Meet the Corona crew !
Episode 7 : Emma
We find ourselves in a unique situation at EV with a very stable crew: the whole team has been here for at least 3 months now! We would like to introduce you to this ‘Corona Crew’, today it is Emma!
Emma, 18, is EV’s vegan hippie from England. Everyone here knows that Emma loves to spend time at the waterfall in her free time; she rarely misses an opportunity to go. If you come to EV and Emma is there, you don’t need to be afraid of boring meals. Everyone here agrees on the fact that Emma is the master chef of EV! She makes the best vegan meals, our favorites here are curry and lasagna and we really enjoy her cakes on special occasions.
Why do you love being here / what do you love about EV?
I love living the simple life, being covered in dirt all day and wearing the same 3 outfits over and over again. I don’t have a care in the world, it’s very refreshing.
What do you love about the jungle?
You can never escape nature. Everything is brimming with life (including all the cockroaches). I’ll always be in awe of the beautiful harmony that exists here.
What’s your favourite meal here?
Making pancakes on my days off is one of my favorite activities, the avocados here are also to die for! For dinner I love eating pasta, veggie burgers and anything made out of ingredients we can forage here, like the wild spinach and herbs.
What’s your favourite job/activity?
It’s hard to pick just one favorite job, but I love the work in the clinic and giving the baby monkeys their milk. Any excuse to go to the plantation is also nice to break my day up.
What is your favourite thing to do on a day off?
Usually, I try to spend at least 80% of my day off at the waterfall. Minimum. My tan hasn’t improved but I always leave feeling full of energy and ready for the next day’s work. I also love to cook on my days off so I can take some time to make something nice, food is a huge part of life here.
What is your favourite animal/species?
My favourite species is definitely the night monkeys, they’re just so curious and make the cutest little noises. Kira (our baby night monkey) will always have a special place in my heart.
Which animal you’re most like?
According to our head volunteer Puck- Cumala the spider monkey. She’s calm, observes everything, makes excited noises when food is coming and is very caring .
What do you miss from home?
I miss painting, good tea and cinnamon.
What did you learn during your stay that you would like to take home?
That I don’t need material things to be happy! Everything I have here is falling apart and mouldy, but I couldn’t feel better. When I go home I’ll be much more efficient with food too, I’ve picked up lots of tips to be more sustainable.
What didn’t you expect about EV before coming here?
That I would enjoy organizing messy whiteboards and learning the names of every tortoise here. It’s strange to find out which little things make us all happy.
What is the first thing you buy when we can go to Bello again?
Oreos, there’s nothing more comforting here than to relax in a hammock with a cup of tea and some biscuits.
Why did you choose to stay here instead of going home during this Corona pandemic?
I chose to stay because life continues as normal for the animals, they deserve to have the best care regardless of the crazy things happening in the human world. They still need someone to feed them and clean their cages, and I’m more than happy to do so for as long as I’m needed.
What is the most difficult thing about being here?
Working and living with the same group of people for a long time, especially during the corona panic. It’s very mentally challenging. Emotions are high in such a harsh environment.
How Emma is seen through the other volunteer’s eyes:
- Manon about Emma: When she arrived, she was really quiet but when you get to know her better, you find out that she’s not shy at all. She has the perfect British accent, she is really funny and really enjoys working with animals, especially with Rafiki. Even if she really loves Rafiki, she will always say that she prefers Kira. But she lies. Our little hippie who can spend 6 hours in the waterfall during her day off. She is definitely the best cook ever in EV!
- Carmen about Emma: “I need to organise *insert any place in EV*”
- Zak about Emma: Cooking tekkers, whiteboard writing obsession, veganism, only had love for Kira.
- Kim about Emma: Vegan buddy, being a very cool hippie, her love for night monkeys (Kira), the waterfall, tortoises, cooking skills & cakes
- Puck about Emma: My cacao queen, her cooking skills, how she always makes tea for everybody in their favorite mug, her style, her love for things looking neat and tidy. She is a calm, friendly and interesting person.
- Craig about Emma: Calm collected & driven. Vegan with exceptional culinary skills.
- Emile about Emma: Absolute master chef. Good taste of music. Quiet. Quite the thinker.