Planting Trees, Planting Wellbeing: My Day Volunteering with Devon Wildlife Trust

 My CoLab volunteer day gave me a valuable opportunity to step away from the everyday routine and do something for my own wellbeing for the day. I enjoy the outdoors and keeping active, so I decided to volunteer to do Tree Planting with the Devon Wildlife Trust. It allowed me to connect, not only with the green space but also with other volunteers equally vested in giving up their time for a good cause.

It was a busy day, full of direction and purpose. We kept active, worked together, and even learned a few new things along the way. I, for one, learnt about the importance of mulching. The physical effort and fresh air felt good, but the social moments were just as valuable. The welcome tea and lunch breaks gave us space to pause, chat, and share stories. I had some genuinely lovely conversations with fellow volunteers and the DWT facilitator.

I didn’t walk away with new friends or lasting connections, and I hadn’t expected to either. However, I have thought a lot about the interactions from the day, and it was a good reminder that not every meaningful interaction has to be a lasting one. Sometimes those brief, one-off connections—those small moments of shared purpose—are exactly what we need. They remind us that community isn’t only built through long-term relationships; it’s also found in fleeting encounters that brighten a day, shift a perspective, or simply make us feel part of something bigger.

Volunteering gave me the chance to contribute to the environment, support a local organisation, and connect with others in the process. It was a day of giving, but also a day of receiving—fresh air, good company, new knowledge, and a pause from the everyday, contributing to my own wellbeing.

It definitely felt like time very well spent.

Annika Ferraro - Community Connector with Wellbeing Exeter