Become a Volunteer

Become a volunteer

Volunteering in ARCHELON

Welcome to the volunteer projects of ARCHELON!

With your help, we record and protect sea turtles, their nests and baby turtles on the nesting beaches, as well as treat injured or sick turtles at the Rescue Centre.

We invite enthusiastic and dedicated people to participate as volunteers in our actions. Read below for the requirements and projects in each area. Also, see how we are dealing with issues related to COVID-19.

Do you want to help us in our actions? Complete your application as soon as possible.

Become a volunteer

Important information

  • All projects use English as the main language of communication.
  • People over 18 can participate if they meet the requirements
  • The voluntary participation fee covers the cost of accommodation, training and administration costs, insurance coverage in the event of an accident (up to a limit) as well as subscription to ARCHELON for the current year
  • Specific policies regarding cancellations and date changes are applied
  • In all projects, students from various academic fields are given the opportunity for an internship

-More favorable participation conditions apply for a certain number of Greek-speaking volunteers in the nesting monitoring projects

  • People with previous experience can apply for volunteer field officers
  • Privacy policy is applied in all projects
  • We are determined to keep COVID19 out of our programs. See how.
  • We will respond to your application request within 5 working days.
Become a volunteer

Volunteer Requirements

  1. Applicants must be over 18 years old and in a very good physical condition. They also need to like interacting with other people.
  2. They must be able to communicate fluently in English and must be covered by a personal health insurance policy.
  3. The minimum period of participation is 4 weeks.
  4. A longer stay of volunteers i.e. more than 6 weeks is recommended as it contributes greatly to the success of projects.
  5. Returning volunteers are welcome as they enhance team performance with their experience.
  6. A valid driver’s license greatly contributes to the functioning of the project.
  7. A combination of participation in more than one projects is possible if the duration of stay in the second/ third of them is 4 weeks or longer.
  8. Applicants must be in very good health and in good physical shape due to the projects' physically-demanding tasks and living conditions.
  9. Volunteers are selected on an individual basis. As a rule only two or three friends can be accepted at the same period of time and project at maximum.
  10. Only those volunteers who have been formally accepted will be allowed to participate in the projects.
  11. The application process includes the following steps:
  • filling in and submitting the official ARCHELON online application form,
  • the receipt of an acceptance letter by email from ARCHELON. The acceptance letter includes a list of additional requirements relating to items such as payment of fees, a certificate from a doctor verifying the status of a volunteer’s health, etc, which must be submitted in a period of 30 days following the acceptance letter.
  • Volunteers must submit all the documents listed on the acceptance letter by email and pay the fee, in order for their participation to be confirmed by ARCHELON. Please make sure your participation is confirmed (in other words, that you have completed all the requirements specified by ARCHELON in the acceptance letter) before you arrive at the project.
  1. For the beach projects volunteers must bring their own camping gear (e.g. sleeping bag, tent, torch, alarm clock, etc).
  2. Volunteers must be prepared to share in a communal life, and to live and perform their duties in both populated and secluded areas, often as members of small teams and usually under harsh conditions. Although relevant experience is not necessary, the ability to live and co-operate with people of different cultures and backgrounds is essential.
  3. Volunteers are trained and supervised by field leaders and experienced project members. They must be prepared to participate in every aspect of the project. Duties are allocated by the field leaders and may include duties throughout the night or long hours during the day.
    • For the beach projects fieldwork includes duties in the heat (sometimes for up to 6 hours), and walking long distances or up/downhill to reach some of the sites. With an average level of fitness, this is manageable, but please be prepared that the duties can be hard and exhausting. With the right attitude and the right team, it is still fun!
  • For the Rescue Centre work includes duties in the heat (in the summer), cleaning large tanks, and lifting heavy turtles. With an average level of fitness, this is manageable, but please be prepared that the duties can be hard and exhausting. With the right attitude and the right team, it is still fun!
  1. Time off 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 and days off cannot be taken in a row.
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