Volunteering in Europe

Loggerhead hatchlings being released after marking.

Article by: Fran Parnell & Stuart Cooper, June 2006

Whether you're a gap-year adventurer, an office worker taking a well-earned break or a retiree with time to spare, you'll be invigorated by the choice of projects on offer. Help protect wildlife, excavate archaeological sites, dive into underwater research projects, plant trees or build walking trails in a national park, or give disadvantaged children a holiday to remember.

Not only will you be making the world a better place, but working with local people will give you an unparalleled insight into their communities. Experience as a volunteer can give you new skills, build your confidence and even help you towards a new career.

There are literally thousands of European volunteering holidays, and we've picked six of the finest to whet your appetite.

Protect Loggerhead Turtles in Greece

After flippering thousands of kilometres through the ocean currents, loggerhead turtles (Caretta carreta) return to Greece's soft, sandy beaches to nest. But predators, pollution and over-development have taken their toll, and these beautiful creatures are now an endangered species.

In association with Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, you can join the fight to halt the declining population. The organisation has been protecting sea turtles since 1983 and takes on 500 international volunteers every year to help with vital conservation and educational work.

You'll be posted at the turtle rookeries on Zakynthos (Zante), the Peloponnese or Crete. At these spots you will be making night patrols, monitoring nests, assisting with public awareness programmes and helping out around the volunteers' tented accommodation. You may also be posted at the Turtle Rescue Centre in Athens.

Depending on where you're based, your spare time could include: a bake on Zakynthos's golden beaches; a visit to the spectacular Byzantine cities of Mystras or Monemvasia in the Peloponnese; a mountain hike in Crete; or immersion in the temples and tavernas of Athens.

Cost: €150.00 registration fee, including accommodation (camping) but not food; volunteers must stay for at least 28 days. Book at www.archelon.gr

A puffin at Látrabjarg in summer, Iceland

Conserve Iceland's Natural Wilderness

If you're a hardy outdoor type with a passion for nature's toughest paradises, then volunteering at Europe's largest national park should suit you. Thundering waterfalls, twisting birch woods, and the brilliant blue-white Vatnajökull ice-cap make Skaftafell Iceland's favourite wilderness.

With only 10 locals living in the area but around 160,000 visitors per year, the wardens need all the help they can get. The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) leads groups into the reserve to repair footpaths, restore historical farmsteads and eradicate the blue lupin, a floral trespasser.

If you're a hardy outdoor type with a passion for nature's toughest paradises, then volunteering at Europe's largest national park should suit you.

Be prepared for isolation though: Skaftafell lies beyond a vast plain of black volcanic sand approximately 70km from the nearest settlement, so don't expect a thriving nightlife here. Evenings are spent down at base camp, where you'll find hot showers and a small shop.

For your time off, BTCV organise excursions to Jökulsárlón, where icebergs float silently out to sea; and Ingólfshöfdi, a dramatic cliff stuffed with Iceland's famous puffins. On the way back home, make time for the sights and sounds of Reykjavík, including a wallow in the steamy Blue Lagoon - you'll have earned it!

Cost: From £390.00 for 11 days, including accommodation (camping) and excursions. Book through www.btcv.org

Restore Scotland's Caledonian Forest

Trees for Life is an inspirational charity working in the Highlands of Scotland to restore the ancient Caledonian Forest, once a mighty 15,000-sq-km expanse of hearty trees. A working week in Glen Moriston or Glen Affric (one of Scotland's most beautiful glens) could be the ideal introduction to conservation volunteering.

The philosophy of Trees for Life is that by working together, and through contact with nature, there's a real possibility for lasting ecological change. It's rewarding and varied work: you might find yourself collecting seeds, planting trees, or 'rewilding' an area of plantation. Keep an eye out for a vast array of birds and animals native to the pinewoods, including red squirrels, black grouse and the parrot-like Scottish crossbill.

On your day off, you can discover Scotland's misty moors and rocky shores. The incredible mountain ridges of Kintail, particularly the Five Sisters, will be irresistible to walkers; or try spotting dolphins on the Moray Firth.

Cost: One week from £90.00, including accommodation. There are occasional 'Gentle Weeks' for those who are physically less able. Book at www.treesforlife.org.uk

Restore a Historic Village in Provence, France

Join local craftsmen on the award-winning La Sabranenque project and learn the ancient arts of rustic building. International volunteers are taught how to restore medieval houses and preserve the traditional building skills that give Provence its unique appearance.

Under the walls of a ruined castle, you'll put your new-found talents to good use, dry-stone walling, stone-cutting, building wooden roofs, and shoring up foundations. The pure satisfaction of physical labour and a job well done is hard to beat.

International volunteers are taught how to restore medieval houses and preserve the traditional building skills that give Provence its unique appearance.

La Sabranenque have completely restored the ruined village of St Victor la Coste, and this magnificent project will be your temporary home (and inspiration!). As usual in France, the food is a highlight, prepared in sumptuous Mediterranean style by a team of local cooks.

There are plenty of afternoons free for leisurely strolls through dusty vineyards and picturesque villages. A regional sightseeing-and-shopping tour is included - indulge in truffles, olive oil and fine wines. If you're staying on in the area, don't miss the dizzying Roman Pont du Gard aqueduct, or Avignon's Palais des Papes, once the home of the French popes.

Cost: One/two weeks $530.00/$710.00, including accommodation and excursions. Book at www.sabranenque.com

Teach Orphans at the Kitezh Children's Community in Russia

If your passion is to work with youngsters, head off to the Kaluga region of Russia (300km south of Moscow) and take part in the innovative Kitezh Children's Community. Rising from the ashes of Old Russia, it was set up as an alternative to the truly appalling state orphanages. Teachers, foster parents, volunteers and kids all live and work together in a pioneering educational experiment.

As a volunteer, you'll teach English to children and adults, as well as pitching in with the running of the village, repairing buildings and helping with kitchen and farm work. Volunteers live with families in traditional wooden houses, becoming immersed in day-to-day life. It's an intense experience, and you'll probably learn as much about yourself as you do about the intricacies of therapeutic play.

As well as building a better future for the country's most vulnerable children, you'll be ideally positioned to discover the real Russia. This is your chance to visit sprawling Moscow and investigate what lies behind the cliched gangster-and-oil-billionaire headlines.

Cost: One month £540.00, including accommodation. Some basic Russian recommended. Book at www.ecologia.org.uk

Dig for Archaeological Finds in Pomerania, Poland

The 4000 burial mounds of the Kashubian people are a budding archaeologist's dream. The necropolis stretches for a staggering 7km, making the Uniradze site Poland's (and possibly Europe's) largest burial ground. Who knows what treasures you might find as you sift through 2000 years of history?

Once you've put down the pickaxes and paintbrushes, it's time to go exploring - lush Kashubia is reputedly the place where God put all the spare trees, lakes and rivers!

This is a wonderful opportunity to dig at a very varied site. The mounds nestle among bewitching pine and beech woods, and date from the late Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. It's suspected that excavations might even unearth Viking artefacts. After getting down and dirty in the field, you'll also spend time cataloguing finds, taking photographs and making sketches back in the lab.

Once you've put down the pickaxes and paintbrushes, it's time to go exploring - lush Kashubia is reputedly the place where God put all the spare trees, lakes and rivers! A visit to the Kashubian Landscape Park is included in the holiday, as is a tour of cosmopolitan Gdansk, home to the state archaeological museum. Recommended if staying on in Pomerania are the Baltic beaches and historic Torun, the birthplace of Copernicus and host to several summer festivals.

Cost: One week £650.00, including accommodation and excursions. Book at www.earthwatch.org