Application form

Raptor Counter

Checklist for signing up as raptor migration counter at BRC

If you want to volunteer as raptor counter at BRC, read the information below, fill out the application form and keep your fingers crossed. We will accept applications until our schedule reaches full capacity for the count season. To apply, you'll need to follow four steps.

1.

Read the Autumn Count page

If you haven't done this yet, make sure you do so before sending us your application!

To help defray the full cost of food and accommodation, remember that we will be asking you to commit the according amount for each day of your stay once you arrive. A pre-payment will be expected to reserve your place. A contribution of €24 (about 70 GEL) per person per day covers the expenses for counters, but we offer a discounted fee of €19 (about 55 GEL) per day for students (see form below). For half season and full season counters we have a reduced daily fee of €15 and €10 respectively. Counters from Georgia can join the count for free. You can pay in both EUR or GEL. Detailed information will be sent to all participants upon confirmation.

By filling in this form you agree that in the scenario that the autumn count has to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, we (BRC) will only refund prepayments made for accommodation, but not any travel costs (e.g. flights). If you want to reduce financial risk of a cancelled count, consider applying for travel and cancellation insurance or booking flexible travel tickets.

2.

Check your schedule

We will be conducting the count from August 12th until October 21st and offer full season, half season, and plenty of blocks of 14 or more days. Please note that your arrival to our guesthouses should be on the first day of your count period and departure should be on the last day of the selected period.

3.

Fill out the application form

Answer the questions in the application webform below briefly but accurately. We are trying to assemble a diverse team of counters with different backgrounds, and your honesty is key to a satisfying experience for everyone! We are not necessarily looking only for expert counters, nor will we outright refuse someone who has never participated in a migration count before. Please, fill out the form in English. If you would like to participate with a friend, indicate so in the comments, but apply individually.

4.

Wait for confirmation

Once you've submitted the application webform below, you may expect a response from us around the 15th of each month (starting from the 15th of May). Once you are accepted, you will need to transfer half of the payment for the accommodation to confirm your stay with us. If you do not do this, you will forfeit your reservation and it can be given to someone else!

Edit July 30th, 2024: To make sure you can book flight tickets quickly, we’ll be accepting suitable candidates for the remaining open positions on a rolling basis. First come first serve.

You will receive a response from us by email from volunteer@batumiraptorcount.org, so make sure emails from this address do not end up in your spam folder!

In case of questions just e-mail us at volunteer@batumiraptorcount.org.

Application Form

All the information you provide below is strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of assembling a team of counters and communicating with you about the autumn count you applied for. Furthermore, in the form we ask your permission to use some of this information to list your name and to send you a newsletter a few times a year.

Personal Information
We use your personal information to know how to contact you before, during and after the count, and to assemble a diverse team of counters with different backgrounds.
Name
Years old.
Gender
Don't forget your country dialog code! Enter "0" in this field if you do not have a mobile phone number.
Which languages do you speak and to which level? On the station you must speak English and communicate well your sightings with landscape marks, directions, distance and species names.
Your participation in the count
When do you want to participate?
These are the different options for you to join the counting stations. You can choose to stay full season, half season or in one or more of the blocks. You can also come to us as a group. Just indicate several options that suit you and mention in the comment field below your intention to stay with your friends. The blocks can sometimes also be adjusted slightly. If you wish to stay a bit longer or shorter just indicate this in the comment field and we check the possibilities. Please note that you should arrive to the guesthouses on the first day of your block and depart on the last day. The number of slots indicates how many positions are (still) available for this period.
How long have you watched birds in a serious (or semi-serious) capacity?
What experience do you have observing and identifying Western Palearctic raptor species? Your honesty here will help us build a balanced count team with mixed levels of experience.
What experience do you have with formal migration counts (whether for raptors or other species)? Where did you participate in them, and for how long?
Previous BRC participation as...
Have you participated in the Batumi Raptor Count before? If so, please indicate which position you held.
If applicable.
What are your personal motivations for applying to join us this autumn? What do you expect of your stay in Georgia?
What skills would you like to learn or improve during your stay with us?
Please indicate if you have any skills with which you would be willing to contribute to the work of BRC during the autumn count. In particular, we are always looking for volunteers who can contribute to our outreach (both on- and offline) and education work.
Optics
Which personal optics will you bring for the count?
Do you have disabilities or other health concerns we should know about? (e.g., food allergies, difficulty walking up steep terrain)? Do you plan on traveling with other BRC applicants? Do you have additional comments you'd like for us consider when reviewing your application? If not, you may leave the field empty. If you do not wish to disclose all information and instead you would like to talk with us, please indicate so.
T-Shirt size
We offer a free BRC T-Shirt for all participants. If you don't wish to use one, you can ignore this field.
Daily fee
The daily fees cover accommodation costs. We encourage participants who can afford it to pay it forward for others. By increasing your daily fee, you make participating in BRC more affordable for others. We offer a discount to students. If you would like to participate, but cannot cover all the costs, please reach out to volunteer@batumiraptorcount.org.
Are you currently enrolled in a degree-granting education programme?
We offer discounted daily fees for fulltime students who can prove student status.
If you want to pay it forward to make participation more affordable for others, fill in by what amount of € you want to increase your daily fee. So filling in €3 would increase a base daily fee of €24 to €27/day.
€
Volunteering agreement
Liability
There are certain risks involved in travelling in Georgia and participating in the monitoring and conservation activities of Batumi Raptor Count (BRC). By checking the box below, you indicate to understand these risks and agree not to hold BRC liable for harm resulting from accidents or injuries not due to gross negligence by BRC officers, coordinators, or its authorised representatives.
Acknowledgements
As a token of our appreciation, we would like to list your name on 2 locations: on the Participants page and on the daily count summary of Trektellen. European privacy regulations require that we ask explicit permission from you to use your data for this purpose.
Your name on the Participants page
Your name on Trektellen
Additional information
We would like to keep you posted about our work in the future using our newsletter. European privacy regulations require that we ask explicit permission from you to use your data for this purpose.
Newsletter
We send out a newsletter a few times a year. You can unsubscribe at any moment. We only use your full provided name and email address.

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