Volunteer Abroad Portugal: Wolf Conser­va­tion

If you want to join this project, you need to be at least 20 years old, have good skills and are interested in being part of a dedicated conservation project. It is very important that you are physically fit as participating in the project involves lots of manual work (including carrying heavy items) in rough terrain. This is why we ask you to hand in a medical questionnaire, signed by your doctor, confirming that you are healthy and fit. Obtaining travel health insurance is also obligatory before your participation in the project. Entry conditions in Portugal depend on the citizen nationality and the agreements between Portugal and the country of origin. Please contact your country’s foreign department for detailed information or ask the team at Natucate. Last but not least, it is essential that you have a high level of interest in species conservation, and are a team player, open-minded, flexible, able to work independently and willing to help.

We offer comprehensive support during your travel preparations. We are always available to answer your questions, advise you on the choice of travel insurance and help you book your flights. We provide you with sufficient pre-departure information material and will be available 24/7 during your stay in the project.

On site, the programme fee includes transfer from Vale da Guarda to the project site and back (except for weekends/holidays), accommodation during the project period, training on-site, safety equipment and a weekly transfer to a grocery store. The programme fee does not include flights, visa fees (if necessary), travel insurance costs, airport transfer to/from Vale da Guarda, board and personal expenses (e.g. souvenirs, calling card, individual trips/transfers etc.).

Depending on from where you travel to Portugal, no special vaccinations need to be taken care of in advance. In general, however, it is advisable to get the following vaccinations when travelling: measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and rabies. More information/advice can be found, for example, on the pages of the CDC.

You should also take your own small first-aid kit with you that includes plasters, electrolytes, antihistamines, diarrhea medication and (head) pain killers. In addition, you should take sufficient amounts of medication with you that must be taken daily. Before starting your journey, please talk to your doctor about possible risks and recommended vaccinations. Authorities such as the foreign office of your country may also provide you with comprehensive travel and safety information. Obtaining travel health insurance is obligatory for all volunteers.

Please bring comfortable and sturdy hiking shoes/boots, working gloves, rather warm clothes for winter and light clothes for summer. In summer you should additionally pack a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent and even a mosquito net. In winter you should pack warm plus waterproof clothing as well as an extra pair of boots. Don’t forget a daypack, a lunch box, a refillable water bottle, a personal small aid kit, a mobile phone/alarm clock, toiletries, an adapter and a book for reading.
Note: Bring clothes that can get dirty!

You can participate in the project for either two weeks or four weeks.

You need to arrive at Lisbon International Airport (LIS). From Lisbon you need to take the subway from the airport to Campo Grande and then take a bus from Campo Grande to Vale da Guarda where you should arrive between 02:00 PM and 04:00 PM on the day the project starts. Here, our project partner will pick you up and take you to the project site.
Please schedule your flight to Lisbon accordingly – if you come from overseas you may need to arrive a day earlier and spend one night in the city (at own cost).

After arrival at the project site, you can settle in and get to know your team and supervisors. Afterwards, you’ll receive an overview of the project, including its aims, tasks and important rules and regulations. Project works starts on the following day.

A typical volunteer day looks like this:

• 08:00 – 09:00 AM: Breakfast
• 09:00 – 12:00 AM: Conservation activities
• 12:00 – 02:00 PM: Lunch break
• 02:00 – 06:00 PM: Conservation activities
• 06:00 PM – bedtime: Free time (incl. dinner)

Your daily schedule is subject to sudden change. Please be patient, open-minded and flexible.

Tasks are assigned each morning. The team often gets divided into smaller subgroups.
Your volunteer tasks include:

• Food preparation for the wolves (involves handling raw meat!)
• Feeding the wolves
• Checking the wolves’ water supplies
• Forest maintenance: tree felling and pruning, removing branches and other material, vegetation clearing with the help of agricultural tools, fire watch during summer months (may include night rounds)
• Infrastructure maintenance: checking walls and fences of wolf enclosures, painting, improving pathways

Forest maintenance is about 70% of your work as a volunteer; feedings are three times a week and water rounds take place one to four times a day.

Please note: You will not be allowed to touch the wolves. Furthermore, we cannot guarantee that you will see them as the enclosure covers an area of 18 ha and has a dense vegetation.

There will be around 10 volunteers in a group.

Volunteers live on the sanctuary grounds in wooden cabins that have dormitories, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room and a dining area. They live in a single room or share a room with one to three other project participants. The kitchen of each house is fully equipped, including a fridge, a freezer, a stove, an oven, a microwave and cooking utensils. A washing machine is also available; towels and blankets will be provided.
Volunteers are responsible for doing the washing and keeping the houses tidy.

Volunteers are responsible for their daily meals. Once a week our partner takes them to a large supermarket where they can purchase all kinds of groceries. To prepare their meals they can use the kitchen that is available in each volunteer cabin. Drinkable water is also available in the house. Volunteers should be aware that they are responsible for cleaning the dishes and kitchen utensils they have used.

As you will be responsible for getting your food items, pretty much any kind of diet is possible. Nevertheless, we ask you to inform us beforehand in case you follow any certain kind of diet.

Five days per week are intended as workdays on which volunteers work from around 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM. Two days, usually the weekend, serve as off days. The evening hours of each workday are free, as well.

Weekends are usually off, just like the evening hours of a workday. You can use the weekends to go on a trip, either by yourself or together with your team members, to explore places like Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve. Our partner is happy to give you some leisure time advice and to help you with public transport. In the evening hours of a workday you can relax together with the other participants, play card/board games or read a book.

Yes, there are always supervisors available who can help you with questions or problems. The team at Natucate is also available 24/7.

The official currency in Portugal is Euro. If you are not coming from a European country, you can order a certain amount of Euro at your bank a couple of weeks before your departure. You also have the possibility to exchange money at the airport in Lisbon or withdraw money with a credit card at an ATM at the airport (or in other cities you might go to in your free time). In the supermarket close to the sanctuary grounds, volunteers can pay with card or cash; and there are ATM machines available. For the first few days in the project it is advisable to bring a certain amount of “emergency” cash with you.
Accommodation during the project is provided, whereas airport transfer, food/meals and free time activities are not included in the programme fee.

In order to reach friends and family at home, it is best to purchase a Portuguese SIM card (incl. a suitable calling plan) to be able to make phone calls and maybe even to use the internet. WiFi is also available at our partner’s office on the sanctuary grounds, about a minute walking distance from your cabin.

Portugal has an atlantic climate. Summers are hot, winters are mild but humid. Temperatures usually fluctuate between 0°C and 16°C and can reach 40°C and more in summer.

The consumption of alcohol or other drugs is not allowed while being on sanctuary grounds. Failure to comply with these camp rules will result in immediate termination of participation in the programme, without any refund of costs. Furthermore, participants who smoke cannot join the project – e-cigarettes are an exception.

There are three hospitals close to the sanctuary all of which can be reached in 20 to 40 minutes driving time. In the city of Mafra, about 20 minutes driving time from the sanctuary grounds, there is also a health centre opened 24h for emergencies where a volunteer can be taken to in case he/she is not feeling well. Our partner is furthermore in continuous contact with Civil Protection, responsible for evacuating people in case of a wildfire.