Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation

As a graduate law student interested in the impacts of climate change on the environment, I found my experiences at the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation in Greece not only incredibly educational but it opened my eyes to all the ways that climate change can impact marine life and by way of extension, human life as well. Although I had no prior hands-on experiences working with an environmental NGO, the staff and students from around the world, supported me in every aspect of my experiences there. It was an experience I will never forget and I hope to use it as a foundation for my moving forward with my studies in Environmental Law.

It was a fantastic experience and I am very sad it is already over. The supervisors are great, the directors are passionate, you're able to meet people from all over the world. . . And that's without mentioning the work experience you get! I was able to experience boat and kayak surveys, learn how to use QGIS, take part in flamingo surveys, etc. Not only you gain a lot of experience, but you gain it doing something meaningful and important. The accommodations are simple and it is not a place for everyone, but I think it was great for my internship. I would go back in a heartbeat.

I had an amazing time in Lipsi with Archipelagos ! It was a really unique experience and it allowed me to gain skills on the field and a lot of knowledge. Even if the communication was a little bit hard sometimes with the Archi crew, I am very happy I could be a part of the team for a few months. I met amazing people from all over the world, I expended my horizons and my ambitions. It feels great to be part of a NGO that fights for environmental protection ! And the Sanctuary is such an amazing place
Thank you for everything !

Working with Archipelagos is a good opportunity to imagine, write and suggest you rown research project and link it with the ongoing projects of the associaction.
Then you will be helpd in managing and implementing it.
The NGO work in the islands of Lipsi and Samos at the moment and there are a lot of position for diverse interests: terrestrial, marine and GIS.
The balance work/free time is ok and the amount of effort is balanced with the background of the intern and the personal motivation. Highly suggested

I always felt like protecting the seas of our planet was something that should be everyone's responsibility. But, in today's world very few people think it's a priority and even fewer actually take action in that direction. But Archipelagos is one of these few non-profit organizations in Greece that is actually trying to make a difference. This internship gave me the opportunity to be part of that community, while exploring my interests and developing my research skills.
During the program I had the chance to choose a topic that aligned with my knowledge, skills and interests and work independently on my own project. Even though I had guidance by supervisors, most of thee responsibility was on me to organize my work, get the data that I needed and make progress. It was a really valuable experience to actually be in charge of a project and gave me an understanding of a lot of things that make research a lot more complicated than I originally though. I also learned that especially when it comes to such pressing issues, scientific research is not the only thing that counts. The scientific approach needs to be tailored to be used in conversations with government officials and policy makers in order to bring actual change.
But apart of a valuable learning experience, the internship was very fun giving me the chance to meet so many young, driven, and like-minded individuals from all over Europe. During the evenings and weekends, we would go explore the island, enjoying the sea and some breathtaking landscapes.