PROJECT ENVIRONMENT: PROFILE OF THE ORGANISATION AND LOCAL COMMUNITY

- SPEA's headquarters are in Lisbon, and there are offices in Madeira and Azores islands. This project will be mainly developed in Madeira, integrated in SPEA-Madeira activities.

- Madeira archipelago is situated in the Atlantic Ocean about 1000 km from continent of Europe and 500 km from African Coast. The archipelago comprises two inhabited islands (Madeira and Porto Santo) and 2 uninhabited group of islands (Desertas and Selvagens) that are nature reserves.

- Madeira archipelago has 300.000 inhabitants and 30% lives in Funchal city.

- The project will take place at the Madeira Island delegation that is situated at Funchal. At this moment there is only one person working for SPEA at this region.

- SPEA develops work in all the archipelago islands both in conservation projects as well in environmental education projects

- Nowadays SPEA-Madeira has several projects ongoing such as i) Identification of Marine IBAs, ii) Conservation of Feae's Petrel, iii) Common Bird Census, iv) Conservation of Manx Shearwater and v) Birds and Power lines

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES FOR EVS VOLUNTEERS

We offer an ornithological formation developed both at the office as in the field.

The volunteer will have the possibility to discover different habitats since our studies are being developed in all Madeira archipelago. Besides the volunteer will have the opportunity to participate in environmental education activities that will improve his capacity to speak in public.

As SPEA-Madeira is a small office, with a friendly working environment, the volunteer will be able to work with autonomy and will be able to take his own decisions. We hope that the volunteer will feel as a member of the team.

The volunteer will have the opportunity to participate in every activity developed.
- Birds Census in many habitats of the island applying different kinds of methodology.
- Endemic species characterization
- Courses to increase the ornithological education
- Establish contacts with other entities for future collaborations
- Conferences

The volunteer will be responsible for the field work in a project SPEA wants to develop. The main objective of this project is to identify the distribution and population size of an endemic bird that only exists in Madeira and Porto Santo island (Madeira Kinglet Regulus madeirensis). During the work the volunteer will always be accompanied with other member of the team but each one will develop different methodologies. The volunteer will be responsible to compilate and analyse all data recorded and will also have an important role on the final report ellaboration.

This project also intends to develop several educational campaigns with schools and other targeted groups through all Madeira island and Porto Santo. At this activities the volunteer will have the opportunitie to show his work at Madeira and aware local population to this species. This activities includes field trips to observe the bird, public communications and develop games with children.

The volunteer will also participate in the creation of all awareness material such as brochures, powerpoint presentations, games and merchandising products.

VOLUNTEER PROFILES AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

We need a voluntary with
- Good knowledge of birds and identification tecnhiques.
- Good interpersonal skills and naturally inclined towards collaboration
- Demonstrable experience on field work
- Open mind scientific enthusiasm
- Hard work capacity and hability to work on his own iniciative
- Knowledge of at least Portuguese and English (written and spoken)

For the recruitement we request a motivation letter and a detailed CV.

After a first selection through the motivation letter and CV analyse we will contact the volunteers and make a telephonic interview.

RISK PREVENTION, SAFETY AND PROTECTION

Madeira island is a small island that lives from tourism. Local people are friendly and are always available to help.
As SPEA-Madeira office is small the volunteer will always be in touch with the tutor. In the beginning the volunteer will always be accompanied to develop the field work and the other duties.

The main motivation about participating in an EVS experience is collaboration and exchange of knowledge between European organizations.

The cultural interchange is important for the good developing of a social project and richness of other points of view makes them be carried out more successfully.

We would like to contribute to the creation of a common European culture with special interests in environmental problems.

Our participation in this programme will contribute:

- Proposing the opportunity to give a specific formation in the environmental area that nowadays is important for youth deriving from general formations as environmental sciences or Biology. Give the opportunity to discover other ways of study and to contact with organisations that usually are impenetrable because of the absence of job opportunities or funds.

- Diffusion of our work. European population needs to be aware of the importance of recover and conservation of habitats and biodiversity that are finally linked to the well-being of the society.

- Promote an exchange between volunteers interested in Ornithology and our organisation.

This will be our first involvement in EVS and we expect successful results that will ensure a higher motivation. The intention is to open the possibility to collaborate several times in this programme.
We would like to receive our first volunteers as soon as possible.

SPEA is a non-governmental organisation that works for the conservation of birds and their habitats in Portugal. Our mission is to work for the study and conservation of birds and theirs habitats, contributing to the natural heritage sustainable development that will belong to the next generation.

In general terms SPEA objectives are:
- To promote, dynamize and diffuse biological bird studies and development of scientific bases and techniques for management and conservation.
- To promote conservation of wild bird populations and theirs habitats in Portugal
- To promote ornithology and its valorisation.
- To promote activities of environmental education directed to our members, students of different degrees and general population

As a not-for-profit association, it depends on the support of its members and other donors to pursue its objectives. It is ruled by the statutes, the Intern Regulations, the General Assembly deliberations furthermore by the Civil Code and Complementary Legislation.

Nowadays there are about 20 people working for SPEA, mainly in headquarter at Lisbon and in Azores and Madeira Island. The staff is young with ages between 25 and 40 and multidisciplinary with specialists in birds, environmental education and finance and marketing.