Loggerhead turtle conservation with GVI in Greece

I spent 4 weeks in the campsite at Giannitsochori, a tiny coastal village an hour from Olympia, this August. It was the best month I've ever had. GVI's on the ground staff make a compelling and motivated team, and working so closely with fellow volunteers almost guarantees you'll make good friends even if you only stay a fortnight. The location is beautiful, and you have enough free time to really appreciate that; with weekends off you can take trips to explore the area or spend time relaxing on the beach. You will learn a lot about not only the turtles themselves, their habitat and biology, but also about public awareness and interaction of locals and tourists alike, and the challenges of marine conservation on a beach that's a tourist hotspot. Patrolling the beach at night during nesting season and witnessing a turtle laying eggs is an incredible experience, matched only by later seeing hatchlings emerge from those very nests and take their first steps toward the sea. The sense of unity and delight in these moments is incredible. And to be able to continue this experience not only for a day, or a week, but a whole month (or longer!)? Certainly there are no words for how lucky I was to be able to partake in this series of events.