A month in Greek paridise...

As a volunteer who stayed on the project for a month, I was present to witness a whole new group of volunteers arrive at camp Saturday. I met the twelve new volunteers who were all girls; we chit-chatted about our countries, and love of waking up at the crack of dawn. One of the perks of having an all-girl camp (and Neil!), is that we came-up with the idea to have a yoga session on our towels. Taylor, an enthusiastic elementary school teacher from Virginia, lead the group into various yogi positions and meditation until we were called for supper. One of the drawbacks of having so many campers is the fight for hammock time.

Athina, who is in charge of public relations for Archelon, set-up turtle protection information booths around Lakonikos Bay where events were being held. Volunteers accompanied Athena to a ski-doo show going on in Gythio, and to a soccer game being held on a beach.

Mr Richard bathing in an ice cold waterfall in the mountains near Sparti.

One volunteer, Mr. Richard, from Luxembourg via New Zealand and France, took it upon himself to explore beaches far beyond the normal ones covered by the camp volunteers. One evening as the air and sand had cooled a bit, I and a few other volunteers, headed to a far-away beach where Richard had spotted a nest (presently, Neil has just received an email that Mr. Richard has even found nests while holidaying on the Greek island of Kos!)  After digging for what seemed like hours, we thought there were surely no eggs. Nevertheless, Richard found them tucked in the extremities of the nest camouflage. We then headed over to the local taverna for a celebratory drink as the sun fell, and listened to a remix of The Door’s “L.A Woman” on the drive back to camp through Greece’s beautiful mountains.

On the weekly taverna night, the group goes-out to eat a pre-paid feast, the campers headed to Mavrovouni to fill-up on a huge amount of fried zucchini and fried cheese, as well as potatoes and other Greek meals I wouldn’t know what to call; but they’re great. After one volunteer ate a good five servings of everything (me), we enjoyed a nice walk back to camp via the beach (though we stayed well away from turtle-nesting grounds).

Taverna night in Mavrovouni Village.

One morning after having found a potential nest on the beach, we were in the middle of breakfast when we decided it would be a good idea to draw moustaches on everyone and top this off with some sombreros. As we still had work to do, we headed to the beach adorned in marker and sombrero to dig the nest and install a grid over it. We then ventured into the water and amused ourselves taking under-water pictures in our costuming, much to the amusement of other beach-goes.

Sombrero digging fiesta.

The best night, for this volunteer, was the last night on the project. I had joined the neighbour’s band given my passion for playing guitar and classic rock. The band had been scheduled to perform at Spider’s Pub, which is a great place if you’re into good music. And played we did! The band was quickly named “The Lazy Guys of a Fruitful Valley” and we played covers of songs like Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady”, the Subway’s “Rock and Roll Queen,” as well as some Greek rock songs which I rather enjoyed. After the first set, around 2:30 am, the performance turned into more of a jam session. 

Mia and Vassilis after rockin spiders pub.

I was able to jam with the band to some blues, and other musicians who had come out that night began playing as well. Taylor, Neil, Juliana, myself, and a bunch of great local people I’d met over the month, danced until it was morning survey time. Unfortunately, we ran out of gas on our ride back. We then had to walk to Vathi, the nearest beach, for a swim and snooze, (and morning survey for Neil) until the petrol stations were to open for the day. Man, what a night! What an adventure the last month was!

Neil & Emily swimming in tequila.

Over and out

Mia Pearson (Canada)

A month in Greek paridise...

GRACE’S BLOG 8th July 2012

Keep walking, digging, building and hoping

Day 1 (30 Jun) – am I insane? – departed from Hong Kong airport at 01.25 (HK time) under typhoon no.8, arrived at Meltemi Camp (Gthyio, Greece) at 23.20 (Athens time), waited at a bus stop for 4 hrs in between (because I missed the bus departing at 14.15).  Late night, all lights out, had a cold shower, zzz in a tent with my zzz bag (>10 years since my last camping), feeling lost and not sure what I was doing – travelling 27 hrs for camping in Greece ?!

Day 2 (1 Jul) – feel so low – waking up at 06.30, other teammates already out for morning survey.  Unpacking, no ideas of what I was going to do for the rest of the day (and the remaining programme).  Later the day I cooked lunch, washing dishes, cutting bamboo.  Then I swam at the beach with other teammates for a while, didn’t stay long, the water was wavy and cold, but staying at the camp was so hot, wondering if I could survive ……

Cutting bamboo

Day 3 (2 Jul) – look at the bright side – was up at 05.10, started morning survey at 06.00, found my very 1^st turtle nest, V11, with other teammates on Valtaki beach.  Witnessing the miracle of living – TURTLE EGGSSSSS – that’s the magic moment.  All suddenly changed, I knew that’s why I was so doing this !!  We examined and drew the turtle tracks, dug holes and searched for the eggs with our hands, did the measurements and GPS the location, covered the nest with sand (level to the beach with wet sand 1^st), put a (wire) grid over the nest from predation (foxes/dogs), hammered bamboos to fix the grid on the beach, tied the bamboos and the grid with strings, and put up a tripod and a “warning” sign – “ATTENTION sea turtle nest.  Do not touch.  Protected by national and international legislation.” …….

