHERRY project argument for better CCIs policy support. Another aspect of my contribution is helping to reach out with target groups and organize stakeholders’ exchanges. These are important in ensuring that the various partners are coordinated so that everyone works toward a shared vision and goal. The CHERRY project unites public institutions from several European regions, such as Italy, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Belgium, France, Latvia, and Finland. Focusing on 3 specific themes, namely urban transformation, local development and valorization of natural and cultural heritage assets, CHERRY aims to provide the much-needed support and exchanges’ opportunities for the CCI sector to react to the pandemic restrictions, reach out to new audiences and further explore resilience plans. Coordination among all these different patterns’ meetings is a true learning experience in the field. The element that I enjoy most, is being part of the CHERRY project is collective commitment on turning challenges into opportunities. The emphasis on innovation and co-creation pursued by the project is all the most stimulating to me since  it showcases, when hidden potential is turned into opportunities for positive and creative change.  Supporting an organization dedicated to revitalizing creative and cultural industries has been a source of inspiration and stimulation. – Antonios , IVY Project Partner at the REGION OF WESTERN GREECE, for the Interreg Europe project CHERRY. Discover more about the Interreg project CHERRY Click Here Discover more about Region of Western Greece Click Here

Hello everyone, my name is Monika, and today I’d like to share my IVY experience and introduce our Interreg project—Šumava Fish Jewels. This project connects the Bavarian and Czech National Parks and surrounding areas and focuses on studying native brown trout populations and their parasites using environmental molecular methods. The aim is to identify and protect the original brown trout populations, which are crucial to the aquatic ecosystem. They are not only a key component of the food chain but also play an essential role in the life cycle of other aquatic species, such as the endangered river pearl mussel. My opportunity to volunteer with Interreg came unexpectedly. Engaging with fish parasites has been a significant part of my activities but I spent most of my time in the lab. Therefore, I was excited to gain fieldwork experience, connect with new people (public, stakeholders, local politicians. media, etc.), and explore fresh perspectives that could enrich my life. My experience began in August at the Římov Reservoir, where I trained in field techniques for fish sampling in the Bohemian Forest. I also participated in important meetings with my mentor, Petr, where we discussed key topics about the Bohemian Forest and recent developments in Czech fisheries management. I was happy to meet new colleagues from the Institute of Hydrobiology BC CAS, with whom I will be working closely during my IVY experience. In September, we finally had the chance to sample fish (mainly the project flagship species brown trout), water, and sediment in the Bavarian side of the Bohemian Forest. Surrounded by beautiful nature, I gained practical skills in collecting samples of trout, sediment, and water for parasite detection. Processing these sediment and water samples, as well as analyzing the data, is something I look forward to completing in the upcoming months, likely in December and January. Nevertheless, working as an IVY volunteer involves more than just hard work. Through outreach activities, I’ve met many new people, including colleagues and the public. I’ve gained experience answering questions not only about biology but also about aquaculture, and nature protection and enjoyed engaging in discussions about different perspectives in this field. For anyone considering IVY volunteering, I recommend seeking projects that align with their experience or personal interests. For me, working directly with trout populations and fieldwork was a refreshing contrast to the lab, where I had been typically focused on fish parasites. My advice is to embrace each part of the experience, as interacting with diverse perspectives from both colleagues and community members expanded my understanding of aquaculture and ecology. This opportunity has taught me both scientific skills and the value of sharing knowledge across cultures. Though this experience has inspired me, it has also motivated me to pursue a career focused on sustainable aquaculture and environmental protection. I’m excited to keep contributing to ecological initiatives and expand my involvement in international environmental projects. – Monika, IVY Project Partner at Biology Centre CAS – Biologické centrum AV ČR, for the Interreg Bayern-Czechia project Sumava Fish Jewels. Discover more about the Interreg project Sumava Fish Jewels Click Here Discover more about the host organisation Biology Centre CAS Click Here

