Contribute to research and environmental education work on loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean

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Program Overview
Life on the Program
Program Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

This project gives you the chance to live in the beautiful Bay of Lakonikos in the southern Peloponnese, while working with a team of international volunteers to conserve and protect one of the most important loggerhead turtle nesting areas in Greece.

Your team will perform surveys every morning to record nesting activity and protect turtle nests against predation by mammals and inundation by sea water. Volunteers also provide important conservation information to overseas visitors and the local community.

GVI works in conjunction with our local partner to provide you with all the necessary training to contriburte meaningfully to this project. In addition, ample opportunities exist for you to explore the fascinating Greek culture and to enjoy the sights of the surrounding local area in your free time.

Life on the Program

Members of the volunteer team rotate through the different aspects of the project: turtle patrol, camp duty, bamboo harvesting (used to protect the nests) and an environmental education program for the locals and tourists. The days are long, it is hot and you will have to walk long distances (at least 5km) during surveys – be ready for the challenge!

Our volunteer team lives in tents right next to the beach. The campsite has a number of facilities, including a mini-market, a self-service restaurant and telephones. In between survey shifts you will have plenty of time to relax in camp or enjoy the beach. You will also have one day off each week which varies depending on the schedule.

Program Details

GVI works in collaboration with a Greek organization that has been conducting research in this area since 1983, making it one of the oldest conservation projects in the Mediterranean.

Key tasks volunteers perform include morning turtle surveys during which you are:

Patrolling the beach to locate new tracks and nests
Recording data and measurements
Installing protective nest grids
Nest relocation (if required)
Nest excavation (from August onwards)
Bamboo harvesting - assembling nest grids

You will also conduct environmental education for locals and tourist. This involves manning the beach information kiosk and educating public about the project, and also leading public awareness presentations at campsites/hotels in the local area.

The data your team collects not only contributes to coastal management plans in Greece but also towards the international strategy for the conservation of sea turtles.

Volunteer Testimonials

William Hughes, United Kingdom

It is hard not to regurgitate all that has been said before – ‘how the time has gone’, ‘the amazing people’, ‘combining a beach holiday with volunteer work’. All these things are true. The one thing that will stay with me is the work with the hatchlings; watching them power down the beach, watching as they get battered by the waves but always manage to overcome them and of course the times I had the privilege to hold these tiny hatchlings. So thank you to everyone who has made this time one I will never forget.

I’ve met so many interesting people who have opened my eyes to ideas and places I hadn’t even thought about before. It seems ages ago that I saw my first hatchlings waddle out to sea under the...

Emily Ling, United Kingdom

I’ve met so many interesting people who have opened my eyes to ideas and places I hadn’t even thought about before. It seems ages ago that I saw my first hatchlings waddle out to sea under the equally spellbinding night sky with the Milky Way as their roof and the moon leading them. I have really enjoyed working for the turtles and it feels so good to being doing something for the world no matter how small my actions, every bit counts! I feel like a better person for this special experience. This has been a highlight of my life.