📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
A ROCHA is an Environmental NGO with more than 30 years of work and a wide experience related with volunteering as it has hosted hundreds of volunteers from all over the world throughout these years. A ROCHA's main projects are relating scientific research with environmental education of the local populations and environmental advocacy. We want to inform the local, regional, national and European authorities of the natural richness of the area and to make sure that is acknowledged and protected for its conservation. Our scientific approach gets us involved in partnerships with several national and international entities, from other NGOs, to Universities and others. This means that any volunteer joining our activities ends up in being exposed and work alongside with people from different backgrounds, both in terms of academic training, but also in nationalities, life experience, skills and many other things. We also seek to help volunteers to develop themselves both at a human level but also in their skills or even professionaly.
💼 What the programme involves
A Rocha Portugal wants to continue a preliminary assessment of the current situation of micro plastics in the Ria de Alvor by collecting data (sampling shoreline sediments and counting all plastic fragments up to 5 mm in diameter in a 2.500 cm2), public involvement by means of citizen science, public awareness questionnaires (e.g. testimonies collection from fishermen) and information dissemination (through informing those whom we ask the questionnaire).Through the ESC project we aim to collect more information, contributing to a better understanding of the problem while informing the public of this problem. We want to develop the project in a way that it involves international (ESC) volunteers, local communities and partners from other sectors that are not directly related to the environment, so that we can better understand the environmental impact of our choices and actions. In making this a community based conservation project, we aim to create a greater sense of belonging.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Accommodation: The volunteer will stay at the Centre run by the organization, in single sex dormitories, which will share with others, either short or long term volunteers or students.
Meals will be taken with all the team, and visitors, working and living at the Centre as well.
Transportation to the Centre for the first time (return flight and return train) will be fully supported by the hosting organization up to a maximum of 500 EUROS/volunteer (for the total of the return trip). Transportation, while in the project dates, if for personal usage, will be paid by the volunteer.
🎒 Leisure activities
Depending on the project type we might be developing, specific training might be needed. Above all it has been a very normal situation for us either to have volunteers in their gap year, and therefore prepare them for university studies and living on their own, or to have them straight after university and therefore encouraging them to share their knowledge while giving them freedom to experiment their newly learnt skills and encouraging the development of a professional mentality.
⚠️ Requirements
The Participant profile: We are looking for enthusiastic and energetic volunteers, with a heart for environmental matters, with capacity to work hard, either in a team or by themselves, and following scientific protocols. Volunteers must also be willing to engage in other environmental activities run by the organization, whether on science, education or dissemination.
Volunteers must have a sense of fun and come prepared to enjoy a good time, come with open mind for other cultures and other ways of doing things, and be ready to share their experience while also learning from others.
Deadline: No application deadline
ℹ️ Additional information
Participants are entitled to receive a Youthpass certificate from the organiser, for recognition of their competence development during the activity. Read more about Youthpass:https://www.youthpass.eu/en/
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label. The Quality Label certifies that the organisation is able to run projects in compliance with the principles and objectives of the European Solidarity Corps.