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Volunteer for Sea Turtles conservation

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The experience

Volunteers will be involved in multiple activities, the main ones being:
- Monitoring for sea turtle tracks along beach stretches on the Gelsomini Coast! This activity will be carried out either in the early morning or late afternoon.
- Monitoring of the hatching process: for the most part, this activity will take place at night, with volunteers checking for hatchlings throughout this process.
- Educate the public during the hatching phase

What you offer

20 hours of help per week

Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.

Social Work: Help with volunteer work in local projects and communities.

Additional fee required

Amount: € 500 Per week

Description: The fee covers costs for food, accommodation, insurance with the association, membership card, transport and equipment that is used by the association. Volunteers will also receive a Caretta Calabria Conservation t-shirt.

What you get

1 day off per week

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Certificate: Get a certificate of completion after you finish your experience.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Intermediate English or Beginner Italian

Over 18 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

Travel insurance

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

Volunteers will be introduced to the world of sea turtles and will take part in various activities that are routinely conducted by the association, therefore actively contributing to the conservation of the species Caretta caretta - the loggerhead sea turtle.

There is no fix daily schedule as the workload and type of action is subject to changes due to unsuitable weather conditions and/or reports of turtle activities during the day.

Throughout the week volunteers will get an insight into the life of a marine biologist working in this field, but will also experience the wonders of the Costa dei Gelsomini - the stretch of coast where the association is located - : long expanses of beach with little tourism and natural dunes ecosystems that supply important habitat for the avifauna! Amazing snorkelling locations rich in marine flora and fauna, great for all nature lover! During free time you will be able to go for a swim and enjoy the place, or for a hike! So make sure to bring clothing that is appropriate: close shoes, shorts and t-shits for hot weather, hat, suncream, but also a swimsuit.

Activities & Shift

There are multiple activities in which the volunteer will be involved. These will depend on the needs of the association and can vary in frequency throughout the months.

Nesting track monitoring (from the beginning of June until mid-August): monitoring of various stretches of beach in areas that, historically, have a high density of nesting events. These monitoring activities will take place in the early morning or the late afternoon. Monitoring is conducted either on foot, by bike or using drones.

Monitoring and surveillance of nests, until hatching: this is one of the activities that will take up most of the time during the volunteering. Nests will be surveilled daily and, when the time comes for hatching, also throughout the night. Nests will be monitored from the early signs of hatching until the end of the emergence of hatchlings. This is one of the most rewarding experiences: on one side, volunteers will help with explaining and educating the public (don't worry if you don't know Italian, we will help you communicate, and you might even learn a bit of the language!), on the other, they will witness the first moment of life of tiny sea turtles and their run towards the sea!

Public engagement and education: as mentioned, volunteers will interact with the public to explain the aim and effort of the association. These events will take place both during the hatching phase of various nests, but also at the Sea Museum (Museo del Mare) in Brancaleone. During these events, volunteers will assist members of the team.

Throughout their stay, volunteers will live together, making friends and exchanging life experiences. They will also be given information and informal lectures on the area of the coast that they will be working in, on the loggerhead turtles and more!

Rules

As volunteers will share living spaces, they are expected to clean their room, kitchen and common areas before leaving. They will also need to be respectful of other volunteers and towards members of the team, the same goes the other way!
Volunteers will need to pay 100€ of their fee in advance (that are NOT REIMBURSABLE), and the remainder 400€ when they arrive. This is to make sure that your place is secured and you are committed to coming. Volunteers will need to have a sleeping bag to take with them when spending the night monitoring the active nests.