Tom Scott, the first volunteer of the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre comes back for a visit!
On October 25th 2022, Tom Scott, the first foreign volunteer to join the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre back in 1995, returned to visit with his family. It was a perfect opportunity to interview him and find out how it all happened.
“I had finished my marine biology studies in 1995 and at the time, I thought the best way to get a job in the field was to become a volunteer. I found out about ARCHELON and the Rescue Centre, which was founded in 1994 and, on a spring day in 1995, I arrived in Greece ready to start my three-month volunteering work,” he says.
When his volunteer period came to an end, Tom discussed with Dimitris Margaritoulis, the founder of ARCHELON, who was at the time also a member of the Board of Directors, about staying on to work at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre as a paid employee.
“So, I stayed for almost three years and became responsible for the care of the sea turtles. Things were starting to change. The first wagon was used for environmental education, where we were accepting two schools per week and the other wagon was used as an office, workshop, and sleeping area. We soon installed the outside tanks and a pump to bring in clean sea water; we were all so excited about these changes. I remember the maximum number of injured sea turtles that we had was eight, and we were so stressed about managing everything. I see now that you have 22 animals, but you are so cool about it,” he said amused.
“It’s very touching to see all the changes. Public awareness is now done in such a professional way. You have hundreds of school children visiting every week and you have helped to create a new generation that knows and cares about the conservation of sea turtles,” he adds.
After leaving the Rescue Centre, Tom worked as a field leader on ARCHELON’s nesting beach projects on Crete for four seasons. To the question of why he chose to work for ARCHELON for almost seven years, Tom replied: “It was about wanting to do something useful with my life. It makes you feel nice when you go to bed at night thinking to yourself that you have contributed something to the world! It was hot, and it was hard, but it was worth it. The main motivation is the same with the volunteers that come here today. It is amazing that young people continue to want to save the world and it is what brings people to ARCHELON and connects us,” he explained.
2023 will mark the 40th anniversary of ARCHELON- the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece and we are looking forward to organizing some kind of Homecoming event for the thousands of people who have volunteered over the years for sea turtle conservation in Greece. More to be announced soon.
You can find out more about the history of ARCHELON here.
The Conference in Morocco through the eyes of Anna Margaritouli
Greece will host the next Mediterranean Conference on Marine Turtles
RECENT NEWS
- 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
- OUR NEWS03/04/2024
Citizens inform us of sea turtle strandings
ARCHELON started the effort to record the incidents of dead turtles washing up on the Greek shores in 1992. In recent years there has been an increase in these records which may be due to more of our fellow citizens reporting such incidents. Learn more…