Useful information
During the project, the specialized staff of the Center will be at your complete disposal to introduce you to ringing techniques, the recognition of bird species, ages and sexes, the migration strategies of passerines and the experiments on the ecophysiology of migratory birds conducted by researchers from the University of Vienna and the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Munich. This is only on days of normal or low catches. It is also important to remember that the Center carries out research activities in the field and not actual didactic activities. The learning by the volunteers takes place, therefore, during the ringing activities and through the questions and the daily interview with the staff of the Center and not with actual lessons. The Center organizes a one-hour lesson each week on the Small Islands Project. The lesson is usually held on days when the nets are closed or when catches are particularly low.
The main activities of the volunteers consist of checking the nets and helping in the collection of data during the ringing operations. This in days of normal or intense catches. In the event of adverse weather conditions, the nets are kept closed. In this case, the volunteers are free and can devote themselves to other activities. The rest of the free time of the volunteers, in case of closure of the networks, is self-managed. A small bird library is available for those interested. In case of open nets but scarce catches, the volunteers are divided into groups in order to allow them to have free time during the day. Also in this case, the time of the volunteers is self-managed. For further information and details on carrying out the activity at the Center you can consult the activity protocol on our website (Resources/Documents and Forms).
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The minimum period of participation is one week (Saturday to Saturday) in which basic goods and accommodation are provided. Sheets, sleeping bags and towels are at the expense of the participants. Primary goods (pasta, rice, canned goods, cleaning items, toilet paper, napkins, oil, salt, sugar, coffee, tea, milk, rusks) are made available at the beginning of each week by the Research Center in based on the number of participants. Once the supplies provided have run out, it will be the responsibility of the volunteers to buy food for the rest of the stay. The Center does not make gluten-free pasta and bread available, as they cannot be purchased on the island. For this reason, we advise you to bring gluten-free food from home. The other goods not included in the list of primary goods are not made available by the Center but can be purchased in shops about 100 meters away from the lodgings. A pizzeria and several restaurants are also available for both lunch and dinner.
Places for the volunteer experience at the Center are limited, so it is advisable to book well in advance!
You can find all the useful documents in the section of the site 'Resources/Documents and forms'.
For more information and to book a week at the Ponza Research Center write an email to massimiliano.cardinale@slu.se indicating your chosen week and an alternative week.
