Context/background of the project Cultural diversity: The "Wildlife Rescue" has been developed as a project that will enable interaction, activism, education and creativity, whilst allowing the volunteer's personal growth and increase her career opportunities in the future. A wildlife hospital is an unusual place with special needs and atmosphere run by mostly volunteers. We want to give not only local but also international volunteers with interests in wildlife rescue the possibility to get unique experiences. An international volunteer can have a different point of view in these matters, which can be refreshing for the local volunteers. Many of our staff and volunteers had in the past good contacts with international organizations and people abroad. This was one of the extra motivations to start with the project. Thus, wildlife hospital will be this project's working location in order to stimulate the resource to a working environment that not only contributes from the volunteer's own interests and knowledge but also allows her personal growth and realization as an active participant. We work with all kinds of different volunteers: students, older people, people with disabilities, EVS-volunteers from different countries, staffmembers, and even people with an alternative punishment. So they get to know all the different layers of people in our population, and so they will understand that our world is a place with a huge cultural diversity. Global environmental challenges: Due to the growing human population, the pressure on the environment is getting bigger and bigger. That means that in our centre, the number of animals in need is getting higher and higher. By working in our centre, the EVS-volunteers will learn that the global impact of our population is too big, and that changes our needed. Our centre tries to help those animals that have become a victim of human expansion. Due to climate changes, we see a difference in the animals we get. Another problem is also the way people treat animals. We have a lot of problems with Seagulls in the centre of the city. Due to loss of their natural breeding territory, the gulls have moved to the city, and breed there. People don’t like it, and try to take the eggs and young gulls away. This is a big problem, where our Rescue Centre is trying to find a solution for. With several campaigns, flyers and activities, we try to tell people why the gulls have moved, and what to do to avoid an overpopulation and problems in the city. Also EVS will deal with this problems, and can help to avoid problems.We try to learn our EVS about the environmental problems in Ostend and the complete country. So they do not only start knowing our culture, but also our vision on the environment and nature. Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities: One of the objectives of this project is to promote Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities In this project we will give the opportunity to 3 volunteers with fewer opportunities to volunteer in the Wildlife Rescue Centre. Because of European Voluntary Service the 3 volunteers can do this volunteer project; without EVS there is no possibility of getting in contact with our culture and our centre. Travelling is too expensive for the volunteers. They come from a geographical disadvantaged area with a high unemployment rate where they don’t get a lot of opportunities. Summary of the project: 3 long-term and 3 short-term EVS project "Wildlife Rescue" has resulted from the collaboration between the 6 different sending organizations and the Wildlife Rescue Centre Ostend ("Opvangcentrum voor Vogels en Wilde Dieren Oostende"). The "Wildlife Rescue" has been developed as a project that will enable interaction, activism, education and creativity, whilst allowing the volunteer's personal growth and increase her career opportunities in the future. A wildlife hospital is an unusual place with special needs and atmosphere run by mostly volunteers. We want to give not only local but also international volunteers with interests in wildlife rescue the possibility to get unique experiences. Description: Every season we can offer different groups of animals and problems. A long-term volunteer will learn all the different techniques to save wildlife casualties. Overview of different seasons: Summer: rehabilitation of botulism victims, raising orphaned birds and other wildlife. Autumn: rehabilitation of migrating birds that flew against a window, sick migrating birds and sick hedgehogs Winter: rehabilitation of oiled birds Spring: young orphaned wildlife Next to that they will learn our safety instructions and our working methods. They will also go to other wildlife hospitals in Belgium to help for one day. Results of the project: A better awareness of the troubles nature has to convince, caused by natural or human intervention. Also expanding the worldwide team of trained animal rehab managers.