Naucrates is a non-profit NGO based in Italy that has been working on Koh Phra Thong since 1996.
We have now been protecting the sea turtles, their nesting beaches and living habitat for 24 years.
Naucrates staff, interns and volunteers have helped to study and conserve; the mangrove forests, coral reefs, sea grass beds, beaches and birds, as well as supporting the local communities by; educating children in the village school, raising awareness on how to protect the environment, employing some of the local people (boat drivers etc.)
Naucrates is a small organization that relies on the help of volunteers to conduct these fieldwork activities, help to spread our conservation message throughout the world and support the many project expenses.
Volunteer contributions, donations and fund raising are the main source of funding for the field project.
Volunteer contribution covers; direct costs of running the field project, food, accommodation, training and orientation, daily transportation whilst on the project, salaries for the field staff and in-country support. Running the field project totals about 80% of all the costs.
Additionally, part of the volunteer contribution helps to cover costs of; coordinating and developing the project, volunteer recruitment and coordination, project development and licenses, community team recruitment, logistical support, medical insurance (although not volunteers’ personal travel insurance), etc. These administration costs are less than 20% of the total costs.
The Naucrates staff team is composed of different people offering different skills, mainly working as volunteers. Their work involves;
1) organising reservations and giving information to volunteers via email
2) organising and coordinating the transport to, from and around the island
3) research and scientific aspects of the project
4) coordinating volunteers and carrying out the project activities. The field staff are overseen by the field leader who is paid 8000 Thai baht on a monthly basis, plus food, 3 meals a day at the local restaurant and accommodation in a basic bungalow. The field leader is assisted by a student or an internship assistant, who is involved in helping and supporting the leader (the internship position includes orientation and supervision and is offered shared accommodation plus 3 meals a day). The intern has a special agreement to stay at the project. It is not a paid position as it offers the opportunity for interns to learn scientific work on the field and gain more awareness on conservation issues. This is a unique opportunity.
Naucrates is a very small organization, working with volunteers and sustained by people who have passion and enthusiasm towards the conservation of nature.
Walking on beaches, surveying human impact (for example, fishing) and estimating the amount of marine debris on and around the beaches, is important information and vital to the research and running of the project.
Working with basic instruments, far away from the world of technology, makes the project work unique and sustainable.
WHAT DOES NAUCRATES NEED FOR OUR PROJECT?
Naucrates needs instruments to conduct fieldwork
Instruments might last for just one season, due to the inclement climate conditions. Unfortunately, the humid climate in the rainy season, plus a lot of use, leads to a rapid deterioration of our instruments!
Below is a list of instruments that are needed during any season, plus some other equipment that Naucrates would like to have, so that we could improve our research activities:
- Digital caliper
- Scales for hatchlings
- Digital thermometer for air temperature
- Thermometer for sea temperature
- Data logger for nest temperature
- Measuring tape (50mt)
- Backpacks
- Tents
- Dry bags
- Digital Camera 60X zoom
- Underwater camera
- Red flash lights, rechargeable with usb port
- Mobile phone
- Kayak
- Drone
If you could contribute any of this equipment, or make a donation so that we might be able to buy it ourselves, we would be most grateful! Thank you.