Volunteering in a Wildlife Shelter — Itálie

ESC VOLUNTEERING TEAM IN A WILDLIFE SHELTER

Parco Faunistico di Piano dell’Abatino is currently looking for 12 volunteers that will support the staff members in their activities of animal keeping, spaces maintenance and spreading awareness on biodiversity protection.

Volunteering teams can also include Italian participants, former EVS/ESC short and long term participants.

Giardino Faunistico di Piano dell’Abatino is a rescue centre for wild animals that are in difficulties. One of the main activities of the Park is the recovery of wild animals. GFPA has been providing refuge and animal care since 1980. The park is a refuge for individuals saved from vivisection labs, for animals injured by hunters or other human activities and no longer fit to be reintroduced in the wild and for those animals considered to be normally as cannon fodder. The aim of the park’s activities is to heal the injured or sick animals: many of them can be released in the wild if they are completely recovered. At the moment the Park gives hospitality to about 400 animals, belonging to several species of mammalians, birds and reptiles.

Where: Poggio San Lorenzo, Italy

When: from 16 September to 6 October 2024

Who: 18-30 years old volunteers resident in EU member countries, Italy included, or Ukraine. Applications from other countries will not be considered

Hosting Organisation: Website – Facebook page

Applications deadline: July 21, 2024

Activities:

The volunteer will support the staff members in the following tasks:

• Logistics related to the daily life of exotic and local fauna individuals that cannot be released in the wild (food preparation and distribution, enclosures cleaning…)
• Spaces maintenance (building fences, repairing structures…)
• Logistics related to the daily life of injured or sick animals allowing their recovery and, if possible, supporting their introduction to the natural environment
• Promoting and spreading evolutionary process knowledge through the direct observation of animals (creation of social media contents and educational panels)
• Carrying out education activities and environmental education to support the development of a right relationship between man and other animals.

Click on the image below to watch a video about the experience of two long term European Solidarity Corps volunteers in the Park:

Food and accommodation will be covered by the European Commission; the volunteers will have health insurance and pocket money (6 euro per day, given monthly in cash). Travel expenses will be refunded up until a fixed amount  (180 € from 100 to 499 km distance, 275 € from 500 km to 1999 km, 360 € if more). The volunteer will be accommodated in a small house at 10 minutes walking distance from the Park, equipped with kitchen, bathroom, wi-fi, washing machine. The house and room are shared with another female volunteer.

The volunteer will work 35 hours a week with two consecutive free days per week (not necessarily Saturday and Sunday). These hours include 1 hour for a meeting with the coordinator of the activities, that coaches the volunteers on their tasks, 1 hour for a meeting with the mentor, that evaluates the volunteers’ project, satisfaction and learning process.

Criteria:

• Available for the exact period (16 September – 6 October 2024)
• 18-30 years old
• Resident in EU member countries, Italy included, or Ukraine
• Basic level in English
• Ready to live in an intercultural context in a rural, isolated area, with the closest bus stop at 20 minutes walking down hill
• Ready to share a small house, and small room, with another (female) ESC volunteer
• Good time management, adaptability, patience, open-mindedness, team-work
• Previous education and working experiences in the described activities are welcome but not necessary
• Vaccination against tetanus and hepatitis.

Deadline to apply is July 21, 2024. The pre-selected candidates will be contacted for an online interview.