Volunteer in Greece

Help turtles on your vacation in Greece

Want to have a good time doing good on your vacation? The Katelios Group for the Research and Protection of Marine and Terrestrial Life on the Ionian island of Kefalonia is looking to fill their Summer volunteer slots.

Volunteers will receive training and will work directly with the endangered Caretta caretta sea turtles.

Less well known than Archelon, the main national turtle assistance and protection organization in Greece, Katelios offers similar opportunities for volunteers. They also work in conjunction with Archelon on some projects.

Manuel Coleman, the Coordinator for Katelios, described what is expected for volunteers. "Our main activity is the conservation of the sea turtle Caretta caretta nesting population of the island. We also focus on envinronmental education to local people and tourists. In 2004 we had over 30 turtle nests just on the main nesting beach of the island, Mounda. Our field work relies a great deal on volunteering. We need seasonal volunteers; we can have up to 40 of them for a season. They are mostly international. I was one of them some years ago, and it was such a great experience that I had to go back and work there!"

Katelios is European Volunteer Service (EVS) approved, and many volunteers work for six month stints under their auspices. But many shorter-term volunteer openings are available.

You can see a step-by-step photo gallery of turtle rescue here.

More information and photos are available at their website: Katelios Group
Email: volunteer@kateliosgroup.org

Katelios
28082 Kefalonia
Greece
Tel. +30 26710 81009
Fax +30 26710 81009
E-mail: info@kateliosgroup.org
volunteer@kateliosgroup.org

The group has also issued a list of guidelines for tourists who want to be sure their visit to Greece is turtle-friendly: Decalogue for Tourists - 10 Things You Can Do to Help Turtles

Ever thought about the down side of building a sandcastle? Apparently, those sand walls and turrets really are fortresses to baby turtles trying to make it to the ocean. If you can't resist making your mark on the sand, enjoy knocking it down before you leave and be happy that you've contributed to making the beach a safer place again for baby turtles.

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