THE KATELIOS GROUP FOR THE RESEARCH AND PROTECTION OF MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL LIFE
The Katelios Group was founded in 1994 and consists mainly of local people with an interest in the long-term future of the Island of Kefalonia. The Group is concerned with researching and protecting the dramatically declining physical environment and aims through its activities to find solutions to local environmental problems and to promote sustainable development, by working with interested organisations and individuals.
The Group has experience in developing and running externally funded projects and currently runs one European Voluntary Service Project, (which is funded by the European Commission and the General Secretary of Youth – Ministry of Education- Greece) called the “Kefalonian Conservation Project” – concerning the research and protection of marine turtles, Caretta Caretta, on the nesting beaches of Kefalonia and the promotion of sustainable tourism.
The Group also runs an Environment and Culture Centre that displays environmental information, which is used for holding meetings, presentations as well as evening classes. The Group has experience in developing and running presentation programmes and festivals, in order to raise public awareness; education programmes and projects (for both children and adults) and developing and undertaking scientific research projects.
Organization Type: Non-governmental, Non-profit
Activities: Advocacy, Conservation, Education, Monitoring, Outreach, Research, Stranding
Volunteering
During nesting season (late May – early August) a team of volunteers patrols the nesting beach every night (22:30-05:30) looking for turtle tracks. When a team finds a nesting female, data about the turtle (health, size, tag number) is collected.
Measuring a turtle nest: The eggs hatch after a period of about 55 days (August – September). During hatchling season the beach is not patrolled at night so that hatchlings can get to the water with as little disturbance as possible. Volunteers are on the beach early in the morning and also during the day. Volunteers keep the beach clean, remove obstacles that may prevent the hatchlings from reaching the water safely, and collect data on nests and hatchlings also with excavations.
Volunteers take part in another vital action: environmental education. Tourists and locals are informed on how to reduce or avoid actions that could harm turtles (even the most harmless-looking, like building a sandcastle) through leaflets, presentations, and permanent exhibitions in our Environmental Centre. During the day, volunteers staff the Environmental Centre and the info desks in the village of Katelios and on Mounda beach.
Other activities include cleaning nesting beaches, taking part in turtle rescues/burials when they get reports of injured or dead turtles, and organizing the Environmental Festival in August.
Contact Info
Please mention Kefalonia By Anna when you contact
