Nature Conservation Project

Are you passionate about nature conservation? Do you want to experience unique Croatian culture and learn Croatian? Would you be okay with getting your hands dirty every day? If you answered yes to all of these questions, the volunteering in Cave park Grabovača is just the thing for you!
Opportunities include gardening in small botanical garden, caring for nature reserves, plant identification and GPS mapping. You can even run Summer school for local kids, teach them your language in foreign school and work with local community!

Volunteer in Cave park Grabovača and return with unforgettable memories!

Project activities:

1. Botanical garden– be part in the creation of the new touristic offer for the kids in the Cave park (Design, build, maintenance);
2. Educational Activities - Create awareness and appreciation about the nature, learning about karst, history of Croatia etc.
3. Participation in workshops about karst, water in karst, karst forms, ecological problems in karst etc.
4. Learning the basic of speleology
5. Helping local's residents in their daily activities
6. Learning Croatian language
7. Children Programmes – school of foreign language for local kids
8. Publications - Write, edit and design of Volunteer newsletter and volunteer blog
9. Design and artwork - Provide design services for our promotional and educational materials such as posters, banners, signs and interactive media programmes
10.Flora Survey - In order to plan for conservation, rehabilitation and environmental management, it is necessary to know what flora and vegetation is on site and what condition is in it.

Volunteers would have the opportunity to learn and adopt the following skills:
1.Base of theoretical knowledge about the concept, origin and types of karst relief; base of theoretical and practical knowledge for monitoring of bats and speleological objects;
2. Introduction to the basic assumptions of karst protection issues and finding solutions to these problems:
3. To increase environmental and social awareness of participants;
4. Develop communication, organizational and administrative skills;
5. Basic working skills in field research (working on GPS, mapping, navigation in nature,monitoring);
6. Introduction to the work and the notion of of protected areas;
7. Getting acquainted with local tradition and mentality;
8. Learn the basics of the Croatian language;
9. Acquire skills to work in a team;
10. Acquire a sense of independence, self-initiative;
11. Acquire work experience.

We expect to host 15 participants ie. Volunteers.
Volunteers will be staying in a creative environment and will therefore be able to direct their ideas to improve park services for users. Volunteers will be in direct communication with visitors of the Cave park. For each proposed activities volunteers will be divided in groups, according to their skills and interest, and each group will be working one part of the activity.

In order to become a partner in this project you must comply with the following criteria:
 high motivation, inovative
 aged of participant over 18
 team workers, desire to work in the nature and field research
- communication skills, good knowledge of English language
 represent fully registered NGO/Institution which has PIC number and uploaded registration documents to URF portal
 You are legally established in a country belonging to one of the following groups:
- the 27 EU member states
As a part of the project all volunteers will visit (within several one-day excursions) the Cave Samograd, Kuterevo-refuge for bears, Old town Perušić, river Lika (boating), Center for fruit processing - Perušić, National park "North Velebit"
.
Near the Cave park are several Nature and National parks (within 50km) - NP „Plitvice lakes“, Nature park „Velebit“, Memorial centre „Nikola Tesla“, Adventure park „Rizvan city“. Adriatic sea is 1 hour of driving from the Cave park (Zadar, Karlobag, Senj...).

Important:
Work experience is not necessary, everything what you need is a desire to work in protected area and dealing with matters concerning on environmental protection.
Together with your application please send a motivation letter.