EUROWILD (European Oiled Wildlife Response Life-long Learning Development) is a European initiative co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme, aimed at strengthening the EUROWA network by improving lifelong learning, expanding the pool of experts, and developing new training courses to better respond to oiled wildlife incidents in Europe. The project runs from December 2024 to November 2026 and is carried out by a consortium of five organisations from different countries: Sea Alarm (coordinator), ProBird (Germany), VOC Oostende (Belgium), WWF Finland and SUBMON (Spain).
EUROWILD
Strengthening the response to oiled wildlife in Europe
The project
EUROWILD was created with the aim of expanding and reinforcing the EUROWA network by strengthening its continuous training, increasing its expert group, and developing new training courses to improve the response to oiled wildlife incidents across Europe.
The project brings together several lines of work: designing and organising new specialised training courses, creating a train-the-trainer package, developing a basic online course, organising network meetings at the European scale, and launching a new training course for the assessment team aimed at highly qualified experts within the network.
Our work
SUBMON leads WP3, focused on maintaining and reinforcing the EUROWA network. This WP ensures the continuation of the network’s activities long-term while strengthening the relation between its members, as well as their preparation for working together as part of an international mobilised response team. Additionally, SUBMON has already begun taking part in the project’s training activities.
In April 2025, our senior project technician, Andreu Dalmau, participated in the first “Field Specialist Responder” course, held in Hamburg and organised by ProBird. The training focused on planning and logistics, species-specific rescue techniques, and first aid and animal care for oiled wildlife.
EUROWA
EUROWA (European Oiled Wildlife Assistance) is a network of European oiled wildlife response experts who are working together to improve professionalism in marine wildlife emergency response. Its mission is to enhance preparedness, coordination, and response capacity for environmental emergencies involving oiled wildlife.
Key project results
- The development and organisation of new EUROWA training courses for Field Specialists and Post-Wash Specialists.
- The creation of a comprehensive train-the-trainer package and a basic EUROWA online course.
- The development of a two-day workshop for European authorities, focused on improving preparedness for oiled wildlife incidents and incorporating volunteers into response efforts.
- The organisation of an in-person EUROWA network meeting, promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange.
- The development of a new training course for the assessment team, aimed at highly qualified EUROWA experts.
