Food, Lodging and Travel
Volunteers will stay in a fully renovated guesthouse with showers and modern amenities, situated in wooded surroundings at the edge of Nízke Tatry (Low Tatras) National Park. The shared bedrooms sleep 2–4 people each and there is a dining/common room. Meals provided on field days will be a buffet breakfast, packed lunch and cooked dinner.
How to get to Bratislava
You will have to arrange to travel to Bratislava, which is the capital city of Slovakia, where the meeting point will be. From there, you will travel by train to the project base location. We will provide detailed instructions on getting to the meeting point in Bratislava once you are booked onto the project.
Climate
January and February are the coldest months of the year – expect lots of snow and temperatures potentially down to -20 degrees Celsius. You will generally get about 9 hours of daylight a day. A detailed list of what to bring will be sent once you have booked – but just as an idea, you should bring sturdy boots for walking on the snow and ice, a down filled waterproof outfit, hat, gloves, and scarf (or scarves!). Long underwear is perfect to wear under clothing every day. For snowshoeing or Nordic skiing, winter sports clothing is good such as insulated skiing gear.
Fitness requirements
No special skills/qualifications (biological or otherwise) are required other than the ability to communicate in English. However, you should be prepared to walk 10–20 km per day in hilly to mountainous terrain, sometimes on steep slopes. In the winter months, snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures are likely to be encountered. It is your responsibility to have your fitness and physical condition checked by a medical and dental professional prior to departure. If you have an existing or previous illness/disability, which could affect your mental or physical condition during the conservation programme you must consult your doctor about your suitability to join the conservation programme and inform us. On some routes, snowshoes may be required and will be provided. Don’t worry if you haven’t used them before, it’s not difficult and you will be given instruction and time to practice. If you are a competent cross-country or alpine skier and have your own equipment, feel free to bring it along. We also require all volunteers to be double Covid vaccinated to join the programme. If you still wish to join, but have a valid medical reason why you cannot be vaccinated, we may consider on a case by case basis.
