We’re raising £3000 to volunteer with the Wildlife Sense organisation in Kefalonia, Greece with Essex Abroad.
We will be helping by finding and protecting sea turtle nests, conducting nest inventory and protecting the hatchlings from light pollution.
The Volunteers
Hello! I'm Eden Plummer, a 3rd year student. I study Biological Sciences with an emphasis on Ecology. I love the Harry Potter series and dancing.
My name is Jackson, I’m a 2nd year studying Computer Science
& Electronics. I like hiking and sushi.
Hey! I’m Sophia, a 3rd year student studying Law. I like dogs and travelling.
What Is Wildlife Sense Kefalonia?
Wildlife Sense in Kefalonia, Greece is a research and conservation organisation. Its mission is to protect endangered loggerhead sea turtles and their natural costal habitats, which are critical for their reproductive success and their year-round foraging and migrations, and to promote public awareness.
Essex Abroad has given us the opportunity to volunteer for 2 weeks with the team.
Why you should support Wildlife Sense
Loggerhead turtles increase the rate of recycling nutrients and naturally alter the ocean bottom, benefiting the underwater community. Efforts to restore the endangered loggerhead sea turtle requires international cooperation since they travel through vast areas of oceans and critical nesting beaches are scattered across several countries. Kefalonia is one of them. During the hatching period, the hatchlings crawl out to the sea guided by the moonlight. However, light pollution from towns make the turtles think the artificial light is the light they’re supposed to follow. This is happening in Kefalonia and Wildlife Sense is trying to rectify it.
Eden chose Wildlife Sense because this project will allow her to receive creditable work experience and develop necessary skills, especially since she wants to work in conservation, so you may be helping her get a job! Also, one of her favourite animals are turtles and who doesn't want to go to help turtle hatchlings?
What activities will we be doing?
Here are some of our activities:
- Cycling to and from the beach
- Look for fresh turtle nests
- Mark, measure, record and protect the nests from damage
- Protect hatchlings from light pollution
- Trip to town
- Teaching locals about turtle protection and more!
Where will the donations go?
The money raised will cover the cost of our team’s travel, accommodation and training within the two weeks volunteering in Kefalonia.
Minimum Target: £800 x 3 = £2400
- Programme fee: £450 x 3 = £1350 - this includes the cost of two weeks accommodation, travel insurance, food, bicycle hire, travel to and from project sites, airport transfers and field training.
- Flights to and from Kefalonia (flights, minibus): ~ £250 x 3 = £750
- Remaining £100 x 3 = £300: New equipment needed for the trip (e.g. sunscreen, anti-mosquito spray, first-aid kit), and any additional/supplementary food
Stretch Goal: £ 3000
To cover any fluctuation in flight costs and extra kit and equipment we may need.
Also, it could possibly be used to give us a chance for a diving trip whilst in Kefalonia, to explore the beautiful marine world which sea turtles live in.
Rewards
To thank everyone that donates, we have some brilliant rewards up for grabs so check them out!
Supporting Us
You don't need to give us money to help me succeed. Please share this project in any way you can - Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email, phone, a chat over the fence, shouting from the rooftops or on your blog. Share this with everyone you know! The more people that know about and see our project the more likely we are to hit our target.
A quick reminder: CLICK is all-or-nothing funding so if we don't meet our minimum we get none of the funding. So please sponsor us and help make this happen, thank you so much for reading!
