Description

Expedition Summary
Help Earthwatch restore the vital links of ecosystems damaged by acid rain.

Expedition Details
In the gently sloping Jizera Mountains, you'll collect water samples and take temperature, pH, conductivity, and oxygen readings from more than 30 streams and reservoirs. You'll also help catch and examine reintroduced fish and sample other aquatic organisms. Hiking through beech and spruce forests, you'll evaluate tree vitality, collect soil and vegetation samples, and study erosion and plant succession. After a day in the field, you'll be trained to test samples and record data in the lab.

In your recreational time, you can hike or bike in the beautiful Jizera Mountains, or visit nearby castles, museums, botanical gardens, glass factories, cafes and restaurants.

Meals and Accommodations
You'll stay in a cozy mountain pension, a 200-year old farmhouse made of stone and wood, in historic Bedrichov village. The pension has double rooms, television, hot showers, sauna, an internet connection, and simple laundry facilities. You'll also use the pension as your field lab and briefing center, and will take continental breakfasts there. You'll take packed lunches into the field and, after a full day in the field and lab, stroll to a neighboring restaurant for substantial, three-course traditional Czech dinners with sweet and savory dumplings, soups, vegetables, and potatoes.

About the Research Area
The Jizera Mountains region is situated in the humid temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. This area is on an upper plain at an elevation of 800 meters, with gentle slopes and almost complete (83 percent) forest coverage. Although forest stands of common beech and silver fir still dominated the region at the beginning of the 18th century, Norway spruce became a prevailing species during the 19th century. In the second half of the last century, spruce forests came to comprise about 90% of the whole forest cover in the Jizera Mountains.

The upper plain of the Jizera Mountains is popular for hiking. It is easy to reach the highest tops, which are Smrk (1,124 meters) and Jizera (1,122 meters). The gentle slopes are also convenient for cross-country skiing during the winter. At the end of the 19th century, the first touring club in Liberec initiated trail-blazing and lookout towers in this region.

Highlights

By the time the Eastern Bloc collapsed in 1989, acid rain from coal-fired power plants from countries to the west had already damaged more than two-thirds of these forested headwaters. Forests were dying, water quality was diminished, and mountain streams had been without fish for 40 years. Now, 20 years later, conditions are improving. Sulfur deposition has dropped and forestry practices have improved. Mountain ecosystems, streams, and lakes are recovering. Researchers Drs Josef Krecek and Zuzana Horicka started working with Earthwatch teams here in 1991. Their data helped set management plans for mountain watersheds and lakes. You can help Drs Krecek and Horicka continue their rehabilitation efforts in the headwaters of northern Bohemia. Mountains are the water towers of the world. The revival of fresh water resources is not possible without the rehabilitation of mountain ecosystems, which is the overall aim of this project.

Travel Types

• Eco Tours
• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Native Culture Studies
• Nature Tours
• Volunteering
• Photography
• Tours

Qualifications

No experience is necessary - all you will need is enthusiasm and the desire to make a difference. For over 40 years Earthwatch Institute has pioneered the involvement of ordinary people in peer-reviewed scientific research worldwide. By joining an Earthwatch Expedition, you have a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with some of the world's rarest animals and visit remote and beautiful locations, while directly supporting conservation science. We offer life enhancing experiences in nearly 50 countries each year, with projects for teens, adults, and families.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

2,695 USD

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Registration fees
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Our volunteers not only contribute essential funds that help to cover the cost of the research, but also, through their inspiration and effort, they provide the people power without which many of our vital projects simply couldn't take place. We are a non-profit organization but accommodation, meals, insurance, training and transport in the field are also included in your contribution cost. As a non-profit organization that supports scientific research, your contribution and airfare costs are usually tax-deductible for U.S. citizens.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people, including students, retirees, families, educators, and anyone seeking an exciting journey that enables them to give back to the environment. Our expeditions have a wide range of activity levels, from hiking intensive to easy expeditions with limited physical activity. There is an Earthwatch expedition out there for everyone!

Age Range

Adult (age 18-90) teams available.

This Program is open to

Worldwide, American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and South African Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Home-stays
• Apartment/Flat

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 2-8

Scholarships are Available

Very limited fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves

• Other
• Phone/Video Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

Brief

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement

Our mission is to inspire connections between people and the environment by engaging them in worldwide scientific field research and education. These efforts will promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. We believe it is essential that people participate in solving the environmental challenges we face.

Year Founded

1971