- day and
night beach tours to observe sea turtles
- collect
eggs from the beach and prepare nests in the hatchery
- documentation
and data collection for research
- beach
clean-ups, tree planting and gardening, maintenance of facilities
- activities
with the local community, environmental education
There are a
variety of tasks and work areas in which you can get involved. This means you
can pursue your personal interests wonderfully, and you will also learn a lot
of new things. First and foremost, of course, it is about protecting the
turtles. Sea turtles almost always nest and hatch at night. That is why the
volunteers go on tours of the beaches during the day and at night. Here, a lot
of observation and documentation takes place. Turtle eggs are then moved to the
hatchery, which the organization lovingly calls the "kindergarten".
Please keep in mind that during the beach patrols, you will walk several
kilometers every day. From now on, the eggs are cared for and monitored day and
night. Changes and progress are documented in detail to support research.
Working in the "kindergarten" is exciting, and you will learn a lot
of new things. This also includes the maintenance, cleaning and upkeep of the
hatchery.
The working
hours are approximately 6 hours per day, 6 days per week. Sunday is free for
all volunteers. On some days, you will work exclusively at night for about 3 –
4 hours. The working hours may vary depending on the tasks and the weather.
There are activities that are done in the morning and activities that are done
in the evening/night, such as searching for turtle nests. During lunchtime, the
volunteers are usually free and can relax.
The
highlight of your work is the release of the baby animals into the sea - a
unique moment that you will never forget. At sunset, the baby turtles that
hatched during the day are released into the sea. They take their first steps
across the sand and swim into the waves. Your job is to give the turtles a safe
path to their natural habitat. You make sure that the birds circling above you
do not pose a danger to the babies.
In addition
to the rescue work of the turtles, environmental protection campaigns and
educational events are also planned and implemented in the surrounding
communities. This is where your creativity and organizational skills are
needed. You can visit the local schools and report on your work in the
organization. There can also be some cool campaigns. For example, trees are
planted in the area, joint beach clean-ups are organized, and everyone works
together to maintain and expand the rescue center.
