Alina is from Germany and since her childhood has been very interested in Biology. Since she took an advance course in Biology and learned how animals had to find new habitats to live because humans destroy their homes, she has been interested in animal welfare and the preservation of the natural environment.
Alina’s says, “I have been interested in animals all my life and Biology was my favourite subject in school. When I found out about SLWCS volunteer programme in Sri Lanka I planned to combine my wish to leave my home town and help animals.”
My first week in Sri Lanka in the SLWCS Marine Project was really exciting!!!
Alina Seitz, Germany
The staff of the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) gave me a warm welcome at the Field House. After I met everyone, we took a walk to the beach where I was able to get my first impressions of the surroundings.
Over the next few days, we looked for different sites where we could start collecting information. We picked two sites at the sea and also two sites at the lagoon so we could compare the information.
In the first week we started watching birds. Every bird we saw was photographed and its species tabulated. With so many different species here, one could see birds of all colors (for example the Blue-tailed Bee-eater or the Purple Sunbird). It was so interesting because I never saw birds like this before.
In order to work with the pictures, we had to sort them into folders. For this we always used the time around noon when it was too hot to be outside at the beach.
The most amazing experience was watching the dolphins. Since the dolphins are best seen in the morning, we took the boat out to sea in the morning. The bumpy journey was definitely worth the view. We have seen hundreds of Spinner Dolphins in their natural habitat. Being used to the boats, a few swam right in front of it only a few meters away.
I enjoy getting to know new cultures, that’s why I am glad to live in the field house and not in a hotel, because here you can experience the culture more closely. The freshly cooked food is so delicious and the people who live here are very nice.
I am already looking forward to the next few weeks and I‘m excited to see what else I can learn here.
For information on the SLWCS Volunteer Programs please send inquiries to: [email protected]
SLWCS Staff and Volunteer shirts sponsored by elephantea
Big, rumbling thanks to our Corporate & Organizational Partners for their kind support and to everyone who has donated and supported our wildlife conservation efforts!
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