I volunteer with the Latvian Country Tourism Association “Lauku Ceļotājs” within the Interreg Estonia-Latvia project “MIL-HER ACCESSIBLE – Improved Accessibility of the Latvian-Estonian Military Heritage Tourism Product.” The project’s main goal is to make military heritage sites in Latvia and Estonia more accessible and enjoyable for everyone — including people with disabilities, families with children, and seniors.My role mostly involves working on the Lauku Ceļotājs website: updating and translating information, contacting owners by email, and ensuring the content is clear and up to date. These small but important tasks help make the tourism experience smoother and more inclusive. Project partners from both Latvia and Estonia collaborate closely to improve infrastructure, share knowledge, and develop a cross-border tourism route. I really enjoy being part of a team that works toward inclusive tourism and helps more people connect with our shared history. – Paula, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Project MIL-HER ACCESSIBLE at the Latvian Country Tourism Association “Lauku Ceļotājs” Discover more about the Interreg Project MIL-HER ACCESSIBLE Click Here Discover more about the Host Organisation Click Here

Hello everyone, My name is Laura, I am 25 years old and I come from France. It has already been some months since I started volunteering at the Joint Secretariat of Interreg VI-A NEXT Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine (HUSKROUA) Programme, hosted by the Széchenyi Programme Office located in the beautiful Hungarian capital Budapest! This programme aims at fostering cross-border cooperation for regional growth and sustainable partnerships. It is structured along 3 priorities to drive positive change across 10 regions of the 4 partner countries: a resilient and green border region, a healthy and attractive border region, a cooperating border region. As an Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) Reporter, I am particularly sensitive to the ecological aspect. That’s why, during the first weeks of volunteering, with my co-volunteer Karolína, we organized a clean-up contest among our programme’s project partners for the Interreg Cooperation Day. We have been amazed by the enthusiasm shown by some of the project partners to promote environmental responsibility and make a positive impact! We have been working on the consultation process on the Future of Interreg at the scale of our Programme area. We helped our host organisation to digitalise the information contained in the paper questionnaires collected from the stakeholders. It was particularly interesting to read about their views regarding the benefits, opportunities and challenges of cross-border cooperation as well as their ideas and inputs to shape Interreg post-2027.   And above all, we supported the consultation among citizens. We put all our efforts into disseminating the online survey we have prepared and targeting the appropriate people and organisations. Our goal was to receive as many meaningful and relevant responses as possible to provide a pertinent and useful report to the European Commission by the end of the year. More concretely, we were planning to go to several universities to make European Cohesion Policy, territorial cooperation and more particularly the tangible results in our Programme area more accessible and visible among youth. Of course, we also provided them with information about the enriching opportunities offered by the IVY initiative! I really enjoy volunteering for this Programme! Despite the challenges encountered by the project partners, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, numerous and various projects have already been and will be implemented all across the Programme area. It is fascinating to leaf through the Programme’s book “Stories of Cooperation” and discover all the successfully implemented projects involving a wide range of stakeholders (hospitals, schools, city councils, chambers of commerce, national parks…) and from which citizens living in the 10 regions of the Programme can benefit in their daily life. I am also particularly grateful for the warm welcome I received within my host organisation, not only from the colleagues of the Joint Secretariat but also from the ones working for other Interreg Programmes involving Hungary! I am happy to evolve in a caring environment and with international teams! – Laura, IVY Reporter for the Joint Secretariat Interreg VI-A NEXT Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine (HUSKROUA) Programme Discover more about Interreg VI-A NEXT Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine (HUSKROUA) Programme Click Here

