EUROPEAN CONSERVATION ACTION NETWORK
EuCAN CIC
CONSERVATION SURVEY VISIT TO ZABOK, CROATIA
Monday 18th May 2015 – Sunday 24th May 2015
Travel Information and Equipment list
This will be EuCAN's first visit Croatia. We will be working near the town of Zabok which is 30 miles
north of Zagreb. A local Hunting Association has indicated its willingness to set aside part of it hunting
area as a nature reserve in order to broaden the regions appeal and boost tourism. EuCAN has been
invited to take a group of experienced surveyors to:
a) Survey local Wildlife and compile Species Lists of
 Plants
 Birds
 Butterflies/Invertebrates
 Bats and other Mammals
 Fish and Amphibians
b) Identify and recommend a potential nature reserve area
c) Recommend wildlife management actions for the nature reserve area
d) Identify and agree future work for EuCAN volunteers (UK and Croatian)
e) Gain publicity for EuCAN and the Zabok area for tourism
f) Write up and share information as appropriate
The main purpose of the visit will be to undertake the survey work to compile the species lists. The other
aspects will be followed up after the visit by EuCAN directors and volunteers.
We are looking for at least one competent surveyor for each taxa listed and will be expecting to survey for
five of the days we are there. We are also keen to use this as a training opportunity so will be offering
places to two trainees from the UK. We will also be working with locally based Croatian ecologists and
trainees.
Travel arrangements:
Friday 15th May
The group leaders Gwil Wren and Trevor Phelps will be driving from Yeovil to Croatia in time to meet
participants in Zagreb on Monday 18th May. There will be room for two passengers at a cost of £100 each
way.
This will leave Yeovil at 7.00am to catch the DFDS ferry from Dover to Dunkirk at 12 noon. On arrival
we will drive to an overnight campsite or hostel in Aachen aiming to arrive by 19.00.
Saturday 16th May
We will aim to leave by 8am and drive to a campsite or guest house near Chimsee in Bavaria between
Munich and Salzburg. We will stop for breakfast and lunch and aim to arrive by 18.00.
Sunday 17th May
We will leave at 9.00 and drive to Zabok aiming to arrive by late pm. The journey should take about 5
hours so there should be an opportunity to take a detour to Lake Bohinj in Slovenia for lunch.
Monday 18th May 2015
We will travel to Zagreb early to meet participants as they arrive and also to pick up the locally hired
minibus.
The overnight 23.36 train from Munich arrives at 08.37. (Other pickup locations can be by arrangement).
We hope that this will enable you to choose your own preferred mode of travel out from the UK to
Croatia. We would encourage you to take the train to Zagreb which is a stimulating journey – Eurostar to
Brussels, Thalys to Köln, ICE train to München, then sleeper to Zagreb. You can easily book through
Deutsche Bahn in London. We have travelled this route several times and particularly remember
waking up as the train travels though Austria on the outward leg, and the wonderful views of the Mosel
and Rhine as the train travels through the vineyard covered hills towards Köln on the return journey.
If you would be interested in being part of a group return rail ticket from London to Zagreb please let me
know – the rail fare would be considerably reduced, though it would obviously require a greater degree of
organisation and coordination.
On arrival we will then transfer to a pension near Zabok (Hotel & Restaurant Se-Mi, Stjepana Radića 166,
49214 Veliko Trgovišće) and use the rest of the day to settle in, meet our local coordinator and translator
Mohamed al Younis and representatives of the Hunting Association and our local partner BIOM. We will
also familiarise ourselves with the area and plan the survey.
Accommodation is on the basis of shared twin rooms with shared bathrooms. Single occupancy can be
arranged for a supplementary payment. There is a restaurant on site and shops nearby for picnic lunches.
In the evenings we will eat at local restaurants.
Tuesday 19th – Saturday 23rd May 2015 Surveying. The survey area lies about 10km to the north east of
the hostel. The area to be covered is approximately 4km long by 2km wide. It stretches from the river in
the west up onto a wooded ridge crossed by small lanes and paths. We will split the area in to sections and
survey in groups of 3-6 people including local one Croatian ecologist and one trainee. We will write up
results in the evenings.
Sunday 24th May We check out of the hotel and spend the morning finishing off the survey. We will
arrange transport for participants back to Zagreb in accordance with individual travel arrangements
where we will disperse. The night train to Munich leaves at . Those returning by minibus out will start for
home at 14.00 stopping at Chimsee for the night.
Monday 25th May
We will retrace our outward journey and stay overnight in Aachen.
Tuesday 26th May
We will leave Aachen at 8.00 and drive to Dunkirk to catch the 14.00 ferry to Dover.
On arrival we will drive to Yeovil aiming to arrive by 19.00.
NB The cost includes accommodation for 6 nights, breakfast, picnic lunches and an evening meal and
local transport by minibus. Travel costs to and from the agreed meeting point are not covered by the cost
neither are alcoholic drinks, hot drinks snacks or souvenirs.
For those opting to travel with the Group Leaders by road the round trip cost covers transport, 5 nights
camping (or guesthouse/hostel if weather poor), 5 breakfasts and 5 evening meals. It does not cover
lunches, alcoholic drinks, hot drinks, snacks or souvenirs.
