During the first meeting of the partners of the ODDience project, at Bordeaux (France) we did a lot of activities, both indoor and outdoor. The cruise on Garonne river, organized by the NGO Terre et Océan, started on a rainy day. Lots of dead wood floated down the river carried by the strong current. We aimed to reach a solitary island called Ille Nouvelle, located 40 km from Bordeaux, located after the junction of Garrone with Dordogne, in the Estuary of Gironde.

During our journey we performed several activities in the boat, such as analyzing sediments, testing water quality, learning about biodiversity and so on. The story of this island, now consecrated uniquely to nature and heritage conservation, is quite interesting. But the enthusiasm and passion in the words and eyes of the young collaborators of Terre et Océan, when they talked about the fossils and living creatures of the river and the estuary, was really moving and most inspiring.

During the first meeting of the ODDience 2030 project partners in Bordeaux (France), we carried out a series of activities, both indoors and outdoors. It was during this week that we visited the Dune du Pilat, a wonderful place of a size I couldn’t have imagined, with a height of around 110 m. The Dune impressed me with its size and immense beauty! But amidst the imposing beauty of the dune, something unexpected happened: I got lost!

The strong wind that was blowing that day enchanted me. As the group headed back, a teacher and I ended up lagging behind, completely losing track of the way back. The immensity of the scenery, where the horizon blended with the sand and the sky, awakened a feeling of grandeur and wonder.

Finally, when I met up with the group again, I brought back with me not only the memory of a moment that later became something fun and funny, but also an understanding of the immensity and beauty of that ecosystem.