The European Solidarity Corps Team Volunteering (ESC TV) project we coordinated in Isola delle Femmine, in close partnership with the staff of the Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve and Addiopizzo Travel, brought together an international team of young volunteers committed to conservation, research, and civic memory. Through this project, we contributed to environmental protection and community reflection within the framework of the CERV Programme.

Our international team worked across multiple ecological, scientific, and educational fronts:

• trail and infrastructure restoration, rebuilding stone paths damaged by extreme weather and carrying out maintenance on key support structures on the islet;
• vegetation action, planting new native species to restore ground cover and providing care and watering for plants from previous reforestation phases;
• fighting invasive species, supporting the reserve’s staff in the scientific monitoring and management of Pennisetum setaceum (an invasive alien plant species) in collaboration with MedMaquis;
• coastal cleanup, clearing marine litter and waste washed ashore along the reserve’s coastlines after heavy storm surges;
• civic memory, assisting in organizing a public docufilm screening and cultural event at the MuST23 museum, fostering active community reflection on anti‑mafia resistance and social justice.

By engaging young Europeans in hands‑on environmental research, invasive species management, and historical memory, we contribute to strengthening equality, rights, and active citizenship across Europe, and to fostering active participation and ecological resilience within our network.