Join our Volunteer Program
This program is an outcome of former works by Desafio das Letras Árvore in delivering a set of impact.CAMPS in Santa Maria island, in cooperation with the Regional Government services and with support of the European Solidarity Corps and the LIFE Programme.
Benefitting from current financial support of the LIFE Programme through the project LIFE SNAILS (LIFE20 NAT/PT/0001377), it also entails a partnership with the local tourism operator Ilha a Pé, who runs a nature and hiking tourism program of high quality, which we fully recommend to all nature lovers.
Santa Maria Island is not only significant for the richness and diversity of its former species, now observed as fossils, but also for a variety of fauna and flora that are unique to the island and found nowhere else. These include numerous plant species you can observe throughout the island, as well as various land snails whose presence might be less evident to the casual visitor.
Adding to the ongoing professional efforts by the Regional Government's staff on habitat restoration for land snails, which you can also learn about and visit, our program aims to engage volunteers in specific tasks. These include nature restoration of private forest land, establishing hedgerows along agricultural fields, monitoring land snails in the project's restoration areas, and controlling invasive flora species in forest areas with conservation potential for land snails.
If you are passionate about nature and biodiversity conservation, this program is tailor-made for you! We hope it will fit your interests perfectly!
Furthermore, if you would like to combine it with additional nature tourism opportunities, we have partnered with Ilha a Pé to offer accommodation and self-guided programs under exceptional conditions. This way, you can extend your stay and benefit from a reduced offer on their wonderful program to hike around Santa Maria while enjoying their lovely, comfortable, and sustainable facilities.
In essence, for those interested, we are offering a volunteering program that combines the best of volunteering with the option to partake in responsible tourism. This includes:
a 9 full-day volunteering program, with travel (flight from Lisbon), lodging, and food costs fully supported by Desafio das Letras and the LIFE SNAILS project in exchange for your volunteer work;
for those interested, the possibility to purchase Ilha a Pé's accommodation & self-guided hiking program (additional 5 days) at a reduced offer. To avail this offer, you will need to book the program directly with Ilha-a- Pé within two weeks of being confirmed to participate in the volunteering program (i.e., no later than the end of August).
What can you expect?
After you apply and get selected for the program, we will provide you with additional information regarding the specific conservation tasks for each volunteering day before the program begins.
The tasks planned for the program do not require exceptional physical effort or specialized knowledge. You will always be under the supervision of a monitor who will accompany the group throughout the day. The monitor will provide hands-on training on the daily task, as well as an introduction to its objectives, needs, and benefits for conservation.
Below is a summarized indicative schedule for the program. If you wish to participate in more days of nature conservation activities beyond the ones already planned, please get in touch with us, and we can explore an alternative extended program.
If you are interested in the optional hiking program, kindly inform us at the time of your application, as this will affect the return flight dates. To book it, please contact directly Ilha a Pé through the contacts provided on this information leaflet.
When?
The 2023 edition of the volunteering program is scheduled to take place from October 15, 2023 to October 26, 2023. If you wish to take advantage of Ilha a Pé's special offer for an additional five days of hiking around the island, the program's duration will be extended until October 31, 2023. This edition of the volunteering program is limited to a maximum of 6 participants., whereas the hiking offer is limited to 4 to 5 participant, given the available conditions of its huts.
What do we expect?
Your commitment and motivation to help us on the foreseen conservation works, your experience and knowledge to improve our days. In all, a singular volunteering experience that we all can remember of and which brings positive conservation benefits for Santa Maria’s biodiversity.
How much?
Volunteering Days
Being the volunteering program financed by the LIFE SNAILS project, we will be able to cover your travel, food and lodging costs along the volunteering days in exchange for your volunteer work (8h per day, according to the indicative program above). In all, we will provide you:
Retour ticket LIS-SMA-LIS, with departure on 15.10.2023 and return on 26.10.2023 (or 31.10.2023, if you are willing to book the optional program with Ilha a Pé);
Lodging in beds, from 15.10.2023 to 26.10.2023, in mixed rooms (Youth Hostel or similar);
Food consumables for preparation of meals, including breakfast (at sleeping facilities), lunch (light meal to take on field), and dinner (to cook at sleeping facilities).
Daily travel from and back to sleeping facilities, to attend volunteering works (not more than half an hour travel).
Optional – Hiking Days
As stated, we’re actively engaged with Ilha a Pé,, which provides unicque services (accommodation and food) to undertake a self- guided hiking program along Santa Maria’s Grand Route.
As part of its sustainability commitments, Ilha a Pé will offer its services to our volunteers at a reduced rate. In all, the applicable rates for the available programs along the 5 days self- guided hiking include:
Package 1: 4 nights + 4 dinners provided on the hut + 4 breakfasts provided on the hut: 130€/pax (instead of the regular price of 250 €/pax)
Package 2: Package 1 + sleeping bed + towel + luggage transfer between huts (max 10 kg): 170 €/pax (instead of 320 €/pax)
It is upon your responsibility to get food for lunch (e.g. on local restaurants, bars and mini-markets along the way), as this is not included in any of the above packages.
If you are willing to book this optional program let us know in advance when applying for the volunteering program (since this will have implications on booking of flights). To book it, please directly contact Ioannis (+351 964 474 768; ilhaape@gmail.com).
For more information on the Grand Route (map and terrain) and related information check: https://ilhape.com/.
Travel / Flights
A return ticket will be offered to allow for your attendance to the volunteering days. Subject to changes on airfares or flights, this is planned to include:
Departing from Lisbon on Sunday 15.10.2023 (Flight S44012 LIS-SMA | 11:35 GMT – 13:05 AZT)
Your way back on Thursday 26.10.2023 (Flight S44012 SMA-LIS | 13:50 AZT - 18:30 GMT with a short stop-over in Ponta Delgada).
Depending on any other needs, we will be flexible to book alternative flights that keep within a budget of 250 €/volunteer, as this is the maximum available to cover travel.
Questions & information?
For more information on the volunteering program please contact Luis Jordão directly (luis.jordao@desafiodasletras.pt, +351 939 200 733) or fill up the spaces bellow.
This program is being organized and delivered by Desafio das Letras, with support of the LIFE SNAILS (LIFE20 NAT/PT/001377) project, financed by the LIFE Programme, from the European Union. All contents provided are of the sole responsibility of Desafio das Letras and may not reflect the opinions of the European Union. Neither CINEA nor the European Union are liable for the use of this information.