📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The association Great Bustard http://www.velikadroplja.rs/en/ was founded in 2013 by young enthusiasts who were ready to employ their university gained knowledge for the preservation and development of their local environment. The goals of the organization are conservation and habitat improvements of the Special Nature Reserve Pastures of the Great Bustard , conservation of its Great Bustard population, education of local inhabitants on the importance of habitat conservation and legal protection, rehabilitation of endangered sites, public advocacy for changing the practices in toxic and waste material management, preservation of tradition and rural tourism development. Hosting an international volunteer camp is significant for the development of the reserve in a sense of promotion for nature protection in the local environment. Involvement of the local community can bring an overall higher engagement of the locals and a more positive influence in environmental and nature protection. It would also result in works for improving the state of the reserve and developing its touristic potential, which is very significant for the local community.
💼 What the programme involves
The problem we encounter in the reserve s conservation is the existence of a large amount of neglected land which leads to an undesirable succession of this natural habitat, the only remaining habitat for the endangered Great Bustard in Serbia. Regular clean-up of these surfaces that are overgrown with weeds is also necessary for fire prevention. Volunteers will work on clearing and restoring the pastures, which implies mowing, manual removal of shrubby vegetation, collecting and disposing of waste materials. Volunteers should be ready to take on manual labour during 2i3 hours in the morning and 3i4 hours in the afternoon of each day.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Volunteers will be accommodated on a small farm at the edge of the reserve and at the visitor s centre. There are outdoor toilets and limited electric energy. Showers will be provided in the village. Sleeping bag needed. Volunteers should be prepared for very basic living conditions. The farm is equipped for meal preparations in a traditional manner. Meals will be prepared by hosts, but there will be opportunity for volunteers to cook some national dishes from they own countries.
📍 About the location
The Special Nature Reserve Pastures of great bustard spreads in northernieast Serbia, 10 km from the village Mokrin, close to Romanian and Hungarian border. Free time is intended for seeing the sites around Mokrin. There will be a lecture about nature protection in Serbia, conservation of this reserve, the Great Bustard and other occurring species. Also, workshops are planned to be included during the ringing of the birds, giving the participants an opportunity to familiarize with reserve s ornithofauna. Lectures and workshops will be held in English and led by experts in the field.