Unique moments and strong images are those that accompany the life of an active volunteer, on any level and way. The purpose of each volunteer is different but the result is the same, the will to offer.

From the first day of its foundation, ARCHELON welcomes volunteers from all over the world. People of every age, with variety of interests, different nationalities and habits. The volunteers are those who compose the character, the nature of ARCHELON over thirty-four years now and they are the motivating force of its actions and its deeds. Besides, a milestone on ARCHELON’s work was the moment the “Ambassadors” program was established. Ambassadors, are the volunteers that represent the Society and share their experiences with their community. They motivate, inspire and speak about the benefits of volunteering all over the world!!

2016 was a very strong year, because the number of the volunteers that participated in ARCHELON’s programs had increased. In total, more than 824 volunteers offered more than 20.000 days of volunteering, in order to protect the sea turtles and their nests. They helped 260.000 hatchlings reach the sea with safety. From those volunteers 207 were French, 154 British, 135 Greeks, 104 Belgians, 52 Germans, 27 Irish, 21 Americans etc.

A very important increase of interns was observed during the summer of 2016 (88 students) from 38 universities of Greece and other countries also.

Like every other year, ARCHELON started accepting volunteer applications for the 2017 nesting season, since October 2016 and continues to.

Every year, volunteers support ARCHELON, so it can run the programs for the protection of the sea turtles. The field programs have already started since May 7th and they will continue until October 15th 2017. Since the beginning of the year, the process to recruit volunteers for this year’s programs is of crucial importance, because only if the necessary number of participants is achieved, the field projects will be able to run properly and therefore the effective protection of the sea turtles on the nesting beaches may be guaranteed.

We hope that his year, ARCHELON will overcome the expectations of every previous year, and the goal that has been set for this season will be achieved.

Information / Applications: Chara Papailiou, Volunteers Officer – tel.: +30 6937 352 382, email: volunteers@archelon.gr (translation: Ourania Theodorakakou)