Finding the eggs!

Day 4 (3 Jul) – learn something new everyday – YES!  We found nest ME5 this morning on the East side of the Mavrovouni beach.  This time we put a bamboo grid (instead of a wire one) as there is no fox/dog around Mavrovouni beach to eat the eggs.  We also put red and white stick at the 4 corners of the protective grid to alert cars not to drive over the nest.

Day 5 (4 Jul) – my day off  J – good to have a day off to recharge and get ready for more walking, digging and building.  Met some very nice Greek people and spent a really good time at Limeni – thanks Neil for the suggestion.

Limeni

Day 6 (5 Jul) – hello Takis – walked on the West side of Mavrovouni beach during the morning survey, found nothing.  Back to the camp and headed out to Bathi beach (thanks Mr Richard for driving) and found nest B3.  After the long morning, we stayed at the café on Bathi beach.  We met Mr Takis, a nice Greek fisherman, and had a chat about the current economy and a bit about politics.

Day 7 (6 Jul) – the lost (and found) – Sad news – there were predation to 2 nests on Valtaki beach 33 (15+18) eggs broken/eaten by fox/dog.  That’s why we were doing the same thing everyday and keep talking to people to explain what we’re doing and why, and hoping they will help us to work together to protect the turtles and their eggs.  And we found nest SE6 this morning !!

Nests found today!

Day 8 (7 Jul) – we found nothing – we did see tracks on beaches and some holes look like nests, we dug and dug and dug and we found nothing.  Then I was on duty at the Kiosk on Mavrovouni beach.  A French lady came to visit with her 2 little gals.  She had been here 20 yrs ago and seen a turtle at night.  She came back and wished her little gals could see the turtle as well.

Day 9 and thereafter – life continues – almost come to the end of my journey.  I must say I have learnt far more than I think I would/could.  Frankly the work is TOUGH.  As a volunteer for 2 weeks is already a big challenge, can’t imagine how determine the team here need to be to work for turtle protection, same walk/work every day non-stop.  I admire and appreciate their patience and persistence very much.  The hard work of the turtle protection team is definitely something that deserves everyone’s biggest respect and support.  I will carry everything I learnt and the “never give up hope” spirit with me all way back home, spread and share.

ALL THE BEST GVI AND ARCHELON TEAM! 

Grace Ma (Hong Kong)

GRACE’S BLOG 8th July 2012

The first month in a few short paragraphs including the fruitful (finally!) return of the infamous turtle named Stumpy!

I arrived at the Archelon Turtle Conservation project after a long but panoramic bus ride to Gythio. The camp was set-up like an outdoor house, and I was happy to see the hammocks and chairs hanging from various trees. I met the other volunteers; some were from England, one from Amsterdam, another from Michigan, and myself from Canada. We ate a delicious supper and talked about our schooling, the customs of our countries, music, turtles, and how incredibly hot Greece is. We then headed over to the nearby pub to watch the football game (and discuss turtles, of course.)

Every night, after retiring to our tents, we’re lullabied to sleep by the howling of dogs, the crisp sound of crickets, and the local bartender’s booming laugh. We are then woken-up by wild roosters early in the morning, which is when we take to the beaches for the morning survey. Turtle tracks are pretty evident in the sand, and if we find a nest of eggs, we then lay a grid over it to protect the eggs from predators or anything heavy that may run-over them like cars (or tourists). We then hammer bamboo sticks into the sand with all our might, and top this off with a tripod and small informational sign.

Valtaki Beach and the shipwreck

Among the best experiences of volunteering on the project is visiting the nearby towns. There is a restaurant that serves fried pita-bread, a breakfast food mainly found in Gythio, which is regularly frequented by the sandy group of volunteers after morning surveys on beaches further out. Beaches including Valtaki, which harbours a shipwreck, and Selinitsa where you can visit the creepy abandoned hotel, are studied for tracks as well.

