GVI: Volunteer in Greece

I am a fourth year Biology Student at the University of St. Andrews. I chose to take part in a GVI program over the summer as a way to create a positive impact and meaningful change, whilst still having fun during my holidays! I loved that the program allowed me to get real hands on experience in turtle conservation. You learn how to do everything really quickly even if the initial PowerPoint lessons sound confusing. The communal living situation was really fun, and even though you are together all the time, it is very easy and normal to go off for some alone time each day! Overall very chill, relaxed and fun vibes, you will make some of the best memories and meet some of the best people from all over the world! Everyone I know that was there for only 2 weeks wanted to stay longer which speaks for itself!

Greece was a unique experience,
If you're looking for an organized, fun and helpful trip while traveling around Greece then this trip is perfect for you ! I had a chance to volunteer in Greece and help protect turtle nests. The best part about this trip was being able to relocate the eggs if we felt they were endangered. I got to hold them and carry them to a safer place, it was such a wholesome experience. For volunteer work, we also got to do beach clean ups that were both necessary and fun because we would turn them into competitions as to who would get the most trash. After each beach clean up, we would look through the garbage and reuse some things like glass bottles for flower pots and other rubbish as decoration, it was so creative ! While other people were doing other surveys (morning walks to protect the nests) other people would make bamboo turtle tunnels to protect the nests from light pollution. I would 100% recommend this trip because it was not only fun but also worth every penny, I loved getting to know all the teens that were with me that came from all over the world and we got to discuss so many things and have open minded conversations about anything. As a group, we also got to be immersed in Greek culture by visiting places like Olympia and tasting different food and beverages local to Greece. Making these friends was so fun and it felt like I had known them forever :)

I had the best time in Greece working with GVI at the turtle conservation program. It was amazing to experience the nesting and hatching season and to learn how to collect the data. In total I’ve been at the program for 8 weeks and I have learned so much about sea turtles, conservation and GVI. I have met so many new people from all over the world and have made friends for life here. I had the best summer and I will definitely do another program with GVI. will highly recommend this program and GVI in general.

I had an amazing time learning about bad working with sea turtles and their nests in Greece. The program was 2 weeks long; and throughout the experience I learned so much about how much good people can do for the environment and local animals. While I was there, I helped protect nests from predators, observe the tagging of mother sea turtles, and meet some amazing volunteers from around the world that I intend to keep in touch with. Overall, I had a great time and I highly recommend this GVI program.

I volunteered with GVI as part of the U18s program in Greece for two weeks. During the weekdays, we would have morning surveys where we would find and protect turtle nests, and night surveys where we would assist in tagging mother turtles. All the staff were amazing and so kind! I also made such great friends with the other participants. We all especially enjoyed the cultural trips at the weekend where we visited the local cities of Kalamata and Olympia. I would 100% recommend this trip to Greece with GVI!

The program was amazing, all the staff were so friendly, helpful, inspiring and full of interesting stories and experiences. The food whilst out there was really lovely and it was amazing to try some traditional Greek food. The volunteering itself was excellent and I felt like what I did had a real impact. The other volunteers were lovely . I would have definitely spent more time there if I could have! The whole experience was so inspirational. I am now on extremely interested in doing a GVI project as part of my year in industry with university.

I travelled to Greece in June 2018 and had the best two weeks of my life.

Despite a rocky start of being refused boarding onto the airplane, from the moment I landed I felt both welcome and appreciated. Arriving many hours late, a GVI staff member waited for me all day in the airport and then sorted us accommodation in Athens, having missed our bus earlier! The warmth I felt from this lovely woman was immediate and continued for the whole trip...

Once we had finally arrived at the campsite the next day I was introduced to the rest of the staff as well as the other volunteers and within a few seconds made friends that, even though they live far away from me, are still part of my life now.

We stayed at a campsite on the most beautiful beach, surrounded by sand dunes and with stunning sunsets every single night. And this was the beach where our daily surveys took place. Each day we ventured out to locate and protect the turtle nests that had been dug the previous evening. Seeing the tracks they leave in the sand, and coming to understand them really makes you feel special!

By the end of the two week experience a significant goal had been reached. Over the summer the GVI team, along with Archelon (a neighbouring turtle conservation charity) had helped to protect over 1000 turtle nests, ensuring the hatchlings had the best chance of survival. There aren’t words to explain how rewarding it is to be involved in work like this. The celebration that evening was one to remember.

Volunteering for GVI was such an incredible experience. The scenery is reason enough to go to the area, but meeting new friends who also care about conserving nature, and knowing that we’d done some good for the turtles was the highlight of this fabulous trip. I cannot wait to get back!

In June of 2019, I volunteered with GVI in Greece, Giannitsochori, for two weeks on their turtle program - but I wish I had stayed longer! It was an incredible experience and your work really does make a difference to the conservation of turtle populations. The accommodation is in a tent, about a 2 minute walk away from the beach. The GVI staff were always around and happy to help with any queries or issues and I felt incredibly safe on this program. I would recommend to anyone with a passion for marine conservation, those who wish to make a difference/sustainable impact, or anyone who loves the outdoors!