July 2017, Turtle Conservation and Sea Kayaking in Greece
For two weeks, in July 2017, I had the pleasure of leading a school group from Carterton College, Oxfordshire, on their Outlook Expeditions trip to Greece. The itinerary took us from Athens to the Peloponnese Peninsula and then on to Lefkada, Ionian Islands, before returning to Athens.
The loggerhead turtle conservation project was conducted with Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece. Firstly, we visited Archelon's sea turtle rescue centre in Athens, before volunteering to help with three days of morning and night surveys on the Peloponnese Peninsula. These surveys are useful for collecting data on the turtles' nesting behaviour and nest numbers. Additionally, they enable Archelon volunteers to install protection around the nests to deter predation from dogs and foxes.
