From June 1 to 20, 2026, young volunteers from all over Europe gathered in Kryoneri, Corinth, Greece, for the Act Green 1 volunteer program, which was coordinated by the intercultural-environmental organization FILOXENIA and supported by the European Solidarity Corps (ESC).
For 20 days, participants from different countries and backgrounds worked together to restore and maintain forest trails, learning to cooperate, respect each other and live as a team. The program combined environmental action with cultural exchange: volunteers organized workshops and events for the local community, shared their traditions, cooked traditional dishes and presented their countries through music, dance and storytelling.
The program began with an “on arrival” seminar, which helped participants get to know each other, and continued with excursions in the area and free time to explore. This combination of work, learning and recreation strengthened friendship, teamwork and intercultural understanding. With the support of the European Solidarity Corps through the Greek National Service INEDIVIM, Act Green offered volunteers a unique opportunity to contribute to the environment while celebrating diversity and community engagement.
Article written by participant from Italy (Alessandra)
The time spent in Krioneri is a true blessing. I've had the opportunity to be here for the second time and I am truly overwhelmed with the amount of care and love these people put into everything they do. The road from Kiato has seen us all hitchhiking and a special thanks goes to all the people who took us with them and told a bit of their story during the way.
For me, the most important meeting in this journey has been with two people, Jonny and Mike, two artists from a nearby village, who had shown kindness and company for all the day, have a look at their art if you can! Starting from the home, which is a true experience of co-living, in the good and bad things! Immersed in the krioneri village we had the opportunity to live as inhabitants of this little village, from going to the minimarket to doing the siesta during the day, we were really living a real life here. The tables outside now have custody of all of our secrets and happiness. Nature! The thing we are all here for is another blessing, working with the tools and learning how to manage them in a correct way helped us to learn to respect nature and its inhabitants. The food and Demetra! just wow! always smiling and surprising us with her special food and lots of Feta! She doesn’t speak a word of English but she always makes her very clear with her smile and her lovely Greek lessons during lunch. The people who took care of us!
From Athena to Big Panos, Panagiotis and Eleana, Jette and Leo are very beautiful souls who are always ready to have some good words for us all, always trying to understand us and doing the main work here all year. Krionery seems like one little village without hope from the outside but once you get to know it, it’s difficult to let it go. History! What a big story for such a small village! Righteous among the nation, this village's history, Rivka’s story and her journey back here left me truly amazed on how people can risk it all for the right cause. We really have to take inspiration from these people and be kind in this world full of cruelty. Finally, I wanted to point out the group here, which in three weeks became a small family to carry in my heart, from Slovakia to Spain, passing through Czechia and Germany and a little bit of Luxemburg. From dancing to singing, to chatting and travelling together this group is going to take all different routes, but we’re going to share some of it in this village. To be here is to be in a slice of heaven, as the documentary we saw said.
Article written by participants from Czech Republic (Emílie)
"Days under burning sun or Act green 26"
Surrounded by olive trees, I had the opportunity to spend twenty wonderful days in Kryoneri. It was a quiet yet lively place. We, participants from all over the Europe, shared the Elisson hostel. The major nationality was Slovak which surprisingly made me feel at home. Czech and Slovak culture have been closely connected for many year, but still I would never expect to feel such a strong sense of closeness. We had also participants from Spain and Italy, which gave us a great opportunity to learn about other corners of Europe and to widen our knowledge in many areas. The languages were blending. The quiet was embraced us. We were learning. Learning how to make a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. Learning how to adapt ourselves to Greek culture and its traditions. Learning how to use gardening tools and how to work under the burning sun. We also learned how to truly enjoy a proper siesta. One of my favorite memories is hitchhiking. We set off and were hoping that the locals would offer us a ride to the beach in Kiato. We heard the story about a Jewish family hiding in Kryoneri during the Second World War. We heard how warm-hearted, loving, and caring the people here are. Still, it felt completely different to experience that for ourselves. Swimming in the sea. Getting to know new people, new cultures, new languages. Working on the paths in the deep forests where you can see innumerable shades of green. I am very thankful for this volunteering experience, which gave me more than I could ever imagine.
Article written by participant from Spain (Maxi, Lucia, Mekki)
"Our Experience in Kryoneri“
Our volunteering experience in Kryoneri, Greece, with Filoxenia was a very special experience for us as the Spanish group. We lived in a small village surrounded by mountains and nature, with a lifestyle very different from what we were used to. During the project, we shared our daily life with volunteers from Slovakia, Italy and Germany. English became our main language, so we practiced it every day while working, cooking, travelling and spending time together. We also learned basic words from other languages and taught some Spanish expressions to the others. The work was mainly related to the countryside and the mountains. We learned how to use different tools and understood the effort behind physical work. It was a valuable experience because we had to be responsible, consistent and willing to learn as a team. Life in the hostel was also a big part of the project. We shared meals, conversations and many good moments with the other volunteers. We met amazing people and talked about culture, studies, work and life in different countries. In our free time, we became more independent. We planned trips to Athens, Kiato and beautiful beaches. Since Kryoneri is not very well connected, we had to find creative ways to move around, and we even learned how to hitchhike safely. This experience helped us become more confident, open-minded and independent. Kryoneri was not only a volunteering project, but also a period of friendship, learning and personal growth that we will always remember.
Article written by participant from Slovakia
During our three-week stay in Greece, our Slovak group experienced plenty of unforgettable moments, from meeting new people to learning how to work with traditional tools in local footpaths and the garden around our hostel. We enjoyed typical Greek cuisine and explored the beautiful nature through hiking trips. Traveling by hitchhiking added an extra sense of adventure and connected us more deeply to the lives of the Kryoneri people. Our evenings were full of dancing and singing, which created a wonderful atmosphere. We hope that others will follow in our footsteps and experience as much fun and as many unforgettable moments as we did!
Coordinated by Filoxenia, Intercultural - Environmental Organization
This project was supported by the European Solidarity Corps of the European Union through the Greek National Organization "INEDIBIM".