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and tried to count the stars? How many can you see? Scientists say that, under a clear and dark sky, the human eye can see up to 5,000 stars across the entire celestial sphere – without a telescope. So why can’t we enjoy this breathtaking view most of the time? The answer is light pollution, which makes it increasingly difficult to perceive the presence of stars. Bright city lights at night serve important purposes, but they also contribute to light pollution, which negatively affects both human health and the environment. In many Central European cities, awareness of this issue remains limited. The DARKERSKY4CE project aims to change that by reshaping the perception of light pollution among local authorities, tourism stakeholders, and the general public. The project highlights its harmful impact on ecosystems and promotes dark night skies as a valuable resource for sustainable development. To achieve this, it is building a transnational network and fostering dialogue, laying the groundwork for the creation of a “Dark Skies Macro Region”. We are seven partners from six countries (Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Slovenia), working in different groups to conduct research, develop a strategy to reduce light pollution, implement pilot action in our regions, organize a traveling exhibition, and create content for social media. The project will last three years, and we are still in its early phase. In the beginning, each partner collected data and information to produce reports, gain an overview of light pollution in their local areas, and define the content for upcoming activities. In April, a partner meeting was held at the DarkSky Park in Pécs, Hungary, to evaluate the project’s current status and coordinate the next steps. We also visited the Planetarium and we observed the sun. As an IVY volunteer, at the moment, I’m in northern Italy, very close to Turin, at the Astronomical Observatory of INAF (National Institute of Astrophysic), which is the lead partner of the project. The main task for now is to develop the repository – an online archive where people can learn more about the issue (e.g., sources of light pollution, data, maps, etc.). I also support my colleagues with the Dynamic Monitoring Tool (DMT), which will help us understand how people perceive ALAN (Artificial Light At Night). Additionally, we created a brochure about our project to bring to events and help people learn about what we are doing. We also occasionally visit a middle school in Pino Torinese – the town where the observatory is located – where we run activities and games with students to explain what light pollution is and how it affects our health and ecosystems. I’ve worked in the field of sustainability for a while, but this is the first time focusing on light pollution. It’s a problem that many people are unaware of, and even at the European level, we still need stronger regulations to reduce the impacts of ALAN. Beyond the DARKERSKY4CE project, there are other important efforts, such as Night Light, the European Light Pollution Manifesto, Adrisky in the Adriatic-Ionian Region, and Darker Sky in the North Sea Region, among others. These initiatives give me hope, and I like the idea that together, we can build diverse pathways toward shared goals and a more sustainable society. – Eleonora, IVY Project Partner for Interreg Project DARKERSKY4CE at Observatory of Turin (INAF) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkersky4ce/ Repository: https://darkersky4ce.inaf.it/ (soon available) DMT Survey for general public: https://forms.gle/2FUKCQeKK6ahFYAy9 Discover more about Interreg project DARKERSKY4CE Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here

Hey there! I’m a volunteer through the IVY programme, and I’m excited to be part of the Interreg MED project HERIT ADAPT – Heritage and Resilience of Territories through Sustainable Tourism, Climate Change Adaptation, and Citizen Engagement. HERIT ADAPT is an international collaboration that brings together 11 partners from 8 Mediterranean countries, all working towards making tourism more sustainable and helping our regions become more resilient in the face of climate change. The project kicked off in January 2024 and will run until September 2026. How I’m involved:I’m part of the team from the Region of Western Greece, which actually leads the project. My role includes helping out with communication, research, and getting the local community involved. One cool part of my job is supporting the creation of local working groups (TWGs) made up of local stakeholders, citizens, and tourism professionals. Together, we chat, figure out local needs, and co-design a Sustainable Tourism Model that really fits the unique character of our region. What excites me about HERIT ADAPT:This project isn’t just some theory on paper—it’s hands-on, it makes a real difference in the community, it activates people, and it taps into our rich cultural and natural heritage. It also gives us the tools to rethink tourism in a greener, more sustainable way. Plus, I get to collaborate with people from different countries and backgrounds, which is super inspiring! Who benefits:With pilot activities happening in 8 Mediterranean regions—some well-known, others a bit under the radar—HERIT ADAPT benefits local communities, tourism professionals, visitors, and of course, the natural and cultural resources of each area. It brings everyone together, helping us tackle big challenges like climate change through teamwork and fresh, innovative ideas. – Theodora-Eleftheria Velissari, IVY Project Partner at Interreg project HERIT ADAPT  Discover more about Interreg project HERIT ADAPT Click Here