Who is Antonio?
Veterinarian to be from Čakovec. I am currently in my 6th year of university at the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Zagreb. In my free time I like to spend time with friends and family or out in nature, preferably both, but sometimes I like to have a ‘lazy day’ where I rest all day and don’t leave my home.
I love working with animals, especially wild animals which is why I love taking part in projects such as these as well as taking part in extracurricular lectures on wild animals and public health which are often organised by thew faculty or Biom association. One of these lectures was on BirdID in 2023 that was organised by Nord university, which was carried out by Biom in Croatia and thanks to which I learnt 150 most common bird species in Croatia and fell in love with bird watching, and I notice the birds around me in my everyday life. A few years ago I also started volunteering in various interesting locations, Split, mountains of Lika, Gorski Kotar, and Istria, and Brno in Czechia. Most of these were nature related but some were tied to a music festival or as a part of an Erasmus+ project.
Have you had a chance to take part in similar nature volunteering experiences before? If so, does it fulfil you?
I have, I took part in several nature volunteering activities organised by Biom, Scouts Croatia, and Međimurje Nature – Public Institution for Nature Protection. My first time volunteering was for Scouts Croatia project “Budi moja voda” in 2020 where during the hottest and driest months of the year we watered Aleppo pine saplings in various locations around Split. I also took part in “Boranka” a recurring reforestation effort also led by Scouts Croatia.
I volunteered for Biom association as part of “LIFE Against Bird Crime” project where I walked around specific henting grounds late in the day in order to prevent quail poaching, as part of “Eastern Adriatic Monk Seal” project we cleaned the beach on Žuta island to provide a habitat for the eastern Adriatic monk seal in the Adriatic, and I also went to Učka ornithological camp. Recently I took part in the International Waterbird Census as well as rook monitoring, and “Bioblitz VISIBABA” action organised by Međimurje Nature – the goal of which was to collect as many snowdrop sightings as possible.
What does nature conservation mean for you and how do you think you can contribute?
For me conservation of nature is the conservation of the beauty of the natural world and prevention of catastrophic consequences of some human impacts. Even though in some situations nature bothers us in other situations we can rely on it to regulate certain systems that we humans cannot regulate. My favourite way of contributing is directly, such as with this project but there are many other ways to help. Some examples would be thoughtful waste disposal, voting for political parties that advocate for nature conservation, shopping habits where we try to buy product that don’t pollute as much and support various ecological initiatives or associations. I would still happily contribute directly, though field work, population monitoring, and interventions if needed, however such actions require time, work force, and finances that are not available without wider public support.
Why did you apply to volunteer on griffon vulture patrol?
I like to take part directly when it comes to nature conservation, and I like to work with various animals and this is a unique opportunity to work with griffon vultures which are very impressive birds to me.
What do you expect from this experience, what are you looking forward to, are you afraid of anything?
I expect I will learn a lot more about griffon vultures than I know now, that I will experience life on Cres and meet many interesting people, my fellow volunteers, locals and tourists that will all share my enthusiasm for griffon vultures. I look forward to interacting with these people as well as the vultures. I am a bit afraid of unpleasant people that would disturb nesting birds on purpose despite the warnings, as well as aggressive vultures that might attack when I’m trying to help them.
Your message for the readers?
Each one of us can contribute in some way to nature conservation efforts, in everyday life that can be done through thoughtful waste management, employing habits that save resources and reduce waste, voting for parties that advocate nature conservation, shopping habits where we try to buy product that don’t pollute as much and support various ecological initiatives or associations. Actions like this one require time, work force, and finances that are not available without wider public support. Which is why I invite you to donate for griffon vulture conservation and show your support in that way, and we will be grateful for every cent!
You too can be part of the mission of a carefree summer for griffon vultures! Donate to their rescue service here.
Translated by: Nika Vuletić
