Biosphere Expeditions 1-week projects Slovakia - wolf, lynx, wildcat

True white wilderness: winter lynx, wolf and wildcat tracking in the Carpathian mountains of Slovakia. Price/dates/status This expedition was honoured in National Geographic Adventure magazine's "Best New Trips" list. This expedition was honoured in Australia's Get Lost! magazine "30 Great Escapes / Best Adventure Trips on the Planet" list. This ecovolunteer project will take you to the Carpathian mountains of Slovakia to monitor lynx, wolf & wildcat populations and their interrelationship with prey species. You will be part of a small international team, working with the local scientist and contributing to an important piece of research. You will track large carnivores through snow in the forest and meadow habitats of the mountains (using snow shoes, which are easy to use) and you may be involved in capturing and radio-collaring them. You will also learn how to recognise and record other signs of their presence, such as radio telemetry signals, scats and scent markings, camera trap them, collect samples to study their diet and for genetic analysis, and survey prey species. All in an effort to create a sustainable future for these icons of the Carpathian wilderness and to promote greater understanding of their role in European ecosystems.      PRICE = Expedition contribution (land only per slot) £980 (approx. €1090 | US$1490 | AU$1540). Please note: expedition contributions are quoted in British pound sterling and the approximate Euro and US Dollar equivalent. Try the XE currency converter for other currencies and an up to date Euro and US Dollar exchange rate. Where does my money go and other money questions.  Dates 2012: 29 January - 4 February | 5 - 11 February | 12 - 18 February (6 nights). Status Amber: Expeditions of status amber have few spaces available (or are currently in the field). To join them you need to decide soon.  Terrain Mountains, cliffs with meadows and forests on the lower slopes. Weather expected during expedition Cold mountain weather with snow cover and temperatures averaging +5 to -10 deg C. Expedition base The expedition base is a 19th century villa built in the heydays of the Austro-Hungarian empire, when the area was a popular spa holiday destination. Rooms have en-suite showers and toilets. Team size Up to 12 team members + 1-2 local scientist + 1 expedition leader. Skills & prerequisites required None. You don't need to be a scientist or have any special qualifications - everyone can take part and there are no age limits whatsoever. Can laypeople really be of help to serious research & conservation projects? Fitness level required Ability to walk about 10 - 20 km per day in hilly to mountainous terrain with snow cover. If required, you will be given instruction in the use of snow shoes, which are not difficult to learn how to use. Those with existing cross-country or ski mountaineering skiing skills are welcome to bring their equipment as we may make use of their existing skills (in groups with the expedition leader and/or scientist). Will it be for me or am I too old/young/unfit? Team assembly point Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. What about carbon neutrality and other environmental and social impact? Who books my flights? And finally Our expeditions are not about playing the primitive, neither are we a military style 'boot-camp'. Our expedition leader and the local scientist will be by your side and we believe strongly that we get the best out of our expedition teams by making them comfortable, safe and well fed. You won’t be living in the lap of luxury, but we will do our best to make you feel comfortable and at home in your working environment, as this is the key to a well-balanced and successful expedition. Details Aims & objectives (1) To ascertain total numbers of lynx, wolves & wildcat in the study area. (2) To ascertain wolf and lynx group size, movements and activities. (3) To ascertain numbers of prey species within the carnivore habitat. (4) To assess predatory impact of wolves and lynx on their prey populations. Background With higher numbers of wolves, lynx and bears in Slovakia since the second half of the 20th century, conflicts with local people have come to public attention. Negative aspects of their presence often make news headlines, promoting a heightened sense of fear. Wolves sometimes cause considerable losses to livestock, particularly sheep, and hunters think they will wipe out game stocks. Such conflicts often lead to calls for culling, which is the approach that almost eradicated carnivores from Slovakia in the past. The concurrent emergence of new threats to wildlife and habitats presented by economic development means that a more sensitive approach is required, one based on a sound understanding of the place of carnivores in ecosystems, but also considering their impact on local people. As very little modern scientific work has been done on large carnivores in Slovakia, there is much to be done in order to achieve these goals. Study species Grey wolf (Canis lupus), lynx (Lynx lynx), wildecat (Felis silvestris), red deer (Cervus elaphus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), brown hare (Lepus europaeus). Other species present, all in an environment of alpine meadows, cliffs and forests: brown bear, golden eagle, raven, pine marten, stone marten. All in an environment of alpine meadows, cliffs and forests. Typical day Activities are usually decided the night before and then confirmed in the morning, depending on the weather. The whole set-up of the expedition is quite flexible so that you can participate according to the weather conditions, your skills and general fitness and how you feel on the day. In the morning the expedition team will divide into sub-teams of two or more people, who will be assigned a route to cover during the day. You will then be taken to the start of your route and set out on foot, snow shoes (or cross country or mountaineering skis) according to snow conditions and your preference & existing skills. When you find tracks or other signs of wolves, lynx, wildcat or other landmark species, you will record them using GPS receivers, cameras and notebooks. In the case of wolves and lynx, you will then follow the tracks for as far as possible in order to collect further data on their movements and activity. On other days you will also assist in a systematic assessment of prey numbers or you may be involved in camera trapping, capture, collaring or radio telemetry activities. You will return to base before it gets dark in the afternoon to log results and discuss findings with the rest of the team. Research area The Western Carpathian mountains cover much of northern Slovakia, and spread into the Czech Republic with Moravia to the east and southern Poland to the north. They are home to many rare and endemic species of flora and fauna, as well as being a notable staging post for a very large number of migrating birds.   