ARCHELON

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Since 1983, the primary objective of ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece has been to protect the sea turtles and their habitats in Greece through monitoring and research, developing and implementing management plans, habitat restoration, raising public awareness and rehabilitating sick and injured turtles.

ARCHELON works closely with state agencies, the local authorities, institutions, other NGOs, fishermen and local inhabitants in order to mitigate and reverse population reduction of sea turtles. Priority is given to the elaboration and implementation of integrated management plans in the major loggerhead nesting areas in Greece (Zakynthos, Peloponnese and Crete). Furthermore, since 1994 ARCHELON operates the Sea Turtle Rescue Center which is the “hospital” for injured sea turtles. Below you can also find information about the unique Amvrakikos Bay project.

Programmes:
Volunteer Opportunities in ARCHELON in:
• Zakynthos, Peloponnese, Crete (May - October)
If you choose to take part in a summer project please note that you will be asked to take part in the following three main activities described below:
a. Nest management and habitat protection
The nesting season commences at the end of May and lasts until August. The hatchlings emerge at the end of July through to the end of October. During this period, the work of ARCHELON aims at the protection of nesting females, nests and hatchlings and involves morning surveys, night surveys, nest protection against human activities and predation, excavation of a sample of nests is carried out in order to determine hatching success.
The above mentioned tasks vary regarding the needs of each nesting beach.

b. Public awareness
An intensive Public Awareness Programme is carried out on all nesting sites aiming to inform the local communities and visitors about sea turtles and the dangers they face. Volunteers must be prepared to interact long hours with tourists, through participation in information stations, making slide shows, beach patrols, and/or Safeguarding of the beaches at night in order to minimise the impact of tourism on the nesting activity and inform beach users.

c. Maintenance and day-to-day duties
Basic maintenance of equipment is also volunteer based and includes activities such as painting and carpentry etc. Artistic skills including drawing and photography can also be quite useful.
Finally, each individual shares responsibilities on mutual well being related to communal life with people originating from several countries and the overall proper operation of campsites.

• AMVRAKIKOS BAY PROJECT (mid June to mid August)
Amvrakikos Bay is located in the Northwest part of Greece and it is a very significant feeding area for sea turtles. Since 2002, ARCHELON has been operating a telemetry programme (monitoring sea turtles with satellite transmitters) which was developed in 2004 through a unique sea turtle census programme involving the caption of sea turtles in shallow waters of the Bay.
The volunteers-researchers sail in an inflatable boat and try to capture the turtles using the “rodeo” technique (jumping out of the boat while in movement and onto the turtle). Then the turtles are being conveyed into the boat where scientific data is collected (marking, measurements, samples, GPS, etc) and around 15 minutes later are set free again.
Amvrakikos Bay project gives the opportunity to experience very close contact with the sea turtles and will be taking place during the summer.
For more information about the dates please contact directly the Volunteers Officer in volunteers@archelon.gr.
The project demands great physical condition so the volunteers should be ideally in well health and fit. It would be much appreciated if the volunteers acquire a driving license and are familiar with driving inflatable boat with outboard engine.

• SEA TURTLE RESCUE CENTRE (All year round)
Many sea turtles are annually reported stranded throughout Greece, usually caught in fishing gear or injured by speedboats and fishermen. The ones that are still alive have a good chance to survive if immediate and proper treatment is provided. As a consequence, ARCHELON established in 1994 its Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Athens with the objectives to treat and rehabilitate injured, sick or weak sea turtles, to raise public awareness, especially amongst schoolchildren and fishermen and to operate a Sea Turtle Rescue Network throughout Greece

Interested volunteers must be prepared to do physically demanding work for long hours.

Theoni Karkoulia is a Volunteers Officer & E.V.S project Coordinator at ARCHELON.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.