Help the Turtles of Europe

Placement number: 0167
Location:   Greece 
Preferred Languages: English, German or Greek 
Date:  All year but main nesting season is May - October
Minimum Period:  6 weeks

This NGO project is responsible for organising volunteers to conserve the natural habitat and the logger-head turtle breeding grounds on these beautiful Ionian islands.

The project protects and conserves the loggerhead (Carretta-carretta) turtle on Zakynthos, Greece. We monitor nests, tag laying females, take tourist out on our turtle friendly catamaran trips to spot and learn about turtles.

We also ferry injured turtles to a hospital in Glyfada, Athens, but are currently raising funds to build one here, as this is the most important nesting area in the Mediterrean.

During the Winter months, we hope to start the build of the hospital, and clear the forests, beaches and sea bed ready for next year's season.

Bewtween 15th May and 10th September the team carried out a variety of concrete conservation measures aimed at reversing the deterioration of wildlife habitat within the area of Zakynthos designated as a National Marine Park. 

Threats to natural habitats:- 

Forests :- Fires , land development, littering, agricultural land clearing, and grazing, illegal dumping
Coastal:- Pollution, erosion of coast, tourist development, human impact, illegal dumping

Illegal dumping and littering of the beaches is one of the greatest threats to many species and habitats. A prime example of how littering and pollution effect and endanger species is the effect on sea turtles. The main dangers from litter are:-

1/ Ingestion of plastics, leading to scarring,blockage of digestive tracts, causing starvation leading to death

2/ Entanglement in discarded fishing lines, leading to death by drowning or injury

3/ Damage to nesting sites, through obstruction, contamination or compaction caused by use of large mechanical cleaning devises.

Coastal Clean-up Campaign:   Daniel Caute a British conservationist, in the summer of 2000,  created a project called Coastal Clean Up. The project was launched in support of the newly designated National Marine Park of Zakynthos, and aimed to get visitors to the island directly involved in the protection of prime natural habitat and nesting sites. The Project was a great success and with the help of our volunteers around 11 tonnes of waste, mainly plastics were collected from the coastline and forests within some of the most important areas of the Park. Daniel Caute presented slide shows on the impact of discarded waste on natural habitats at Gerakas Information centre. Volunteer support was encoureged through their talks at hotels and holiday apartments. The project proved that with the right guidance tourists can reduce the impact of their stay to a minimum, and helped to promote the need for sustainable tourism Projects.This project will be running similar volunteer projects and green activities throughout the Season.

Role of Volunteer

Over 300 students and young scientists from Greece and other countries participate yearly as volunteers in projects run by the STPS. 

The Sea Turtle Protection Society helps to:

• Monitor 2,500 nests along 75km of coastline on Zakynthos, Peloponnesus and Crete.

• Study the factors affecting nests and incubation.

• Tag turtles to determine migratory and reproductive patterns 

• Protect 1,500 nests against human interference, predation and sea inundation by means of screens and cages or translocation to natural beach hatcheries.

• Raise public awareness through information stations, slide shows at hotels and beach patrols at the nesting areas.

• Treat injured turtles that are brought through a national network, to the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Glyfada(Athen
  

Cost

There is a £24.00 annual membership fee to join this organisation.  They will then organise your volunteer stay.  Once you have been accepted there is then a 150 euro fee to pay up-front. (75 euro if before 15 May or after 20 September). Food  is extra.

Travel

Airport pick-up can be arranged

Volunteer Stories

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