an Austrian - Turkish Youth Exchange
July 10-30, 2023
Antalya Region, Türkiye
In collaboration with the Turkish association EKAD we are organising a youth exchange called ‘Ocean Ambassadors Youth’ in Kizilot (near Antalya) Turkey this summer. Here you can find a short overview and information on how to participate.
Project Summary
The Ocean Ambassadors Youth is part of the campaign to protect endangered sea turtle species and draw attention to coastal ecosystems.
You will engage with the international community and sea turtle conservation, and their coastal ecosystem, raise awareness and draw attention to these threatened species and their habitat in the context of the global climate crisis.
Our Turkish-Austrian friendship and collaboration for the conservation of Sea Turtles is based on a long-term cooperative effort, dating back to 1993.
The Ocean Ambassadors Youth project will take place at a private camping site located in Antalya, near the beach. The venue provides a safe and comfortable environment for the participants to stay in during the project. The camping site is equipped with all necessary facilities, including a fully equipped kitchen, bathrooms, and a meeting room next to the tent area.
Costs
This Youth Exchange is funded by Erasmus +
The financial support includes food, accommodation in the well-equipped camp, airport transfers, administration and training costs as well as daily transport to the beach sections. The journey to the camp is self-organised.
Program
Early in the morning we set off in small teams to different parts of the beach to find and mark new sea turtle nests. We ensure that hatchlings reach the sea safely. At night, we patrol individual sections of the beach to find adults nesting and collect data on the nesting sea turtle population. During the day, breakfast is eaten together, the collected data is digitised and daily camp tasks are undertaken. We focus on cross-cultural activities such as cooking nights, in addition to working with sea turtles.
Team
Our team consists of members from MERA and EKAD. During your stay, you will be supervised by our Turkish field coordinators, but we from MERA will also be on site.
Location
Located on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, EKAD’s sea turtle conservation project is located in Belek and Kızılot, Antalya. Belek is one of the largest known sea turtle nesting areas in the Mediterranean, and Kızılot is another promising nesting area according to initial 2021 surveys.
How can you join?
Are you over 18 years old, do you speak English and are you ready to integrate into camp life in an international environment, to get involved in the daily chores and field work around living together and the conservation and scientific activities?
PERFECT – let’s get in contact with Felix.
No professional requirements are necessary.
We welcome applicants with fewer opportunities.
Diversity and Inclusion Disclaimer
As our project aims to promote diversity and inclusivity, we welcome all people to apply, regardless of their self-defined gender or pronouns. To achieve this, we will collect gender information in a separate column and use it solely for the purpose of ensuring balance and inclusivity in the selection process. We will actively seek out and encourage applications from young people in the earthquake-affected regions of Türkiye and people who fled from the war-affected regions of Ukraine to Austria and Türkiye. Additionally, we will explore ways to provide additional support to fund the traveling and accommodation costs of participants who may face financial barriers. While we acknowledge that the cost of travel may be higher for Austrian participants, we believe it is important to prioritize the inclusion of participants from both countries to promote a balanced and meaningful exchange of ideas and experiences.
