Puni naziv projekta:
Island Birds, 2019-3-HR01-ESC11-077067
Project name: Island Birds, 2019-3-HR01-ESC11-077067
Project duration:
15/01/2020 – 14/01/2021
Total project budget:
Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes: 31 775 EUR
Association Biom budget: 31 775 EUR
Lead beneficiary: Association Biom
Project partners: Georgian Youth for Europe (Georgia), ProAtlântico – Associação Juvenil (Portugal),
Voluntariat Zavod za mednarodno prostovoljno delo Ljubljana (Slovenia),
Wild Futures (United Kingdom),
Public institution „Priroda“/ Javna ustanova „Priroda“
Project goals:
To equip motivated young individuals with the skills and knowledge to build a brighter future for the planet Earth.
To conduct activities that promote conservation of endangered bird species in Croatia, to raise awareness about the biodiversity crisis and to enrich the isolated island communities with new social and educational content.
Project summary
In 2020, four young people from Georgia, Portugal, Slovenia and the United Kingdom took part in the “Island Birds 2020” project, joining Biom’s efforts to protect biodiversity through hands-on conservation and community engagement across Croatia. As part of their volunteering journey, they took part in a wide range of activities across Croatia, including Lastovo Islands Nature Park, Hvar Island, Učka Nature Park, Beli Visitor Centre and Rescue Centre for Griffon Vultures on Cres Island, as well as Biom’s offices in Zagreb and Sinj.
They were involved in bird research and conservation activities, such as population monitoring, nest monitoring, invasive mammal eradication, griffon vulture rescue and care, small migratory bird ringing, and grassland habitat restoration. The volunteers assisted in field studies of birds – including endangered species – while following established scientific methodologies in protected areas. They also supported data entry tasks, with some volunteers participating in data analysis, which was later used by experts to develop conservation recommendations or to evaluate the success of implemented actions.
In addition to fieldwork, volunteers took part in a range of awareness raising, non-formal education, and community engagement activities. These included workshops on environmental, climate and sustainability topics, birdwatching tours, and welcoming or guiding visitors at locations such as the Beli Vulture Centre and coordinating the other volunteers and at Ornitological camp Učka.
Office-based work was also an important part of their contribution. Volunteers were engaged in tasks related to producing digital promotional and educational materials for Biom’s website and social media channels, as well as handling scientific data and assisting in ongoing nature conservation projects.
Throughout their engagement, volunteers developed key skills and knowledge relevant to nature protection, often through real-life situations and with the support of experienced staff. This approach combined non-formal and formal learning with direct involvement in conservation actions, helping participants to gain confidence, communicate with different audiences, and understand how to contribute meaningfully to the nature conservation movement.
One of the goals of the project was to bring the nature protection movement closer to local communities, especially those in more remote or isolated areas. On islands such as Cres, Hvar and Lastovo, the project’s activities aimed to raise awareness of biodiversity loss and enrich local life with new educational and social content.
Materials and Publications
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