Experience Mediterranean life while volunteering to protect the vulnerable loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings along Greece's beaches.
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum two-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Saturday: Arrive at Athens International Airport (ATH). You will be picked up by the local team and taken to settle in to the accommodations in Giannitsochori. Settle in and meet your fellow volunteers before your welcome presentation.
Day 1, Sunday: Volunteers have this day free to relax or explore the area.
Days 2-6, Monday-Friday: Volunteer work is organized on a rotating schedule of 3-4 hour shifts, with evenings and weekends off to spend how you wish. Specific tasks vary by season. In May and June the work focuses on identifying new nests, and protecting them from any environmental hazards. July through August is hatching season. Tasks involve monitoring and recording the hatchlings from each nest. The focus in September is on nest excavations to study the success rate of each nest.
Days 7-8, Saturday-Sunday: Weekends are free for relaxation or exploration.
Remaining Weeks: The remaining weeks will follow a similar schedule of volunteering Monday-Friday and having Saturday-Sunday mostly free. Departure is on Saturday.
Please note: It is important to remember that nature is unpredictable, and no matter what month you go, there are no guaranteed turtle sightings. Regardless, your work during any of the months will still be contributing to the safety of the turtles when they do hatch and the success of hatching season.
Check out what our past volunteers had to say!
Program Highlights:
- Experience the stunning, Mediterranean mainland of Greece
- Work hands-on for sea turtle conservation
- Ethical wildlife volunteer tasks and interactions
- Join one of the longest-running conservation projects in the Mediterranean
- Visit Greece’s ancient sites during free time
- Suitable for families with children aged 14 and over
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum two-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Saturday: Arrive at Athens International Airport (ATH). You will be picked up by the local team and taken to settle in to the accommodations in Giannitsochori. Settle in and meet your fellow volunteers before your welcome presentation.
Day 1, Sunday: Volunteers have this day free to relax or explore the area.
Days 2-6, Monday-Friday: Volunteer work is organized on a rotating schedule of 3-4 hour shifts, with evenings and weekends off to spend how you wish. Specific tasks vary by season. In May and June the work focuses on identifying new nests, and protecting them from any environmental hazards. July through August is hatching season. Tasks involve monitoring and recording the hatchlings from each nest. The focus in September is on nest excavations to study the success rate of each nest.
Days 7-8, Saturday-Sunday: Weekends are free for relaxation or exploration.
Remaining Weeks: The remaining weeks will follow a similar schedule of volunteering Monday-Friday and having Saturday-Sunday mostly free. Departure is on Saturday.
Please note: It is important to remember that nature is unpredictable, and no matter what month you go, there are no guaranteed turtle sightings. Regardless, your work during any of the months will still be contributing to the safety of the turtles when they do hatch and the success of hatching season.
Check out what our past volunteers had to say!
Location of the Project:
Giannitsochori, Greece
Project length:
2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 weeks
Arrival Airport:
Athens International Airport (ATH)
Volunteer Work:
Sea turtle conservation, beach monitoring, community education
Age:
18 - 65
Number of Volunteers:
Up to 18 international volunteers
Important Note:
Family Option: this project accepts families with children as young as 14 years old.
What's Included
Accommodations:
Shared tents in a campsite
Food:
All food provided for volunteers
Airport Transfers:
Airport transfers are provided on both arrival and departure days.
Support:
Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.
What's not Included
Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, personal expenses, transportation to the project
Come experience the beautiful Mediterranean country of Greece. Explore the deep history of the land which founded democracy, Western philosophy, Western literature, political science, the Olympic Games, and major mathematical and scientific principles. Greece's ancient history has earned it 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all waiting to be explored.
Your specific duties as a volunteer will vary from month to month throughout the season.
May/June: The work focuses on identifying new nests, and protecting them from any environmental hazards. Specifically, your work may include:
Volunteer work is organized on a rotating schedule of 3-4 hour shifts, with evenings and weekends off to spend how you wish.
Please note: it is important to remember that nature is unpredictable, and no matter what month you go, there are no guaranteed turtle sightings. Regardless, your work during any of the months will still be contributing to the safety of the turtles when they do hatch and the success of hatching season.
May/June: The work focuses on identifying new nests, and protecting them from any environmental hazards. Specifically, your work may include:
- Early morning beach walks to identify any overnight nesting
- Marking new nests
- Moving nests if they lie below the high tide line
- Building a protective barrier around the nests
- Building a runway for turtles to follow to the water so they don't get lost when they hatch
- Early morning beach surveys to monitor which nests hatched
- Counting number of hatchlings (by counting tracks in the sand leading from the nest down to the water)
- Nest excavations to determine the success rate of the nest
- Nest excavations continue through the end of hatching season
- Taking down protective bamboo barriers
Volunteer work is organized on a rotating schedule of 3-4 hour shifts, with evenings and weekends off to spend how you wish.
Please note: it is important to remember that nature is unpredictable, and no matter what month you go, there are no guaranteed turtle sightings. Regardless, your work during any of the months will still be contributing to the safety of the turtles when they do hatch and the success of hatching season.
Internet:
WiFi is available intermittently at the campsite. We recommend purchasing a local SIM card.
Laundry:
Washing machine and dryer available for small fee. a hand-washing station is available.
Accommodations:
Volunteers will be sleeping on mats in shared, two-person same gender tents at a designated area of a public campsite. There are shared bathrooms with running hot and cold water, including flush toilets and showers. There are electricity supply boxes available on the campsite, but not in each individual tent. Valuables can be stored and locked in the campsite office. (Please be sure to bring your own camping mattress or air mattress along).
Food:
Ingredients for breakfast, lunch & dinner are provided, and volunteers will
take turns to cook for the group
Please take note of the project's minimum requirements:
- Ability to work in a team
- Good physical fitness - can be walking up to 5 km at a time
- Ability to work at early hours of the morning
- Good level of English
- Flexible attitude
- Travel and medical insurance
- Police clearance
Volunteer Experiences
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