Bona Fides Association is looking for Polish participants a for 6-months ESC project with Associació Institut Català d’ornitologia at The Montseny Bird Station in Spain!
Location: Fogars de Montclús, Spain
Dates: there are several positions available in dates: 01.04.2026 to 15.10.2026
Duration: 6 months
The Montseny Biological Station (EBM), managed by the Institut Català d’Ornitologia (ICO) in Catalonia, Spain, is a research and conservation facility focused on bird monitoring, ringing, and citizen science. Located in Fontmartina within the Montseny Natural Park, it hosts international volunteers for projects like species monitoring, raptor censuses, and climate change studies.
Discover the Wildlife Wonders of Montseny: A Hub for Conservation and Science
The Montseny Biological Station (EBM) is a vibrant center for wildlife research, where passion for nature meets scientific rigor. Through a diverse range of projects, volunteers and experts work hand-in-hand to monitor biodiversity, protect habitats, and understand the impacts of a changing climate on the ecosystem of the Montseny Natural Park. Here are just a few examples of the work being done:
• The Nest Box Initiative: Sustainability is at the heart of this project, where volunteers have built 180 nest boxes using recycled wood. These are placed at various altitudes to study bird behavior and breeding success, helping scientists track how climate change affects local species over the years. The station also provides specialized “big houses” for larger birds like owls and kestrels, working closely with local farmers to promote wildlife diversity.
• High-Altitude Monitoring: For those who love the mountains, projects like the Alpine Accentor and Dotterel monitoring involve weekly expeditions to rocky peaks. By counting these species during their migration and winter stays, researchers can predict how birds at lower elevations might react to environmental shifts in the future.
• Cutting-Edge Technology & Citizen Science: The station uses innovative methods like NOCMIG, which involves setting up sound recorders at night to identify the calls of migratory birds passing overhead. Furthermore, through projects like Orenetes (House Martins) and Ocells dels jardins (Garden Birds), the station bridges the gap between science and the community, encouraging everyone to contribute data that helps protect urban and rural bird populations.
• Wildlife Beyond Birds: Conservation at Montseny isn’t just for the birds! The station actively participates in projects to monitor bats (ChiroBoxes) in the station’s gardens and dormice in the ancient beech forests, ensuring that even the smallest mammals have a safe place to thrive.
Whether it is through professional bird ringing, acoustic monitoring, or habitat restoration, every project at Montseny is a step toward a deeper understanding of our natural world.
Please check out the Infopack for more detail about the projects
Please note that he only working language is English, and the local people speak Catalan. We provide Catalan classes, not Spanish.
Application
If you are interested in this project send us your CV and a motivation letter (in English) to: mariachiara@bonafides.pl and anna@bonafides.pl with a title: ‘ESC at The Montseny Bird Station in Spain’ or contact us for any further information!
Check out all the projects we’re currently recruiting for
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