Bounce to new adventures

Leaning on the boot of his car, David Skelly puts on his waterproof hiking boots and shrugs off the cold. “Perfect day for a walk through the forest,” the landscaper says, rain dripping from his cap. A bus rolls onto the carpark at the entrance of Deerpark Forest. Twenty-four teenagers climb out and stroll towards their tour guide. Hoods over their head, anticipation on their face.

Funded by Erasmus+ to foster cultural understanding and environmental awareness, Bounce Back South East Cavan has organised an exchange between a group of German students and teenagers from Ballyjamesduff and Bailieborough. They are staying in Swanlinbar Trivia house for the week and have connected through tiktok shorts, Taylor Swift and Katie Perry, 16-year-old Nadine says. “In recent times, English has become part of German youth culture,” says Englisch-teacher Olga Lehmann, which makes it easier for them to bond over Netflix series, YouTube and Tiktok shorts. Following them through Deerpark forest over squelchy paths on a rainsoaked day, it is hard to distinguish the teenagers from each other. Part of the exercise. Con Cullen, Bounce Back coordinator for East Cavan, says: “They all seem to be on the same wavelength. They've created new friends. That's what we want to do."

At the same time, it is a rare occasion for his Bounce Back participants to experience semothing outside their day-to-day radius. "Sometimes when we live in rural Ireland, we’re isolated. We want to show them that there's other opportunities out there from where they live.”

Since their arrival the German students marvel especially about the “greenness” of Ireland. “It’s different than in Germany,” they say. “And so many sheep everywhere,” another student adds. In Germany, livestock is mostly kept indoors, any arable land is used for growing food crops, hay, straw or silage.

Fritzi (14) from Berlin felt it was important to experience a new country. “Everyone I spoke to who had visited Ireland before said they had fallen in love with the place, so I wanted to see it for myself.”

The environmental aspect of the programme appealed to her as well. Her classmate Marla agrees that people seem very drawn to nature. “The streets are adventurous though,” they laugh, likening the bus trips to a roller coaster ride.

The students have a busy schedule: Monday Teambonding. The card game Uno is always the big hit at these events. Marble Arch Caves, Rollerskating in Ballyconnell, fishing in Belturbet, County Museum in Ballyjameduff, Dublin tour, Cuilcagh Boardwalk or “Stairway to Heaven” and surfing in Sligo. Teacher Olga is a bit sceptical about surfing in these temperatures, but “I’ll go with the flow”.

And a biodiversity talk and walk through Deerpark Forest Virginia with local landscaper David Skelly. The teenagers follow the meandering paths through the forest they hear was planted more than 100 years ago. They see the invasive Rhododendron trying to manifest itself beside the river, marvel at the old stone bridge and giggle at the “fridge” in the woods. Storm Eowyn’s aftermath is still very much visible with hundreds of logs waiting to be collected and vast planes of tree stumps.

Standing beside the toppled root system of a pine tree, David explains how nature will take its course, and new trees will grow. That we should respect nature more. “If we all made small changes rather than one person making a big change that would have a better outcome.”

The students discuss eating less meat, growing their own veg, buying second hand clothes.

David hopes some of the information will stick: “Some of this will sink in, and the more time you spend out in nature, the better for all of us.”

Will the giant Redwood tree grow in Ireland one of the students wants to know: “Well,” says David, “I planted one at midnight of the 31st of December 2018 in my backgarden. It is seven meters high now.” He is acutely aware that he will never see the world’s largest tree reach its full height. But that is exactly the point he wants to make: “We build for generations to come.” A bit like the Erasmus initiative growing lasting connections.

In June this year, the group will visit their new friends at their school in Zeuthen, a town not far from the Berlin-Brandenburg airport. “I’ve always wanted to go to Germany,” confirms Nadine excitedly.

Con hopes this project will be a transformative experience. “A lot of young people we work with are marginalised and disadvantaged. They wouldn’t have the monetary needs to do this. For a lot of them, this will be their first time out of Ireland. They get opportunities that otherwise would not exist for them.”

The students step back onto the bus, bonding over wet shoes – and possibly “shake it off”.