Of Birds, Potatoes and Ambers

It was a Camp full of wonders, both big and small!

The weather was very warm, warmer than average in May. We had around 70-120 Birds per day. It kept us occupied, but without rush and pressure, so that beginning Volunteers had time to acquire new skills in bird handling.

We had a nightjar, a wryneck, woodcock, wagtails, shrikes, reed warblers, nuthatches, wrens, chaffinches, blackbirds and a Short-Eared Owl.

We had an interesting encounter with an elderly lady, her black dog and a pet raven named Silly. She works for a local wildlife rehab center and she brought us a cured Barn Owl to ring before its release back to the Wild. They stayed for lunch and Silly ate with us at the table.

Volunteers from WWF Blue Patrol also visited us a few times. They are monitoring nests of ringed plovers located nearby and observing seals and other Wildlife. We showered them with questions about their work. They shared many interesting facts not only on birds, but also about seal ecology, tips on how to assess the condition of seal pups and adults, how to safely aproach them and many more.

We had a Polish botanist on the board who took us for a comprehensive botanical walk, during which we explored interactions between the landscape, plants and their use for animals and humans. We were looking for and classifying algae on the shore, identifying dune plant communities and learning about the ecology of Baltic Sea.

Every evening we used to watch the sunset together - all the Volunteers from Poland and Abroad and all the Staff. How often do you appreciate such simple, beautiful moments?

We decided to do something crazy and visited the biggest Potato Statue of the World built in a village in the neighbourhood!

At the last day of the camp we participated in the Amber Processing Workshop and learned about amber inclusions.

It was very hard to say Goodbye. Farewell tears were the most precious feedback.