Turtle and Conservation - 1 week - October - 16 & 17 year olds trip

Trip itinerary

You will have exciting conservation activities every day, including a mountain national park survey, bird surveys, harbour surveys of adult turtles, drone surveys and a clean-up. These activities will be accompanied a series of educational presentations about turtles and conservation.

What will I be doing?
National Mountain Park Survey

We will visit Mt. Ainos, the highest point on the island at 1,628 metres. We will learn about the wildlife and endemic species and help the team from the National Park with their data collection of tree locations and dimensions to monitor growth rates. We will hike a trail while enjoying the incredible views, identifying species along the way as well as recording bird calls.

Bird surveys

Kefalonia’s coastal areas support over 100 bird species. The aim of the bird surveys is to identify and understand the abundance of the coastal bird species using timed transects or point counts, and reporting sightings of coastal and pelagic birds using the eBird app. The data contributes to Cornell University’s eBird citizen science program as well as the Ainos National Park database.

Harbour surveys of adult turtles

Over 300 adult and sub-adult sea turtles swim in the bay of Argostoli. During harbour surveys, you will walk along the harbour front and observe the turtles and record information about their foraging, social behaviours and any health concerns. We will also take part in a drone survey of the harbour trying to spot turtles and any potential threats to them.

Paddleboard exploration of seagrass meadows

Seagrass meadows are a more effective carbon sink than the rainforest and play a critical role in combating climate change. They form an important ecosystem, providing habitats for many species including turtles, monk seals and several types of fish.

Weather and sea condition permitting, we will get to do a seagrass exploration session, where we sit / lie on paddleboards and at times use masks to view beneath the surface. We will move slowly across areas of seagrass in fairly shallow waters, helping to map the sea floor and seagrass. You will wear life jackets and you will be accompanied by safety supervisors, on the land and sea.

Clean-up

The island of Kefalonia is susceptible to plastic pollution and waste which affects turtles, sea birds and many other marine and terrestrial species. The team carry out regular clean-ups which you will help with.

Presentations

You will receive presentations.