Project Biodiversity
Description of the project and the work to be done
Cabo Verde is an archipelago with rich biodiversity, home to 8 species of seabirds that breed along the year, as well as an important nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles. 5 out of these 8 seabird species can be found in Sal Island, three of them being endemic to the country. Our recent work has also identified that Sal is also home to one of the largest red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) colonies in West Africa.
Since 2017, Projeto Biodiversidade started a study to monitor the populations of red-billed tropicbirds and osprey, to better understand their conservation status, besides their main threats on the island. While conducting the monitoring of these two species, four other seabird species were found in Sal Island, and three of them for the first time ever.
Our mission continues in 2021 – hopefully with you as a part of our team! If you are looking to kick-start your career in ornithology and develop new abilities, this opportunity is for you! This volunteer programme will allow you to gain hands-on field experience, with direct contact with key-species to the local biodiversity. We only take a limited number of volunteers each season and are looking for people who want to do something really worthwhile during their free time and who are prepared for some challenging, but very fulfilling work.
During the programme, volunteers will work with the different species of seabirds and the osprey, depending on the period of the year. Under the supervision of the coordinators, volunteers will take part in different activities:
*Monitoring and following the colonies;
*Ringing of adults and chicks;
*Monthly census;
*Deployment of GPS and geolocators devices in adults during different stages of the reproductive period to study feeding and migration areas;
*Help in the collection of blood, fat, feces, feathers, and diet samples from adults and chicks;
*Deployment of camera traps to better understand the threats the different colonies face.
Project Objectives
Sustainable cities and communities
Life below water
Life on land
Type of activity
Local volunteering
Country
Cape Verde
Region
Sal
Neighborhood
Sal Island
Number of places
2 places
Languages needed
English or Portuguese
Languages spoken by the NGO
English / Portuguese / Spanish
Cost
1 week: 320€; 2 weeks: 420€; 3 weeks:520 €; 50 € for each additional week.
Volunteer contributions cover accommodation and utilities such as water and electricity. Meals are not provided. Food is not cheap here, but you will be able to save some money by doing communal cooking. Volunteer contributions also provide critical funds needed to support basic but essential needs of the project, allowing us to monitor all the colonies with higher regularity, and ultimately, protect more seabirds.
Age range
Between 18 and 45 years
Experience required
Requirements: *Desire to make a difference in conservation; *At least 18 and under 45 years old; *Must understand spoken English and/or Portuguese; *Very good level of physical fitness; *High level of energy and flexibility; *Able to cope with physically challenging conditions (long walks, early mornings, hot weather, insects); *Must be very comfortable around steep cliffs and mountains; *Must be comfortable handling blood and diet samples as part of the fieldwork; *Ability to work and live with people from different backgrounds and nationalities.
Project duration
January 11, 2021 / December 9, 2021
Volunteering time table
Weekly work days:
5 days a week
Hours/Day:
6 hours a day
Included services
Images
Project Biodiversity
Santa Maria, Sal, Sal - Cape Verde
During the hatching season, volunteers are responsible for the monitoring of Loggerhead turtle nests in the hatchery and on the nesting beaches, being directly involved in the conservation efforts of numerous hatchlings of this endangered species.
Project Biodiversity
Sal Island, Sal - Cape Verde
During the nesting season, volunteers participate in all aspects of the sea turtle conservation campaign, including night patrols to protect and collect data on nesting sea turtles, hatchling releases, hatchery maintenance, and community outreach.
