ESS Get ready to fly!

Project goals

Project summary

The first BIOM project under the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) Traineeships and Jobs program has been launched! The project, traditionally carrying the “feathery” name “Get Ready to Fly”, has brought back a familiar face to many – our former long-term ESC volunteer from Bristol, James Jackson!

ESC Traineeships and Jobs projects emphasize learning and skills development, providing young people with opportunities to gain relevant work experience as well as personal and professional growth. Since James had already proven to be a valuable addition to the BIOM team as a volunteer, we are extremely pleased to have him back and to continue supporting his development and acquisition of professional skills!

Habitat Restoration Camp Učka 2020

This year, James also participated in habitat restoration camps, this time at a new location in Učka (Podmaj) under the title “Šikaro, otvori se!”. The mission of these volunteer camps is to restore overgrown grassland habitats through direct conservation measures, preserve their biodiversity, and contribute to the protection of endangered bird species that rely on them.

During the camps, James served as an assistant coordinator and habitat restorer, responsible for scheduling restoration activities and planning the volunteers’ work timetable, under the guidance of our new but experienced volunteer coordinator. In addition to coordinating groups and carrying out restoration tasks, during which he drew on his previous camp experience, James regularly dedicated time to educating new volunteers on the importance of habitat restoration and the broader context of local natural heritage conservation.

James was also responsible for passing on his knowledge and experience and for training our new local volunteer, who is now prepared to take on the role of assistant coordinator in future restoration activities.

The restoration camps were conducted as part of the OPKK project “Učka 360°.”

Ornithological Camp Učka 2020

This year’s Ornithological Camp at Učka stood out among all previous camps for its strong focus on daily educational activities and a structured approach to volunteer coordination. Prior to the camp, numerous planning meetings were held to define the camp program, volunteer coordination, educational content, and so-called “troubleshooting,” i.e., how to act in case of problems or emergency situations.

As a participant in last year’s camp, James made significant contributions to discussions and planning, and many of his suggestions were incorporated into the official volunteer coordination and camp management guidelines. During the preparation phase, with the support of BIOM’s educational team, he designed three excellent educational workshops that he conducted at the camp: “Wild Animals of Učka – Risks and Mitigation,” “Butterflies of Učka,” and “Natural and Cultural Heritage of Učka Through the Lens of Habitat Restoration.”

During the camp, James took on the coordination of long-term and ESS volunteers and actively participated in all aspects of the camp. He made a particularly notable contribution during a small habitat restoration activity conducted for visiting ESS volunteers from the O.A.Z.A. Association, demonstrating excellent leadership in guiding the group through restoration tasks. He also gave a presentation to O.A.Z.A.’s volunteers about the ESC Traineeships and Jobs program and his own project.

James was not only teaching others – during this year, our ringers dedicated time to training him in the scientific method of bird ringing. During the first two weeks of the camp, James underwent intensive training, learning to set up and repair mist nets, safely extract all types of birds from the nets, determine their sex, age, and species, and handle birds appropriately.

We are proud to say that this experience motivated him to apply as a candidate for becoming a ringer, a role in which we will continue to officially mentor him. BIOM plans to conduct an official, expanded version of this training next year for young trainee ringers, and we will again count on James’s participation.

Habitat Restoration at Lake Vrana

After the conclusion of the Ornithological Camp at Učka, James had the opportunity to contribute to the special celebration of the 21st anniversary of Vransko Lake Nature Park. The two-day action included planting a green barrier for wildlife in the wet meadows of Lake Vrana and leveling wheel tracks to allow the meadows to continue being maintained through grazing and mowing.

During the activity, James led a workgroup of students from Gračac High School, and his extensive experience in habitat restoration and volunteer management contributed to the smooth implementation of this activity.

The habitat restoration activity was carried out as part of the project “Preserving Wet Meadows for Birds and Plants at Lake Vrana.”

Birdwatching Tours in English

One of the notable contributions James brought to Biom is the English-language birdwatching tours. Since its founding, Biom has been organizing free birdwatching events for the public, during which anyone interested can join and learn about the local species, their ecology, behavior, and identification. These events have become a regular gathering for nature enthusiasts in Zagreb, a community that is visibly growing and developing, and one that we are extremely proud of!

At the beginning of the project, James joined as an assistant, but he quickly mastered identifying local bird species and acquired skills in tour organization and group leadership. Recently, James has independently enhanced the tours by offering a parallel English version, allowing a vibrant international group, as well as ESS volunteers from Biom and other organizations, to participate regularly.

Those interested in joining the tours can check the Events page for schedules, including the English-language birdwatching sessions.

The birdwatching tours are conducted as part of the OPKK project “City Windows to Nature” and the ESS project “Get Ready to Fly.”

Contribution to Other European Solidarity Corps (ESS) Projects

Currently, Biom’s team includes five ESS volunteers who participate in various activities. One of the major advantages of involving James, a former ESS volunteer, in the internship program is that his experience has been invaluable in improving the writing, implementation, and reporting of new projects.

James coordinated our ESS volunteers on the “Island Birds” project during the camps on Učka, as well as during their dissemination activities in Zagreb. He also taught our ESS volunteer Asia bird identification skills as part of the “Fly Away With Me” project.

However, his greatest contribution has been in project writing. During his ESS volunteering, James already assisted by reviewing spelling and grammar in reports, and a particular achievement was writing the majority of the project “Get Ready to Fly” in which he currently participates.

To further develop these skills, our volunteer coordinator organized a two-hour workshop in September on project planning and writing, just before starting new ESS project applications. As a result of the workshop and numerous extended meetings with Biom staff and external collaborators, James and the volunteer coordinator drafted two new ESS volunteer project proposals:

ESS “Democracy for Nature” – unique in its focus on advocacy activities, which was entirely James’s idea. He recognized that Biom lacked capacity in advocacy and saw significant room for a young person to contribute in this area. After meetings with relevant staff, he independently designed the project framework and refined it with his team. The proposal has recently been completed and is planned to be submitted at the next available deadline.

ESS “Birds of a Feather Flock Together” – submitted and currently awaiting approval.

Enhanced Mentorship and Skills Development Program

One aspect of the project that we are particularly proud of is the development and implementation of the Enhanced Mentorship and Skills Development Program, through which James had the opportunity to further focus on personal growth and overcoming challenges.

The program is based on an excellent tool developed by Udruga O.A.Z.A., called “Understanding My Journey”, which we supplemented with new materials, exercises, activities, and literature, adapting it to the participants’ level. The program focuses on skills identified by experts as key for finding and maintaining employment, such as a positive attitude, communication skills, adaptability, time management, analytical thinking, and more.

In addition to James, the program included the current long-term ESS volunteer Asia and the local Biom volunteer Vanja, to enrich discussions and make exercises more effective. During individual 2–3 hour sessions, participants go through exercises related to specific skills, their definitions, self-assessments, and other available materials.

The program is comprehensive enough that we plan to continue running it even after the conclusion of the “Get Ready to Fly” project, with James continuing to participate. We also plan to further develop this program and implement it in future ESS projects.

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