Nine young volunteers, aged between 18 and 30 and from eight different countries (Italy, France, Greece, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Venezuela, and Ukraine), worked in the Monte Pellegrino Nature Reserve in Palermo during the month of September. The participants took part in a European Solidarity Corps group project, funded by the European Union, dedicating their time to maintenance work in areas affected by reforestation work, necessary after the severe fires that have affected the region since 2016.

The initiative was part of the international project “VEIL”, coordinated by InformaGiovani ETS and funded by the European Executive Agency (EACEA). This two-year project involves the involvement of over 200 volunteers in volunteering activities in various European countries. The activities in Palermo saw the crucial collaboration of the Associazione Rangers d'Italia, Sicilian Section, managing the Reserve, and the Urban Green Management Office of the Municipality of Palermo.

The volunteers' work was crucial to the success of the ecological restoration: they cared for the newly planted saplings, maintained the fences, and cleared the paths. As emphasized by the Reserve's director, Giovanni Provinzano, planting is only an intermediate stage, and it is "essential that the new plants are cared for and cared for so they can best establish themselves." Volunteers also worked at the Gorgo Santa Rosalia, a temporary pond unique for its biodiversity, to facilitate rainwater collection. This work was particularly significant in a year celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the Reserve's establishment.