GVI, Ethical Impact: Volunteer in Greece

I had an amazing time, which left me with the most amazing memories and friends. We learned so much, having lessons every day about Greek mythology, the insects and wildlife around the campsite and learning Greek. In addition to learning, we also explored Greece. We went to Olympia and many temples and castles as well as a waterfall which we hiked to along a cliff. Being in the waterfall after the exhausting hike was the most incredible feeling as the water was so cool against the morning sun and so relaxing. We learnt about the turtles and took part in morning surveys which involved taking measurements and relocating nests, as well as beach cleans.

I had an amazing time, which left me with the most amazing memories and friends. We learned so much, having lessons every day about Greek mythology, the insects and wildlife around the campsite and learning Greek. In addition to learning, we also explored Greece. We went to Olympia and many temples and castles as well as a waterfall which we hiked to along a cliff. Being in the waterfall after the exhausting hike was the most incredible feeling as the water was so cool against the morning sun and so relaxing. We learnt about the turtles and took part in morning surveys which involved taking measurements and relocating nests, as well as beach cleans.

My time in Greece was a wonderful experience. I spent 4weeks working with the GVI Greece team looking after the sea turtles. I learnt so much while volunteering with GVI and felt like I was making an impact the entire time I was there! I was also able to explore a lot of the local area while volunteering as we had a lot of free time. This was such an eye opening experience that allowed me to realise my passion for conservation.
I would 100% recommend volunteering with GVI, as I will be again in the future :)

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!