Volunteering in ARCHELON
With your help, we record and protect sea turtles, their nests and hatchlings on the nesting beaches, as well as treat injured or sick turtles at the Rescue Centre. We also take visitors to educational Beach Walks and Sea Turtle Rescue Tours, we inform people and raise public awareness about ocean conservation and carry out fundraising activities.
Why Volunteer with us?
- Conservation Impact: Contribute directly to the protection of sea turtles and their habitats. Volunteers play a crucial role in monitoring nesting beaches, ensuring the survival of nests and hatchlings, monitoring sea turtle populations, rescuing and taking care of injured turtles.
- Cultural Experience: Experience the beauty of Greece while being a part of an international team. Volunteering allows you to connect with nature, share aims and values with team members and engage with the public for educational purposes.
- Skill Development: Challenge yourself and enhance personal and professional development. Volunteering offers a variety of practical skills in Research and Data Collection, Animal Care, Communication and Public Engagement, Personal Development and Network Opportunities.
Volunteer roles available
- Full-time Volunteers for field projects: Contribute to monitoring / protecting nests & public awareness activities at the nesting sites, population monitoring at feeding grounds. Read further below about the specific requirements & information for field projects - apply online.
- Field Leaders for field projects: Lead teams in monitoring nests / turtle populations, conducting public awareness activities and camp site organisation. Learn more about their tasks and application procedure.
- Full-time Volunteers at the Rescue Centre: Contribute to taking care of injured turtles and inform visitors at the Rescue Centre. Learn more about their tasks - apply online.
- Rehabilitation Assistants: Help care for injured or sick turtles at the Rescue Centre, organizing schedules and supervising other volunteers. Learn more about their tasks and application procedure.
- Internships & Research: Students from Universities, Colleges and other educational establishments can apply for internships or Erasmus+ placements in all projects. Learn more about this.
- Part-Time Volunteers: Local residents can engage in all ongoing projects, assisting with beach surveys, rescue operations and educational outreach. Learn more about their tasks and application procedure.
- Ambassadors: Past volunteers or other interested people can join the ARCHELON Ambassador program to further promote sea turtle conservation and engage their communities. Learn more about this opportunity and the procedure to apply.
Requirements
- Minimum age of18 years.
- Very good communication skills in English, which is the official language used in all projects.
- Commitment to a minimum duration (4 weeks for field projects, 5 weeks for the Rescue Centre, or other).
- Personal health insurance coverage.
Specific requirements for Field Projects:
- A passion for nature conservation, nature observation and communication with people.
- Ready to share a communal life, to work as team members and perform duties in both highly populated and secluded areas.
- Able to live and work with people of different mindsets and backgrounds.
- Very good health condition and physical shape for carrying out tasks in hot weather and walk long distance or up/downhill.
- Bring your own camping gear (e.g. sleeping bag, tent, torch, alarm clock, etc) for the nesting beach projects.
Tips for your participation
- Familiarize yourself with the available projects, their descriptions, locations, dates and volunteer participation fees, before starting your application.
- Decide on the duration of your participation taking into account that the recommended stay in the nesting beach projects is 6 weeks. This period allows you to witness the full life cycle of sea turtles, bring your skills to blossom and integrate fully with the project team.
- No previous experience is needed. Volunteers are trained and supervised by Field Leaders and experienced Project Managers.
- Volunteers are selected on an individual basis. As a rule, up to three friends can be accepted at the same period of time and the same project at maximum.
- Participation fees cover accommodation, training and administration costs, insurance costs in the event of an accident (up to a limit) as well as a subscription to ARCHELON for the current year.
- A corresponding certificate can be provided upon request, after the completion of participation.
- Greek-speaking volunteers are especially valuable for public awareness activities.
- Having a valid driver’s license contributes greatly to the project operations.
- Returning volunteers enhance team performance with their experience.
- People with previous volunteer experience can apply to become Field leaders or return to the projects for a shorter stay as experienced volunteers.
- Time off for volunteers is arranged in half or full days off and is granted according to the needs of the project. The general rule is one day off for approximately every ten days of participation. Days off cannot be taken in a row.
- A privacy policy is applied with regards to participation.
- Specific policies regarding cancellations and date changes are applied.
- Consult the Frequently asked questions section on the website.
Ηow to apply
- Submit your online application: Complete the application form on the ARCHELON website. We will respond to your request within five business days.
- Receive your acceptance letter: If accepted, you will receive a letter with instructions for submitting a medical certificate, a passport-sized photograph, proof of paid contribution and two signed entry forms.
- Complete the enrollment process: Pay the participation fee and submit the required documents within 30 days.
- Receive confirmation: ARCHELON will send you a confirmation email.
- Notify ARCHELON of your arrival: Send your arrival details via email at least five working days before your expected arrival date.
