Volunteering in Agras – Vritta – Nisi Wetland

Volunteer Work

The volunteers stay in Agras – Vritta – Nisi Wetland all through the year. Depending the season, they do several important volunteer services:

1. Raising public awareness, ecotourism activities and environmental education.
This activity runs all through the year. Together with the Public Awareness Officer (P.A.O.) of the wetlands’ info center, they are responsible for the below activities.
a) Running the information kiosk. Information to tourists and locals about the special environmental value of the area will be given at an information kiosk on Argas.

b) Guided tours for visitors will be carried out in the wetland for birdwatching and a walk in the nature trail.
c) Guided tours to schools start during the school period. Volunteers help the local P.A.O. in the guided tours that are offered to schools. It involves activities inside the info center, bird watching in the wetland, walk on the nature trail and slide show.

2. Monitoring bird population in the wetlands
This activity runs all through the year in Agras. Volunteers are trained to identify bird species, monitor population sizes and give a frequent report to HOS. Also they do wardening from illegal hunting.
Until now there have been reported 265 species of birds in Gialova lagoon. Every autumn migration, thousands of birds stop or winter in the lagoon. In Agras among the >140 bird species present at the site, 37 are included in Annex I of the Birds Directive.

The volunteers will have an everyday task to follow and record bird species that they watch and estimate population sizes of each species.

3. Management of reedbeds
This activity takes place on autumn. The reedbads management enhance the bird reproduction.

4. Maintenance of infrastructure
This activity takes place from March until the end of November. Inside the wetland, there are a number of infrastructures important for those who wish to explore the area. There are footpaths, small bridges, observation towers, show cards, guide posts, etc. Volunteers supervise and maintain all these infrastructures by the guidance and help of the local contact persons.

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