- Ideal for those looking for an ecotourism or voluntourism experience.
- You'll see Greece in an entirely different way, as a team member.
- Come home feeling good and good about yourself.
- You're there to work, albeit in a beautiful and fascinating environment.
- Accommodations are far from deluxe.
- Tends to be based in or around a single location
- It's hard to beat the "What I did on my Summer Vacation" story this trip will provide - Adventure! Altruism! Greece!
- Earthwatch has a high repeat-client ratio, with some people completing a dozen trips or more.
- Some of your airfare may be deductible as a volunteer expense - check with Earthwatch and your tax professional.
- Earthwatch provides "Expedition Funds" where you (or family and friends) can put money for your trip over a period of time.
- They cover emergency medical evacuation insurance, but trip cancellation insurance is your responsibility.
Most of these opportunities are for a week or two, and cost about the same as any specialty trip to Greece. The difference is that a portion of your fee goes to support the local Greek program.
No experience is necessary, any training is provided, and some trips (though not the 2008 Greek one below) are open to teens.
My advice? If this is your first trip to Greece, spend at least another week in Greece exploring on your own or as part of a "regular" tour. Then make an Earthwatch experience the second half of your trip.
Earthwatch in Greece
In 2008, the only Greek Earthwatch trip is "Dolphins of Greece", a research project watching thebottlnose dolphins of the Ionian Sea. This is operated by marine biologists Dr. Giovanni Bearzi and Joan Gonzalvo Villegas. Information from their study will hopefully impact environmental decisions and policies in Greece.The base is in Vonitsa at the Amvrakikos Gulf on the Western Coast of Greece, and they offer week-long opportunities from May through September. Volunteers will spend some of their time on the small research vessel following the dolphins, but there are other tasks done back on land.
The fee ("Minimum Contribution") is US 2550. This fee excludes airfare and meals but includes lodging in a shared apartment.
More information: Dolphins of Greece
Earthwatch Institute International
3 Clock Tower Place
Suite 100, Box 75
Maynard, MA 01784-0075
Fairfax, VA 22030 USA
Phone : (978) 461-0081
Toll free : (800) 776-0188
Fax : (978) 461-2332
Website: http://earthwatch.org
E-mail : info@earthwatch.org
Book Athens Hotels online
Compare airfares to Greece here: Find Greek Airfares