Equipment List
The weather in May can be mixed and as there are no formal washing or and drying facilities in the hotel
you will need to bring wet weather gear and some changes of clothing! I suggest that you bring one
medium sized case/bag (if there is a choice between a giant case and two smaller ones, bring the two
smaller ones!).
Your passport, International Health Card, money, camera etc should be in a small haversack to carry
separately from the rest of your luggage. You will also be able to use this bag during the stay to carry
packed lunches, binoculars, water bottle, id books, etc.
Please photocopy your passport (in black and white – it is illegal to make a colour copy of a passport
apparently) and keep the copy in your main bag – that will make it much easier if anything happens to the
original!
Just in case anything goes astray, I would recommend that you label each case/bag with your name,
mobile phone number (beginning 0044..) and home address on it. Please ensure that your passport and
your wallet are easily accessible.
**Identification Books. It is useful to have a library of id books (in English) which covers as wide a
range of animal and plant groups as possible. We shall take these overland with the Group Leaders. To
avoid duplication and to minimise the weight, we will circulate a list the books we will be taking in the
minibus before we travel.
Let us know what else you might have that you could bring. If you have a bat detector, please bring it.
Checklist of equipment to bring:
**Passport (Make sure that your passport has at least 6 months on it and keep it with you, not buried in
your main suitcase!)
**International Health Card (this has replaced the E111 certificate and can be obtained free via the
internet -do not apply through the private company that makes you pay £10! Passengers in minibuses in
the EU have to carry one with them).
**Money: The Croatian currency is the kune so you will need to bring some with you. We also suggest
that you bring some Euros (say 50-100€) to cover your journey to and from the pick up points. It is
possible to use bank cards to obtain cash in Zabok, but bring more cash if you are not planning to bring a
bankcard. Banks like to be told if you are going abroad so that they know that someone hasn’t stolen your
card and fled to Europe, so I would suggest that you let the bank know. You will need to have money to
cover the cost of drinks, ice creams etc and souvenirs. We also suggest you store the emergency 24 hour
number for reporting stolen bank cards in your phone.
**Mobile phone/phone charger/euro. Bring your own plug adaptor for phone and battery charging. N.B. It
might be worth checking with your phone company that you have a roaming facility on your phone.
**Notebook and pencil.
**Croatian Phrase book – Although we will have the services of a translator please feel free to bring your
own so that you can try the language!
Binoculars – please bring a pair as there will be plenty of opportunities to use them.
Camera (+battery charger), handlens and telescope, if you have them.
Toilet things – including a towel, night clothes, sun block and sunhat, sunglasses.
Wet weather gear – waterproof coat and overtrousers. Spare pair of trousers for working in.
Walking boots.
A set of smarter clothes and shoes for going out in the evenings.
Bring a light jumper as the evenings may well be chilly.
A small personal 1st Aid Kit – with plasters and a small roll of micropore tape, waspeeze, mosquito
repellent, antiseptic wipes, a roll of bandage, a medium wound dressing and two prs of disposable gloves.
We will be bringing a full 1st Aid Kit as well. We will bring tick hooks but you might like to buy your
own (from the local vet!)
A torch.
Plastic box for packed lunch. We can pick up plastic bottles for drinks after we arrive.
Road Travellers
When we know who is proposing to travel to and/or from Croatia with the Group Leaders we will issue
guidance on what extra equipment you will need.
Insurance Third party liability insurance is covered by EuCAN’s insurers but you will need to take out
your own travel insurance if you do not have a permanent arrangement because travel insurance is
compulsory for visitors to Croatia. You need to bring your European Health Card in case you need
medical treatment in Europe but the Personal Health Insurance should cover that too.
Useful telephone numbers: Gwil Trevor Mohamed al Younis (Translator), Vedran Lucic (BIOM partner)
Registration form I will be sending out an enrolment form for you to complete before the visit, so that
we have all the necessary dietary and medical info. Places are limited so early booking is advised.
Bookings must be accompanied by a 50% deposit.
Payment The cost of the trip will be £500. This will cover all accommodation and transport to and from
your agreed pick up/drop off points plus related expenses like road tolls and the services of a local
translator.
We will be taking a vehicle from the UK and, if you have the time, are in a position to offer lifts both
ways to two people. The return trip will be charged at £200. If you want to have a lift please let us know
and provide the full payment by 31st March 2015. We will advise you of the route and proposed overnight
stops.
We would like all the people who take part in this visit to have joined the CIC beforehand – ie minimum
of £10 if you are working or £5 minimum if you are out of work. See: http://www.eucan.org.uk/aboutus/cic-membership/
It is easiest for us if you make all your payments by BACS. Account Name: EuCAN Community Interest
Company; sortcode: 08.92.99 , account no. 65472987. Please annotate your payment with your name and
Croatia 2015.
We are very much looking forward to meeting you and to an enjoyable week in Croatia.
Gwil Wren and Trevor Phelps
EuCAN CIC is registered in England and Wales as a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee.
Registered Company no. 7513162. Registered Office: 346, Mundens Lane, Alweston, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5HU.