Travel Tree

Country: GREECE

Turtle conservation on the Greek island of Zakynth
REQUEST MORE INFORMATION »»

Global Vision International
3 High Street
St Albans
Herts
UNITED KINGDOM
AL3 4ED
Phone: 01727 250 250
www.gvi.co.uk

Program description:

Volunteering and work with turtles on the beautiful Ionian island of Zakynthos in Greece. Up to 80% of Mediterranean Loggerhead turtles nest here, but they are under threat from the tourist industry. Join this GVI project and help the Sea Turtle & Wildlife Information Center to demonstrate how turtle conservation and tourism can exist in a mutually beneficial manner. As a volunteer you will work with the National Marine Park to protect a small corner of this island from over-development. You will patrol beaches, educate tourists, save injured animals, and conduct beach and forest cleans. In your spare time, enjoy the gorgeous island of Zakynthos, a haven for flowers and wildlife, with many endemic and migrating birds. It is also home to the rare Monk Seal and around 6000 species of flowers; making it a perfect, peaceful location in which to do voluntary work.

*How this program makes a difference*

The idyllic island of Zakynthos has attracted numerous package tourists and is struggling to cope with a huge summer influx of vacationers and the waste, traffic, noise, litter and pollution they bring with them. The tourist industry provides an extremely lucrative way of life for the locals, but its exploitation is to the detriment of wildlife and the countryside. 80% of the Mediterranean leatherback sea turtles come to nest on Zakynthos’ beaches, and mass tourism is slowly taking over these beaches, preventing the species from nesting and therefore creating a large decline in numbers. Ecotourism is the best way to encourage locals and tourists alike to change their attitudes and habits. Promoting tourism year round, educating the local children and forcing the Greek government to face up to these important issues will help halt this rapid decline, saving not only the sea turtles but other flora and fauna as well.

General program information:

Program open to: Everyone
Travel to site: Independent Travel
How long does the program last?: 1-3 Months
What are the dates of this program: Visit our website for upcoming start dates.

Benefits and advantages of the program:

Highlights:

  •     Watch turtles lay their eggs and babies hatch

  •     Gain experience combining tourism and conservation

  •     Work with the Marine Park and other NGO’s

  •     See rare birds and the endangered Monk Seals

  •     Experiencing Greek culture first hand

  •     Live on a picturesque island

  •     Help preserve endangered turtles



  • Cost or price of this program:

    From £850 for 2 weeks

    Other Adventure Programs listings from Global Vision International


    mahe and surrounding islands, seychelles

    Marine Conservation in the Seychelles





    edeni game reserve, south africa

    Wildlife Research Expedition in South Africa





    antigua, guatemala

    Volunteer work with Indigenous Maya in Guatemala





    yucatan peninsular, mexico

    Mexican Marine Conservation Expedition





    amazon rainforest, ecuador

    Amazon Wildlife research & Community Expedition





    madagascar

    Conservation in Madagascar





    panama

    Turtle Conservation in Panama





    ecuador

    Community Projects In Ecuador





    sumatra, indonesia

    Work with Orangutans in Sumatra





    south africa

    Work at a Vervet Monkey sanctuary in South Africa





    brazil

    Humpback Whale Conservation in Brazil





    brazil

    River Dolphin Conservation in the Brazilian Amazon





    united states

    Outdoor Survival Training in Utah, USA





    south africa

    4 week Safari Field Guide Course in South Africa





    south africa

    1 year professional safari field guide training





    tulum, mexico

    Scuba Beginner Marine Conservation in Mexico





    tortugero, costa rica

    Rainforest and Wildlife Expedition in Costa Rica





    various throughout belize, belize

    Volunteer conservation work in Belize





    sri lanka

    Elephant Research in Sri Lanka





    patagonia, argentina, chile, patagonia

    Research and Exploration in Patagonia





    shimoni, kenya, kenya

    Wildlife Research & Community work in Kenya





    guatemala

    Mayan Explorer





    thailand

    Volunteer work with Gibbons in Thailand





    united states

    Volunteer at an animal sanctuary in Florida, USA





    honduras

    Construction projects in Honduras





    ecuador, peru

    South American Explorer





    south africa

    Southern African Explorer





    belize, guatemala, honduras, mexico

    Marine Conservation and Diving Expedition in Mexic





    tasiriki village on moso island, vanuatu

    Volunteer With Turtles In Vanuatu





    antigua, guatemala

    Short-term community construction in Guatemala





    nicaragua

    Volunteer teaching children in Nicaragua





    uganda

    Volunteer with Rhinos in Uganda





    barberton,, mozambique, south africa, swaziland

    Volunteer, Travel and Teach in Southern Africa





    ecuador, peru

    Teach and Travel in South America





    antigua, guatemala

    Family Volunteering in Guatemala





    copan ruinas, honduras

    Family Volunteering in Honduras





    rwanda

    Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International volunteer





    cameroon

    Cross River Gorilla Surveys in South West Cameroon





    madagascar

    Volunteer with Lemurs in Madagascar





    ghana

    Volunteer in Ghana.





    mozambique, south africa

    Teach and Travel in Southern Africa for 12 Weeks





    mozambique, south africa, swaziland

    Travel in Swaziland, South Africa & Mozambique





    guatemala

    Volunteer Work in Guatemala





    guatemala

    Short-term English teaching workshops in Guatemala





    cozumel island, mexico

    Scuba Diving Training Courses from all levels





    state forest, australia

    Volunteer with Koalas Down Under





    varied, india, nepal, thailand

    Asian Explorer





    ligurian sea cetacean , italy

    Whale & dolphin research in the Ligurian Sea, Ital





    nepal

    Volunteer and Adventure in Nepal





    ghana

    Volunteer with turtles in Ghana





    borneo, malaysia

    Conservation projects in Borneo





    india

    Volunteer Work with Tribal Communities in India





    turkey

    Volunteer on Mediterranean Monk Seal conservation





    united kingdom

    Survival Courses in the UK





    argentina

    Patagonia Snow School and Volcano Summit Attempt





    chile

    Patagonian Mountain Skills Course





    chile

    42-Day Mountaineering Course in Patagonia





    nepal

    Family Volunteer Travel in Nepal





    guatemala

    Volunteer at English teaching workshops Guatemala





    guatemala

    Family Volunteering on a community construction





    honduras

    Family Volunteering construction project Honduras





    sri lanka

    Family Volunteering on an Elephant in Sri Lanka



    Back   New Search   Send to a friend