One of the major events of June was a sighting of Stumpy, a very special and persistent turtle who’s missing her two back flippers. These flippers are necessary for digging a hole in which she could then lay her eggs. Stumpy would visit the shore a few times a night, and this meant volunteers would study, record, and erase her tracks in the morning. We had become familiar with Stumpy’s particular prints in the sand, but knew it was very improbable of finding any eggs from this turtle. One night, as we were just finishing a green bean and tomato-sauce supper, we were informed that there was a turtle spotted on the beach. We gathered the necessary ‘turtle spotting’ materials and raced down the campsite to where the turtle, Stumpy, was beginning her unsuccessful ritual of making a nest. Neil and Juliana, experts in all things-turtle, flew up to Stumpy and began to help her in her struggle of digging a hole. The other volunteers, including myself, helped inform beach-goers of the turtle’s nesting routine, and how it is important to keep distance and calm. After over an hour of continuous digging and handing-out pamphlets, Stumpy finally started to lay her eggs. The small group of 5 ecstatic volunteers (including Neil who silently skipped and almost cart-wheeled on the beach) rushed quietly and crouched-down to where stumpy was. We shone a red light and were able to see the very rare sight of a turtle laying her eggs, thanks to the help of the volunteers. (see press release below...)

On one of our days off, I and other volunteers headed to a small town called Limeni, which has a view as if straight-out of a post card. We dove into the bright blue water and snorkelled around looking for interesting underwater happenings.

There is also Taverna night where the group goes-out to eat a pre-paid meal at a local restaurant. We order great amounts of food, wine (and fried zucchini) and we reminisce on the hours spent swimming and sunbathing on the beach, how much we love waking up before 6am, the moment were we uncover a turtle nest, and how beautiful and majestic the turtle-specie is, of course.

Delicious Mani Pita for breakfast

Mia Pearson (Volunteer, Montreal, Canada).

The first month in a few short paragraphs including the fruitful (finally!) return of the infamous turtle named Stumpy!

A very special nest in the Laconic Gulf area.

Press release

A very special nest in the Laconic Gulf area thanks to ARCHELON - 02/07/2012

After a constant presence of almost 30 years, it’s well known to most people that the programmes of ARCHELON (The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece) and its volunteers, systematically protects sea turtles and their nesting beaches in the area. This time, though, something happened on Mavrovouni Beach in the Laconic Gulf which was anything but ordinary. On 26 June, 2012, just before sunset (and not during the night, which is the usual time for this type of activity), a Caretta caretta appeared on the beach. Unfortunately, she was unable to dig her nest successfully because she was missing her two rear flippers! ARCHELON volunteers and staff working in the area were informed of this, and quickly went to the spot. Very discretely and carefully, so as not to frighten the turtle, the volunteers dug the nest for her. She deposited more than 160 eggs in the nest, a process which took more then two hours to complete. It should be noted that that the tracks left by this turtle, which are easily recognizable due to her physical condition, had been seen on this same beach 22 times during the last two weeks! It appears that the unlucky turtle had been desperately and persistently trying to dig her nest for some time. Everyone is happy that the story had a happy ending thanks to ARCHELON, and we wish them continued luck and success in the difficult work they have undertaken. P. Theodorou (translation: J. Stournara) http://www.archelon.gr/eng/ourdeltia.php?row=row10&nid=504&fb_source=message

A very special nest in the Laconic Gulf area.

Welcome to Lakonikos! Beggining of the project 2012...

I had been looking forward to joining the Turtle conservation program at Mavrovouni beach for many months but the past two weeks have still surpassed all of my expectations. It has been both an enjoyable and eye-opening experience.
During the first weekend in June, we all arrived one by one throughout the day from various parts of the globe. Whilst each volunteer has a different accent and a different day to day life outside of the project (currently we have Katie, an ice-cream fanatic from the USA, Willem, a football fan from Holland, and myself, a music nut from the UK, plus the project leaders), it is refreshing to think that we are all here for the same reason – to do our part to help protect Loggerhead turtles in the breathtaking bay of Lakonikos.

As a part of the first team of the year, our first task was to set up the camp as quickly as possible, ensuring that we have a base that hundreds of volunteers will use until September. From fridges to stoves to hammocks, everything was cleaned and a small patch of grass was quickly transformed into a home. There is even a stable deckchair for a particular clumsy volunteer who can’t handle the hammocks!
It is still early in the turtle season but this year’s first nest has appeared. As a person with little experience in marine biology, it has been fascinating learning about this extraordinary species. Our training has been thorough and by the time I had read the turtle facts book and seen a few videos I was itching to get on the beach. Our first nest appeared within three days of being here and it was obvious that the other volunteers were as excited as I was about getting involved. The project leaders’ (Neil Davis, UK and Juliana Baker, USA) experience and enthusiasm have been invaluable and I am pleasantly surprised how quickly we have picked up the necessary skills.
Two weeks ago I would not have been able to find a turtle nest on the beach, never mind locate the eggs, take the relevant measurements for research and then protect them from predators, people and any other hazards on the busy beach. I would not have been able to create the grids that we use to protect them and I certainly couldn’t speak as many Greek, Dutch and American words as I now can. The current favourite new word is Karpuzia (watermelon in Greek).
Unfortunately we have also encountered two dead turtles that have been washed up on Mavrovouni beach and Valtaki beach. It was a sad sight to see but it has also reinforced why we are here.
One of the best parts of this project has been meeting people from all over the world and I hope we stay in touch. I’m sure we will, let’s just hope that Holland don’t get drawn against England in the European Football Championships.
Over the past two weeks I have met some fantastic people, ate some brilliant Greek food and hopefully made a small difference by helping to protect the Loggerhead turtles. It has shown me that the world is a very small place and no matter where they are from, people are people.

