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The Eurasian eagle-owl, or Bubo bubo, or even the Uhu, is one of the largest species of owl ! Did you know that the females are bigger, and their wingspan can measure up to 188 cm ? You can recognize them thanks to their orange eyes and 8 cm ear tuft.

They are found in many habitats, but if you want to see one in the wild, try to go to mountainous regions of rocky areas, with coniferous forests. It is very widely distributed (about 32 million km2), from Spain to China, including Greece of course ! However, the population in decreasing because of human activities, but it has been categorized as a least-concern species by the IUCN, which means it is still plentiful in the wild - 5.3 million individuals.

Eagle-owls eat small mammals, such as rodents and rabbits, but also birds of various sizes. They can also eat reptiles, fish or large insects. But here in Drazi, we give them chicken legs.

What about nesting ? The species typically breeds on cliff ledges, among rocks. The nest is a scrape, containing a clutch of two eggs, which are laid at intervals and hatch at different times. The female incubates the eggs and broods the young while the male provides food.

Their longevity is pretty amazing too, because it is one of the longest-living owls ! It can live for up to 20 years in the wild. Unfortunately, the leading causes of death are man-made, such as electrocution (68%), traffic accident or shooting.

Now you understand how amazing this species is ! If you want to help protecting them by supporting their care, among other birds, in Drazi, please donate in our website.

Having studied political sciences, I am convinced that every act we do, is political, whether we are aware of it or not. So it is really ironic that I wanted to do a voluntary service to get as much distance as possible from anything political or close to it. During this year, I kind of lost my will to engage, to be an active and involved citizen. I felt very drained. All the more, was I looking forward to my volunteer service at Drasi. Learning some completely new things, get in touch with many amazing animals, some of which I’ve never seen before in my life and generally, to do something different.

Indeed, my time in Drasi was a wonderful adventure. The people, the work, the environment, everything, contributed to this being a time I will always remember fondly! Since I mostly did the outside shift, over time I could really get a routine to my day, something that was really missing from my life for a long time. While it is sometimes hard work, I really loved doing the outside shift. Especially being around storks and observing them, learning about them and laughing about how hilariously clumsy these animals are. I really related to them a lot! I also really loved the hedgehogs! The way they come to you, try to climb up your boots or gnaw at them always puts a smile on your face! But then there’s the other side of working here. The hard reality of being around injured or weak animals. A turtle with a shattered shell because it got hit by a car. Animals hurt by illegal hunting activities or weak animals because of loss of habitat. The impact of humanity on animals and their environment gets suddenly very clear. So I realised, that yes, being a volunteer in a wildlife rehabilitation centre is also political, and centres like Drasi will only gain importance as the world goes on. Nature, our environment needs us to take action, small or big, we owe it to this planet.

I am forever grateful for Drasi, for helping me find back my spirit and will to fight for a better world. But I also thank Drasi, for the work it does, each and every person here, for their
involvement and for never giving up!

Morgane Weidig

One of the advantages of being a volunteer in the rehabilitation center of Drasi, is that it's located in the delta the Axios-Loudias-Aliakmonas National Park created in 2009.

Sure Drasi is at the entrance of this park and still in the industriel zone, at the end of it at least, but take a bike (because it’s more ecologic) and go in the direction of the sea.

Then take the left road and on every side you have the wetland where you can admire a diversity of species regarding the season, like flamingo, cormoran, pelican etc.

If you’re a bit sportif in less than 30min you’ve reached the sea where you can observe a Kingfisher, the legend says that only the worthy ones can observe him (specially the persons with a MC1R gene mutation).

But if you like to take a risk, go through the devil pond, menacing to swallow your car otherwise you can come from Kalochori.

Sadly, on the way you can also observe a pretty indecent amount of garbage, a park sure, but also an illegale garbage place.

Funny fact or at least interesting,in the south of France there is the camargue, a park who share a lot of similarity, it’s also wetland, where of course a lot of species can be observed, where rice is cultivated and there is also there a race of horse, that in my inexperience eye seem very likable as the Axios horse.

The Axios Loudias Aliakmonas Park is an area of 38,800 hectares so this little tour is only a little part of it.

I don’t know where to start, maybe from my love for nature, discovery, sharing, just my love for life. This childhood dream of becoming adventurous now takes on its full meaning.. For a long time I looked inside. Some experiences such as a civic service in the environment, the resumption of my studies in the field of management and protection of nature and other personal experiences have awakened my passion for nature which, even if never forgotten, it was lost in the workings of an aboveground society.. Full of ideas, of desires bloomed in my head which led me, by the thread of destiny, to this formidable place that is Drasi.

Everything happened very quickly, POUF overnight I was on the plane from Brussels Charleroi to Thessaloniki. A feeling of fear and intense excitement ran through my body. I arrived at the airport of Thessaloniki.. I don’t understand anything in Greek, so I mumble in English to know what I have to do, then I am sent to be tested for covid with lots of people angry against these excessive measures (At least that’s what I interpreted, still not understanding Greek). Once that time is over, I get my suitcase and go to catch a bus, well you’ll understand, I’m struggling. Fortunately, I had been well informed about the procedure and the whole journey went very well, and was then accompanied to Drasi by a very nice volunteer.

Here I am at Drasi. In the days that followed, I discovered a formidable team, a facet of nature protection that I did not know, a landscape and an incredible wildlife. That’s great, I love it.

The sequel in the next episode.