Volunteer for Nature 2025

Project goals

Project summary

In March 2025, three young people from France, Serbia, and Cyprus joined Biom for a 9-month European Solidarity Corps volunteering. As a part of the project Volunteer for Nature 2025, they will contribute to a wide range of tasks that combined direct conservation work, public outreach, and personal development – carried out across various locations in Croatia, including Lastovo Islands Nature Park, island of Cres, Učka Nature Park and the city of Zagreb.

One of the key areas of engagement is field research and the implementation of conservation measures. The volunteers will assist with field studies of birds, including endangered species, following scientific methodologies in protected areas of Croatia. They will contribute to monitoring of sea birds and removal of invasive species on Lastovo Islands and Vis Archipelago. They will also help with entering and analyzing data collected on fieldwork. As part of their experience at the Ornithological Camp Učka, volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about small migratory bird ringing. They will spend their summer months in Beli Visitor Centre and Rescue Centre for Griffon Vultures, where they will engage in Griffon Vulture rescue and rehabilitation operations, which are crucial for preserving the last remaining Griffon Vulture colony in Croatia. Additionally, participants will carry out citizen science fieldwork, including monitoring of bird-glass collisions, rook nests count and golden eagle monitoring. During the project, the volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about the state of different nature components and ways of preserving biodiversity all around the country.

Another important focus of the project is on education and public outreach. This consists of creating, assisting and delivering educational content and popularisation of nature conservation. The volunteers will take part in a series of public engagement, awareness raising, non-formal education, and community building events. The participants will create and improve educational materials. They will carry out workshops about birds and nature at Ornithological Camp Učka, both assist with and independently lead birdwatching activities, inform visitors of the Beli Visitor Center about the griffon vultures, write articles and create videos about nature conservation. In the office, they work on the production of digital promotional materials for Biom’s website and social media. During such activities, the volunteers research current environmental and biodiversity topics. They will share their experiences on volunteer-run Instagram and TikTok profiles where ESC volunteers present their field stories in an engaging format.

Throughout the project, volunteers will have the opportunity to grow personally and professionally through structured and informal learning. They will engage in a wide range of tasks in different locations, acquire knowledge about scientific methodology, do activities that contribute to nature conservation, while improving their environmental knowledge and ability to share the messages of biodiversity challenges. The volunteers will also have the opportunity to attend Croatian language lessons as well as soft-skills development sessions which focus on skills like team work, adaptability, communication and problem solving. These sessions, along with the overall volunteer experience – both in the field and in the office – aim to gently strengthen the volunteers’ sense of initiative and inspire them to take action for positive change in the future.

Materials and publications

View

• Volunteers’ Instagram and TikTok

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