This year’s measures against COVID-19 in the ARCHELON projects - May 2021
Government announcements have just been made about the conditions of entry and stay in Greece, which will take effect from May 15, 2021. ARCHELON informs that the protection measures for COVID -19 concerning the participation in this year's projects on the nesting beaches and the Rescue Center will remain the same for everyone, regardless of their country of origin and whether or not they have been vaccinated. These are the following:
Everyone arriving at the ARCHELON camps or the Rescue Center, either from abroad or from Greece, must present a negative result in a molecular detection test of COVID-19, done within 72 hours before their arrival. The test results must be forwarded by e-mail to the Volunteer Officer, before the volunteer arrives. No one will be able to participate in the projects if the above are not observed.
Once the volunteers arrive at the camp or Rescue Center, they should remain in self-isolation for 7 days, using the designated areas carefully. Other team members will take care of their supplies, food, etc.
In the camps of ARCHELON and in the Rescue Center it is obligatory to apply social distancing and disinfection of spaces and hands and the use of a face mask as required by the public health measures in effect.
If, unluckily, the pre-arrival COVID-19 test comes out positive, the volunteer should contact the Volunteer Officer so that their participation can be rescheduled or canceled.
Although those who have a vaccination certificate are not expected to get sick themselves, it is known that they can be carriers of the virus and pass it on to others. The 7-day quarantine, upon arrival in the project, is an essential precautionary measure for the teams that live together and do field work or care work together.
Volunteers come to sea turtle nesting beaches to record and protect the nests from May until mid-October. "If even one person in each team gets sick, with or without symptoms, we will put the success of the project at risk. The recording and protection of the nests is not like tourism or any professional activity that can simply be postponed for later”, says Daphne Mavrogiorgos, Director of ARCHELON.
In 2020, ARCHELON managed to keep COVID-19 away from the projects and strives to achieve the same in 2021. "For this reason, we will not be accepting short-term participations from groups, new local volunteers and new families on the nesting beaches this year," says Chara. The participation of volunteers from Greece in these international projects is set to 3 weeks or more and it is expected to come strong for July and August.
"We are ready to deal with any new situation created by the pandemic," Daphne said. "And this is because it is really worthwhile to record the nests and take care of the turtles for another year. It will be hopefully a great summer for everyone and for the turtles. "
See the measures against COVID-19 HERE.
Download the program brochure HERE.
More information on becoming a volunteer HERE.
Sea turtles are not pets – please do not touch or feed them
A sad record: over 700 dead sea turtles in 2020
RECENT NEWS
- OUR NEWS15/07/2024
Ecotourism in Peloponnese and Crete: Explore a Loggerhead sea turtle nesting beach
ARCHELON offers a unique ecological experience for the lucky and aware travelers who will find themselves this summer on important Loggerhead sea turtle nesting beaches that the Association protects.
- OUR NEWS26/06/2024
Sea Turtles Surprise us: if you see tracks on the beach, help ARCHELON's research!
Not all beaches on Greece's extensive coastline are suitable for sea turtle nesting, but sometimes these marine reptiles surprise us! This summer, ARCHELON is asking for your help to investigate a phenomenon called "sporadic nesting".
- OUR NEWS17/06/2024
ATTENTION! Sea turtles are not pets: Do not touch them or feed them!
In areas where a sea turtle associates human presence with food, it’s behavior changes. The turtle treats humans as well as other turtles as competitors in its feeding grounds and tries to drive them away with bites.
- OUR NEWS16/06/2024
30 Years of Hope: The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre of ARCHELON Celebrates World Sea Turtle Day
Every year on June 16th, we celebrate World Sea Turtle Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about these magnificent creatures and the threats they face. This year is particularly important for ARCHELON, as the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre marks 30 years of operation.
- OUR NEWS13/06/2024
Poster contest for children and young adults: Welcome the 2024 turtle hatchlings on the beaches!
Watercolors, markers, collage, computer, phone? Everything is useful. Use your creativity and imagination to make an A3 or A4 size poster announcing that the 2024 sea turtle eggs are about to hatch.
- OUR NEWS17/05/2024
Amvrakikos Project 2024: Special Call for a Field Leader
ARCHELON is looking for a highly motivated person to lead its project in Amvrakikos Gulf, one of the few foraging sites for loggerhead turtles in Greece linking several populations nesting across the Mediterranean region.
- OUR NEWS16/05/2024
Τhe nesting of loggerhead sea turtles started earlier this year and the effects of the climate crisis on the oceans are worrying
For the first time, in the 40 years of ARCHELON records, the first sea turtle nest was found in Laganas Gulf, Zakythos on May 10th. Scientific predictions of the nesting season moving earlier in the spring due to climate change are being confirmed.
- OUR NEWS14/05/2024
Save Turtles, See Greece on a Budget
Dreaming of pristine Greek beaches and a chance to make a real difference? Here's why June and September are the perfect months to volunteer with sea turtle conservation efforts in Greece!
- OUR NEWS02/05/2024
Sea Turtle Festival for Kids 2024
Save the date! On Saturday 18 May at 11:00, the ARCHELON Rescue Centre opens its doors to welcome young and old sea turtle friends who want to celebrate, explore, learn, play and travel magically in the Mediterranean Sea. We are waiting for you to strengthen our message for a better and sustainable planet!
- OUR NEWS02/05/2024
A successful year for the International Sea Turtle Symposium
The International Sea Turtle Symposium concluded triumphantly this March in Pattaya, Thailand, with ARCHELON actively participating.
- OUR NEWS29/04/2024
A Morning Beach Patrol with ARCHELON
The camera lens of Stefanos and Maria of SteMajourneys caught a rare sight in the early morning: a Loggerhead sea turtle nesting! The volunteers in Chania took action right away to protect the nest.
- OUR NEWS26/04/2024
Protecting sea turtles in Rethymno- Our Ocean, an Ocean of Potential
The 9th International Conference "Our Ocean", which was held in Athens from April 15 to 17, was successfully completed. ARCHELON had the honor to actively take part in the conference and hosted a side event.
- OUR NEWS12/04/2024
Coordination for the protection of sea turtles in Rethymno: Local authorities and tourism businesses join forces
The meeting, which took place on April 5, 2024, in the building of the Regional Unit of Rethymno, touched upon key issues, such as the observance of conservation measures for the protection of the Loggerhead sea turtle. Given the tourist activity on the nesting beaches, the active participation of the tourism sector in the implementation of the measures is necessary.
- OUR NEWS10/04/2024
"Tourists and turtles?" The environmental awareness campaign of ARCHELON spreads to the nesting beaches of the Loggerhead sea turtle
After the pandemic, ARCHELON - the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece - is once again mobilizing on the path to sustainable tourism. The aim of the new campaign is to provide information on the appropriate code of conduct for visitors to all nesting beaches, in cooperation with the tourism sector.
- OUR NEWS04/04/2024
LIFE MareNatura - The largest marine biodiversity program in Greece