ICYE STEPS / DEMA PRIMILLA 2017

DEMA is a NGO, whose mains objectives are to promote the defence, study and maintenance of natural and cultural heritage using specific projects as environmental education, actions to maintenance the natural habitat of the Lesser Kestrels (Falco naumanni) and reproductive strategies of this endangered species. All the projects developed by DEMA are run with the help of the volunteers. DEMA is located in Almendralejo, province of Badajoz. It has around 30,000 inhabitants and it is an industrial city with several dealers in olives and wine cellarsIt is situated on the Silver route and in the centre of the municipality so it is surrounded by mountain ranges. This offers typical Mediterranean woods in perfect conservation state, like the "Sierra de Hornachos', a special protection bird area (ZEPA). The church of "Ntra. Sra. de la Purificación" has the biggest colony of lesser kestrel of Badajoz, with more than 100 couples in artifical nests set up by DEMA. This colony has been declared by the Environment General Department as a ZEPA. This is a special natural tourism attraction in the city. The premises of the breeding centre, DEMA, has an environmental education centre and a hostel with a kitchen. Main Activities DEMA's Activities are: 1. -Programme "Breeding colonies": maintenance activities and tasks of the Lesser kestrel Breeding Centre of DEMA, the only one in Extremadura breeding this species in risk, handling of reproductive pairs, control of incubators, feeding chickens, guided visits. Furthermore, the volunteer will collaborate with the French organisation LPO in the construction of a new breeding centre in France. 2. - Programme "Habitat Maintenance" - Control of wild colonies of lesser kestrel, artificial nest-site installation, restoration of old nests, cleaning and monitoring of breeding areas. 3. -Programme "Environment Education Centre". - Nature activities, workshops, trips, projections, monitoring and study of lesser kestrels of the breeding centre. Volunteer tasks 1. Support tasks at the Lesser kestrel Breeding centre: Maintenance of the breeding room (rats and breeding room), control cells of reproductive lesser kestrels (daily revision, watering, feeding,Â…), control couples in the mating season, control egg lays, collect eggs, control incubators (temperature and humidity)check the first births (control of weight, colour, observation of chickens). Feeding chickens during first days, monitoring of broods, participation in freeing the birds that have been bread and in the programmes for the re-introducing of lesser kestrels bred at the centre. 2. Support tasks in Lesser Kestrel Habitat Maintenance Programme - Control of wild colonies, artificial nest-site installation, rest orating, cleaning and monitoring of breeding areas. 3. Support tasks at the Environment Education Centre: Support monitors in nature and marquetry workshops, making panels and projection of slides. Apart from this, DEMA collaborates in the project LIFE 2005-2009 consisting in the reinforcement of the population of lesser kestrel in France. The international volunteers will have the luck off collaborating in the different actions in this sense: some of them are sample taking in areas of the region where lesser kestrel populations will be studied, determination of habitats, sample taking to recognise food requirements, gathering of pellets for its later study. Study of prey supply in nest areas of the ZEPA Parroquia de la Purificación. Radio-tracking of marked lesser kestrels, ringing of adults and chickens of lesser kestrel.