The expedition’s study area is the Veľká Fatra National Park. The Bradt Travel Guide has this to say about the park: “The gorgeous Veľká Fatra National Park is a vast 403 square kilometre area of unspoilt, undiscovered natural beauty, and you can walk all day in peace and solitude, feeling like the first explorer to set foot in a beautiful, flower-filled mountain meadow. Most of the area is covered by beech and fir forests, in some places by spruce and pines. The area around Harmanec is the richest yew tree region in Europe.” The national park and its buffer zone comprise most of the Veľká Fatra range, which is part of the Outer Western Carpathians. The National Park was declared on 1 April 2002 as an upgrade of the Protected Landscape Area of the same name established in 1972 to protect a mountain range with a high percentage of well-preserved Carpathian forests. Ridge-top cattle pastures date back to the 15th century, to the times of the so-called Walachian colonisation. The Veľká Fatra National Park is also an important reservoir of fresh water thanks to high rainfalls and low evaporation in the area. The core of the range is built of granite, which reaches the surface only in places. More common are various slates, creating gentle ridges and summits of the so-called Hôlna Fatra and limestone and dolomite rocks, creating a rough and picturesque terrain of the so-called Bralná Fatra. There are also many karst features, namely caves. Various rocks and therefore various soils, diverse type of terrain with gentle upland meadows and pastures, sharp cliffs and deep valleys provide for extremely rich flora and fauna. All species of big central European carnivores live abundantly there: brown bear, gray wolf and Eurasian lynx. The UNESCO World Heritage village of Vlkolínec with well-preserved log cabins lies near. Partners Our main partner for this project is the Protection of Carpathian Wilderness (PCW), a non-profit Slovak initiative for the conservation of Carpathian wildlife. Other partners include the Slovak State Protection of Nature Department, the Forestry Department and the National Park authorities of the Veľká Fatra and Mala Fatra National Parks. Corporate support comes from Land Rover & Swarovski Optik. Maps Map of the region and study site. Google map of all Biosphere Expeditions study sites, expedition bases, assembly points, office locations, etc.   Pictures Lynx.   Young lynx. Picture courtesy of Tomas Hulik.   Wolf. Wolf. Wildcat. Beavers. Fire salamander.  Mountain landscape in the study area. Picture courtesy of Tomas Hulik.   Landscape & expedition vehicles. Mountain landscape in the study area. Expedition base, a 19th century Austro-Hungarian empire style villa. Expedition base & vehicle. Lounge at base. Bedroom at base. Bedroom at base. Dinner time! Training day - learing how to use GPS. map & compass. Training day. Putting it into practice on a survey walk. Survey walk. Survey walk. Setting up a camera trap. Lynx trap. Locating study animals by radio telemetry. Recording a wolf track. People with existing ski mountaineering or cross-country skills, are welcome to bring their equipment and use it on survey walks. Land Rover on its way to a drop-off point. On the way to a survey site. More images on Biosphere Expeditions'  Video Winter scenes with Slovakian folk music. Exepdition scientist Tomas Hulik talking about how Biosphere Expeditions volunteers can help with his lynx, wolf & wildcat project in the Carpathian mountains of Slovakia. Some research activities. Watch more Slovakian project clips on YouTube.   Press Tracks in the snow in English  View article 5.38 Mb Wildcat tracking in the Carpathian mountains in English  View article 197.35 Kb Feedback "For me as a lone scientist, it is not possible to check and cover the whole territory of the Veľká Fatra and Mala Fatra National Parks during the wolf and lynx mating season. But with the people from Biosphere Expedition, who always enjoy the wilderness of these parks and are keen to help, it will be much easier to cover the area and collect important research and conservation information about lynxes, wolves and wildcats. Thank you very much!” Tomas Hulik, Protection of Carpathian Wilderness, Slovakia. "I enjoyed my expedition very much – the group was great. It was also great to meet people from different backgrounds and nationalities, and the different ages did not matter at all. The staff were excellent, good fun and kind. I admire the extremely hard work they put in to make this work so well for everyone." Cathy Ryan, 49. "Fantastic opportunity and a fantastic expedition." Kyley Chapman, travel journalist, 32.    Feedback from team members about their experiences and reasons for coming (on/from various expeditions).   "For me this was again a very successful undertaking and I look forward to receiving a copy of the report. Last year was my first venture into ‘responsible travel’ and I feel I made a good choice with Biosphere Expeditions. I would recommend this type of vacation to anyone. I will be back and follow Biosphere’s development with interest.” Alan Franklin, 52. "The other expedition members were lovely and really made the expedition brilliant. The whole experience has been fantastic and everyone involved deserves a big thanks!” Katie Bunting, 32. “I loved working with people with different backgrounds and experiences, being challenged with long walks and navigating yourself  – an unforgettable experience!” Tom Barratt, 35. "Really enjoyed the whole experience and would not hesitate to sign up for another expedition in the future." Fiona Eccleston, 50. "Amazing expedition, thank you ;)" Lauren Fuller, 22. "It was a great holiday, thanks for everything!" Catherine Hillman, 56. "Thank you for everything: all the adventures, experiences, impressions. I will never forget them!" Sonja Käßmann, 28. "I have learnt a lot from this experience and I hope the animals benefit from the data I have collected. Thanks for a great experience – long live Biosphere!" Jamie Sommerville, 18. Briefing The briefing contains very detailed information on this project, including instructions on how to get to the assembly point, what you will be doing whilst on the project and who your expedition leader and scientists will be. Briefings are provided as pdf documents and you must provide a name, country of residence and valid e-mail address to be able to download one. You can access briefings via the Download Centre. Join Go on, you know you want to Sign up here.