APB-BirdLife Belarus
invites volunteers to participate in the AW counts 2010. The total
area of AW breeding sites in Belarus is at about 280 km2.
Participation of a big number of skilled volunteers is needed to
cover this area with complete counts of this globally threaten
species.
Name of
hosting organization:
APB-BirdLife
Belarus
Where and
When:
Counts will take
place at Aquatic Warbler
breeding sites in Brest region (SW Belarus) according the
schedule below:
1st Session
Place: Zvanets mire / Middle
Prypiats floodplain (parallel)
Arrival: 24th of
May 2010
Duration: up to 2 weeks
Deadline for applications: 6th
May 2010
2nd Session
Place: Sporava mire
Arrival: 10th of
June 2010
Duration: up to 2 weeks
Deadline for applications: 17th
May 2010
3rd
Session
Place: Zvanets mire / Almany
mires (parallel)
Arrival: 28th of
June 2010
Duration: up to 2 weeks
Deadline for applications: 17th
May 2010
AW
site Bile and Pesochne Lakes (NW Ukraine) will be additionally
surveyed during the 3rd Session together with our Ukrainian
colleagues.
Only the largest AW breeding sites are mentioned here. Small and
medium size sites will be counted simultaneously by additional
teams or during spare time between large sites.
Requirements to participants:
- General skills
in bird identification and mapping. You only need to be able to
tell Sedge Warbler from
Aquatic Warbler by sound;
- Use of hand-held
GPS unit;
- Physical
fitness, as lots of walking and
wading
in wet terrain is required;
- Have no major health
problems;
- Be 18 years old or older.
What’s in
it for You:
Taking part in AW
counts in Belarus gives you opportunity to visit the biggest
open fen mires of Europe and enjoy their unique biodiversity.
You will learn a lot about Aquatic Warblers and get a chance to
do some great birding in your spare time and during your work.
You will get to know the work of a BirdLife Partner in Belarus:
a teem of experienced ornithologists from APB and from The
National Academy of Sciences of Belarus will work together with
you during the counts. ABP will assist in applying for a visa
and will guide you through other formalities.
Cost
estimates:
|
Item
|
Approximate cost, EUR
|
Who pays
|
|
Participation fee |
none |
|
|
Travel to Minsk*:
plain or
train
|
300
200
|
You
You
|
|
Belarusian visa
|
60
|
You
|
|
Medical insurance
|
0,5 per day
|
You
|
|
Registration and border zone permission
|
7
|
You
|
|
Travel from Minsk or Brest to project sites
|
|
APB
|
|
Local travels
|
|
APB
|
|
Accommodation:
in tents
in farm steads
|
free
15 per day
|
-
You
|
|
Subsistence
|
12 per day
|
APB
|
|
Equipment
|
None
|
GPS for
mapping of birds and radios will be provided by APB.
Personal
GPS could be brought just for orientation in the field.
|
*Only averaged travel costs are given. Factual costs will vary
from country to country.
Period of
staying?
We recommend a
minimum stay of 1 week, best would be 3-4 weeks. The core
Aquatic Warbler breeding season is from 10 May till 20 July. The
field work will take place between 24th May and 11th July 2010.
What work
will be involved?
Field work: travel
to and location of plots using GPS, Aquatic Warbler counting.
All the methodology is already set-up and the plots selected.
Long hours will be spent in the field.
What are
the hours of work and on which days of the week?
The counts will be
carried out any day of the week according to standardized
methodology starting one hour before the sunset finishing one
hour after it. Taking into consideration the area of the mires
each count could take up to 6 hours.
Living
arrangements?
Field conditions
or private accommodation nearby.
Is it
family-friendly?
No, unless you can
arrange a separate family programme alongside.
How you can participate?
Please, complete
Volunteer Application.
Supplemental information for
participants.
Applying for a visa.
Traveling to Belarus.
Staying in the country. (updated)
Pictures and comments from 2009.
Two ecologists from the UK took
part in the last AW counts and shared impressions at their blog.
Lots of places apart from AW sites were visited during their
long staying in Belarus.
For more information,
contact:
Uladzimir
Malashevich
BirdLife/CMS
International Aquatic Warbler Conservation Officer
APB-BirdLife
Belarus
P.O.Box 81,
Minsk, 220023 BELARUS
Phone: +375 29
3494165
fax: +375 17
2650811
e-mail:
malashevich@ptushki.org
|
Counting
Aquatic Warblers.
Photo: Aleg
Sozinau
Searching for
Red list Orchids.
Photo: Pia Reufsteck
Observing
Greater Spotted Eagle.
Photo: Pia Reufsteck
Location of AW
breeding sites in Belarus.
Prepared by:
Uladzimir Malashevich
|
Location of AW
breeding sites in Belarus.
Prepared by:
Uladzimir Malashevich