We know that trees are useful in our everyday life. They give us many things, such as

Woman: Oh, don't worry-luckily some of the other parents came along to help. We just didn't attract as many teams as we thought we would, and I thought the whole thing lacked any excitement as a result. You know, of course, that the point was to raise some money to pay for new trees in the school grounds? Well, we achieved that, and my kids thought the whole afternoon was great, so I guess it was OK.

You overhear two people talking about a school football competition.  What did the woman think of the event?

For me, one of the best ways to get to know a new place is to work with the land, live with the locals and share meals together. This is why I absolutely love WWOOFing. It has got to be one of the best ways to travel. It is a mutually beneficial exchange where everyone involved prioritises people and environment above profit. You get the time and space to deepen a connection with local communities and nature.

There is a lot to learn and each farm has its own unique way of doing things, depending on the environment, climate and soil. At the farm in La Réunion we planted palm trees to harvest the core of the trunk which can be eaten in salads. Before staying with the farm I had only eaten heart of palm from cans which were nothing in comparison to the real thing, fresh from the ground. When potting up the very beginnings of the palm trees, I felt grateful to be a part of the start of the trees' cycle. I was filled with awe that something so small could grow into something so big and strong.

We also did lots of weeding, which helped me to get to know all kinds of different plants, to be able to identify which ones we could use as herbs/medicine/in salads and which were seen as uneatable. I also got to harvest pineapples and guava fruit(番石榴) to make jams which will be sold at the local market.

Of course, not everyone is able to travel far away into the field. The great thing about the skill-share philosophy behind WWOOFing is that it’s something we can all do from our own backyard. The focus shifts from money to how we can best support each other in our communities.

A fair exchange can make a big difference in the world.

WWOOFing enables volunteers to ________.