Tom Elliott (Volunteer Weeks 1 & 2)

Welcome to Lakonikos! Beggining of the project 2012...

No news is good news... 7th Aug 2010

A PIPPED HATCHLING FROM LAST YEARS EXCAVATIONS

Hey there! Its seems like ages since we updated the blog (slow slow slow internet and busy busy busy days being the main culprits) so here goes with some of the recent news.
The hatchlings have arrived at last! The poor volunteers that left last week were afraid that they wouldn’t see any at all but on the Sunday morning before the group left Juliana came running back to camp at 7am and mayhem ensued. Fiona and Mikaela jumped on bikes and raced down the beach to see the last of the little fellers finally reach the water ;-)

As of now we have 3 nests hatching and the first nest excavation planned for Wednesday. I guess omelette will be off the menu again for the foreseeable future then…

NEST EXCAVATION

Nest numbers continue to rise steadily with the total at 33 and counting. With a couple of weeks left of nesting activity left it looks like an already above average year is going to turn out very very well after all in terms of nest numbers. Most of the nests are already shaded by now too, an alleyway to the sea is constructed from bamboo and beach mats to prevent hatchling disorientation. August is also upon us and that means the hottest and busiest month for all concerned as virtually all of Greece heads to the beaches to escape the sweltering city heat. Many many fun times are ahead im sure.

NEST SHADING

Until next time

Caretta Bob over and out
xxx

No news is good news... 7th Aug 2010

Neil Davis and his Terrific turtles! National Geographic Kids Interview 25/07/10

Neil and Local volunteer Kanellos with Omiros

Sea turtles are some of the most endangered creatures on the planet. NG KIDS caught up with ‘Turtle Man’, Neil Davis, who works for ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, in Lakonikos, Greece…

NG Kids You help sea turtles for a living, Neil – sounds like a great job!
Neil It is, yes! We walk along Mavrovouni beach every morning, here, and look for loggerhead turtle nests. When we find eggs, we take measurements of how deep down they are in the sand and their distance from the sea, then we protect them with bamboo grids to stop foxes and stray dogs eating them.

NGK But when we visited a turtle sanctuary in Oman recently (see NG KIDS issue 50), we were told NOT to help the turtles…
Neil Well, we try to keep everything as natural as possible, but there are lots of stray dogs here in Greece and they’re not turtles’ natural predators. Foxes here are scavenging and taking turtle eggs, too - something they never used to do. It’s a new problem. If we didn’t protect the eggs, there’d be none left!

NGK Have you ever had to help an injured turtle?
Neil Yes. Sadly, some of the fishermen here in Greece aren’t nice to turtles. Over 50 sick or injured turtles are treated every year at ARCHELON’s rescue centre in Athens. If possible, we release them back into the wild. One blind turtle we rescued in 2007 was re-homed at the Blue Reef aquarium in Newquay, England.

OMIROS THE BLIND TURTLE GETTING READY FOR HIS FLIGHT TO THE UK

NGK What can NG KIDS’ readers do to help?
Neil Well, if your readers are on holiday here, they can try not to disturb the nesting sites and to not drop litter. Turtles sometimes eat plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish, and that can be very dangerous, so it’s really important that we keep our beaches clean.

Omiros at the rescue centre in Athens.

NGK Is that the same in the British Isles?

Neil Yes, you get a lot of sea turtles in the British Isles, too, especially in the summer, so make sure you put away your rubbish after a day at the seaside.

NGK Can NG KIDS readers help you in Greece, too?

Neil Yes! We have lots of people volunteering here, including families, and they absolutely love it! So anyone can come along!

To find out more about Neil’s work or to volunteer yourself, visit the ARCHELON website or the Volunteer With Turtles In Greece website!

Interview taken from National Geographic Kids Website http://ngkids.co.uk/cool_stories/1288/terrific_turtles_

Neil Davis and his Terrific turtles! National Geographic Kids Interview 25/07/10