Experience report on volunteering at Finca Noah (Marco)

 It's Friday 29.04.22 and my flight from Zurich to Palma is on time. My volunteer week at Finca Noah is coming up and I'm fully motivated. I sit on the plane full of anticipation, my thoughts already one step ahead. What awaits me and how much I can help. 

A few hours later, I'm right in the thick of things and have already taken on many tasks. After a thorough familiarisation by Rene, I am now solely responsible for the 3 horses and the donkey. This is my first and last stop in the morning and evening. In between, all the other animals such as dogs, cats, rodents, parrots, ducks, the pot-bellied pig and Theo the cockerel have to be looked after. The cleaning of the sheep enclosure, where Rambo the pony was housed, was then done by everyone together again. I was given a great welcome from the very beginning and always felt at ease during these very strenuous days. The daily walks with the dogs brought us all a little closer, despite the small language barrier. As we also run an animal orphanage in Switzerland, I knew right from the start what it was all about and that it wouldn't be a walk in the park. 

In the evening, I always arrived at the hotel dead tired, went to a good Spanish restaurant and rounded off the day. My thoughts were with the fate of the animals, which fortunately were now allowed to lead a species-appropriate life at Finca Noah. 

It is always wonderful to see how animals that have not had a good life build up trust in us humans again and give us their love. We can all learn a lot from them and make the world a better place than it is. Thank you to Farah, Rene, Perla and Jose, I carry you in my heart and will definitely be back. 

Marco