A summer with sea turtles: my volunteering experience in Cilento
Martina, one of the ESC volunteers of the third group of Sea Turtle Conservation project organised with PiGreco-SEMI di Intercultura APS, in Cilento from August to September 2025, shares her story of volunteering and discovery
When I joined the Sea Turtle Conservation project through Acarbio and the European Solidarity Corps, I knew I would spend a month of my summer on the Cilento coastline contributing to the protection of the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta. What I didn’t know was how deeply this experience would impact me, through the unforgettable moments it gave me, the lessons I learned and the people I shared it with, all united by the same goal: safeguarding this species.
The loggerhead turtle is the most common species in the Mediterranean. Females lay their eggs on sandy beaches, around 30–40 cm below ground level. After incubating for 45–60 days, the hatchlings dig their way up to the surface, usually at night. My main task as a volunteer was to assist researchers from the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn by taking night shifts at the nests during the hatching period. Together with other volunteers, we checked the nests regularly, waiting for signs that the hatchlings were about to emerge. When they did, each turtle was weighed, measured and released into the sea. Once a nest was considered finished, it was opened to count how many eggs had hatched successfully and to examine the unhatched ones to identify the embryo’s developmental stage and possible causes of hatching failure.
The project wasn’t just about turtles, it was also about people. I shared sleepless nights with volunteers from different countries and we quickly became a small family. We supported each other during long shifts, cooked meals in our camp kitchen, ate together on the beach near the nests and celebrated every new hatchling side by side. We also engaged with tourists and locals on the beaches, explaining why the nests were protected. Many people were curious and it felt rewarding to see their interest grow into awareness.
Of course, it wasn’t always easy. Sleeping in tents and dealing with stormy days could be tough. But every challenge was worth it: the thrill of seeing the first hatchling break through the sand, the stunning sunsets of Cilento, night shifts under a starry sky full of shooting stars, waking up in a tent to the sound of the sea just a few meters away, the laughter shared with new friends and even the chance to explore the Mediterranean’s underwater beauty.
Why do projects like this matter? The loggerhead sea turtle is an endangered species and its survival depends on initiatives like this one, coordinated through the LIFE TURTLENEST and the Caretta in Vista project. By monitoring nests and ensuring hatchlings make it safely to the sea, we can give them a better chance in their long and uncertain journey.
On a personal level, this experience was more than just volunteering. It meant contributing to the protection of one of the Mediterranean’s most extraordinary species, assisting researchers in their fieldwork while deepening my knowledge about this animal and sharing it in turn with locals and tourists. It also meant learning to respect nature’s rhythms, waiting patiently, often for hours, for new lives to emerge and sharing these moments with a wonderful group of people. At the same time, it gave me the chance to discover a coastline I had never explored and to experience its natural beauty. By the end of these 32 days, I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience.
Martina Lazioli