ESC vacancies at SPEA, Lisbon, Portugal

Associação Spin, acting as the Coordinating organization, is currently looking for 2 ESC volunteers for a project with our local partner, Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, starting in November 2020!

Hosting Organisation: SPEA
Coordinating Organisation: Associação Spin
Activity start date: 1st November 2020
Activity end date: 31st October 2021
Activity duration: 12 months
Vacancies: 2 (for candidates residing in EU or EFTA countries)
Application deadline: 31st August 2020
Application consists of: filling this Google form + CV and project ­specific motivation letter
Application sent to: evs.spea@a-spin.pt

The Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds is a non­-governmental non-­profit environment organization that promotes the study and conservation of birds and their habitats in Portugal, funded in 1993. It is the Portuguese member of BirdLife International.

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES:

» Project 1: SPEA’s Marine Conservation Department

The volunteer will be integrated in the Marine Conservation Department and will be mostly involved in in the project “Life Ilhas Barreira”, coordinated by SPEA. Intervention area (and field work) is in the south of Portugal (Ria Formosa Natural Park, Algarve), and office activities will be mostly done in Lisbon, at SPEA’s headquarters. The project can include a variety of tasks:

– Seabird census at sea;
– Support in capture-manipulation-ringing-release of seabirds (e.g.  Audouin’s Gull, yellow-legged gull, little tern);
– Seagull monitoring and counting in fishing ports and landfills;
– Coastal inspections to detect dead birds;
– Mapping native and invasive plants, and removal of invasive plants;
– Mapping, capture-marking- release (including camera-trapping) of introduced mammals – cats and rodents;
– Support to raising awareness actions for the general public;
– Support to the production of raising awareness resources and reports;
– Work with databases: insertion of data, processing of photos from camera-traps;
– Possibility of collaboration in other activities (ex. birdwatching training) and projects;
– Possibility of developing a personal project.

» Project 2: SPEA’s Terrestrial Conservation + Environmental Citizenship Departments

The volunteer will be mostly involved in environmental education actions,and conservation work, integrated in several different projects of 2 SPEA departments (Terrestrial Conservation and Environmental Citizenship Dep.), with a diversity of tasks, that might implicate travel with SPEA team:

– Environmental education: support the preparation and realization of actions for schools – for students and/or teachers  (including preparation of materials, etc);
– Events: support to the organization of events for the general public (e.g. nature days, nature festivals), including  birdwatching activities;
– Other field work: bird surveys/census; prospection of birds under powerlines, etc.;
– Office work: database input; data analysis (with Excel, ArcGIS, etc), etc.;
– Support other staff members of SPEA with their projects;
– Possibility of collaboration in other activities (ex. birdwatching training) and projects
– Possibility of developing a personal project.

SPEA intends to support the volunteers to create their own events or initiatives, in accordance with their principles and upon Board’s approval.

LOGISTICS & PRACTICAL INFO:

• Travel cost – The two-way travel (from place of residence to Lisbon and back) will be reimbursed up to the limit of 275€ (180€ for volunteers coming from cities close to the Portuguese border); volunteers facing economic obstacles will be able to request a higher limit, depending on their country of residence.
• Accommodation – Coordinating & hosting organization, Associação Spin, will provide the lodging in a flat as close to the office and the city centre as possible. If the apartment is located in the city centre, the volunteers will spend around 35 minutes to reach the working place. The volunteers will have to share the room with another volunteer/student/young person (room and connected expenses are paid by Associação Spin). They may also – if so, wished by the volunteer – receive a monthly accommodation allowance and be solely responsible for finding and paying for their own accommodation.
• Food & transportation – A monthly allowance of 180€ will be provided by Associação Spin to cover food expenses and local public transportation in Lisbon. While doing field work, food, accommodation and transportation (from Lisbon to the work area) will be provided by SPEA.
• Pocket money – Every month the volunteers will receive 150€ as pocket money.
• Working hours – The volunteers are expected to spend 30-35 hours a week working. The daily timetable includes time for language learning, lunch, social activities and development of own project ideas, etc.
• Days off – Volunteers are entitled to two days off per week (usually on Saturday and Sunday) as well as 2 extra days of vacation for every month of their voluntary work.

VOLUNTEERS’ PROFILE: WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are looking for young motivated volunteers aged 18-30, open minded, eager to learn about new cultures and lifestyles, as well as to participate in the project activities.It is not required to have any particular degree of formal education, but to have positive and proactive attitude, show tolerance, flexibility, motivation and enthusiasm. In this project, patience and the capacity to work in a team, sometimes in a isolated Island environment, will be highly appreciated. We encourage applications especially from youngsters who already have some experience in volunteering or in working with environment related issues, namely with birds (e.g. birdwatching), environmental education and GIS software, , available to commit to a long term experience of volunteer work abroad and willing to know more about the work developed in ornithology and environmental preservation in Portugal. Any knowledge of Portuguese is a plus, however it is not a requirement.

All candidates must be registered with the European Solidarity Corps.

SELECTION PROCESS:

In order to be considered for the vacancies, each candidate has to fill this Google form and send  (in only 1 single e-mail):

1. up-to-date CV,
2. project-specific Motivation Letter

The complete applications (CV + project-specific Motivation Letter) should be sent to evs.spea@a-spin.pt no later than 31st August 2020.

Final remarks (please read carefully):

• this project is already approved by the ESC Program;
• this is an open call with no assigned sending/supporting organization (we will partner up with the sending organization of the selected volunteer);
• only candidates residing in EU or EFTA countries may apply may apply;
• please make sure you are registered with the European Solidarity Corps;
• we only accept complete applications that contain all the required documents;
• due to the high number of candidates, we are only able to contact the short-listed candidates (in order to invite them for a brief Skype interview);
• all the other candidates will be informed about the selection results by September 25^th through our website.

GOOD LUCK!