VOLUNTEER STORIES
We are proud of our Volunteers. Without you our work and achievements would be impossible. You give us the most precious thing one can give - your time. Every one of You has an unique and enriching story to tell - here are some of them:
Lauren has a broad experience in wildlife research, amongst which she has spent half a year in Brazilian rainforest researching primates. Her opinion on the ringing camp:
"Bird ringing camp in Poland has been hugely rewarding. Being part of the team and surrounded by bird specialists provided ample opportunities to learn a terrific amount of knowledge and skills. Everyone is really motivated to gain experience and dedicated to the patrols and data recording. I have gained species identification skills, intricate knowledge of bird plumage markings as well as special memories of a fantastic project. I can return to university with a greater skill set and apply it to future work"
Louise is a Countryside Education Ranger with a very inspiring lifestyle. She is a wildlife tracker and certified guide of Field Guides Association of South Africa. She has ringed Darwin's Finches on Galapagos and tracked Snow Leopards in Siberia. She has participated in numerous wilderness expeditions to Indonesia, Madagascar, Guyana, Seychelles, Guatemala, Antarctica, Sahara...
"On the Polish Owl Ringing Camp I enjoyed working alongside the experts - they were very patient, helpful and friendly. Thank you for a well-organized project."
Caroline is a birdwatching guide and entrepreneur. She operates her wildlife tourism company in Gambia.
"Bird Ringing Camp Aug/Sep 2016 was a wonderful experience. Despite basic conditions, it was enjoyable and rewarding. It was amazing working alongside such experienced ornithologists and I am in awe of their dedication and expert knowledge.
It is a great opportunity to learn new things. For those seeking jobs in this sector it is invaluable. Thank you."
Charlotte gained her previous experiences with birds when mist netting and ringing in Costa Rica and on fieldtrips to Australasia, where she also studied. She participated in an owl camp with us.
"A thank you to the Polish Owl Conservation Society for being so helpful and patient for us. They encouraged our direct participation which would not so easily happen in the UK. I got to hold and stroke an Owl! Dream come true!"
Adam is a Warden in SNH Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. He participated in the Operation Baltic Bird Ringing Scheme in Autumn 2016:
"The Polsh bird ringing camp is not a holiday, but you will meet some very interesting people and come nose to beak with some of Poland's most charismatic creatures."
Andrew is an ornithologist and has been a birdwatcher for 25 years. He has seen over 300 UK species of birds. His feedback on the Owl Ringing Camp in Poland:
"Come to the Polish Owl Ringing Camp!
It was great to spend time with so many nice people, British and Polish working together, to ring owls, play cards and enjoy the nature of an area richly blessed with wildlife. The Vistula spit is one of the most important migration bottlenecks in Europe, funnelling birds from the north east, out of Russian Kalingrad, to the north coast of Poland, and the nearby Vistula delta holds spectacular numbers of waterfowl.
Owls are elusive with beautiful cryptically coloured plumage and hard to see well in the wild so it was amazing to see them at such close quarters and with a mixture of presentations and direct experience to learn about the intricacies of plumage that allow the ringers to age and sex them.
The only way to learn to handle the birds is by doing it and the friendly and supportive atmosphere made this a great place to learn without too much pressure.
Daytimes were relaxed and we enjoyed walks along the Baltic shoreline looking for Amber, walking through woodlands looking for boars and deer or in the open country with the prospect of Bearded Tits in the reed beds or White-tailed Eagles hunting. I have every confidence that future Anglo-Polish camps will prove to be enjoyable and worthwhile endeavours and hope to return to Poland."