Conservation programs have been established to protect the life and habitat of plants and animals in remote regions of the world and to develop research methodology to determine how best to protect them. Many conservation groups and programs accept volunteers at varying skill levels to assist in their earth-friendly missions. Some programs are for the love of the creatures, some double as college credit and some programs require participants to share some of the costs of travel, board and supplies associated with the trips.
Global Vision International
Global Vision International has a variety of wildlife conservation volunteer opportunities. Snorkeling research volunteer projects are available to aid preservation of sea life such as dolphins, manta rays and turtles. Volunteers are trained before the two-week commitment in Kenya, Africa. Similar research projects are available to study black and white colobus monkeys in Kenya, loggerhead turtle populations in the Mediterranean in Greece and Olive Ridley turtles on the Mexican Pacific coast.Through GVI, you can work alongside indigenous communities in Northern Thailand to reintegrate elephants who have been freed from circus life into a natural habitat. Volunteers teach local elephant owners English, learn about elephant care and walk with them in the forest in attempts to prevent the animals from having to return to the circus environment.
Volunteer Adventures
Another organization, Volunteer Adventures, partners with organizations around the world to offer volunteer opportunities in teaching English abroad, community development, HIV/AIDS preventative education and wildlife conservation. Their volunteers work on conservation goals in diverse areas such as Guatemala and Costa Rica. Targets of some conservation adventures include bats in Australia, a horse rehab program in South Africa, whale sharks off the coast of Mozambique, lion cubs in South Africa and bears in Ecuador.
EarthWatch Institute
The EarthWatch Institute has volunteer conservation opportunities available as expeditions to one of 50 countries for anyone willing to sign up, with a volunteer age range of 10 to 90. Through hands-on journeys to these biodiversity hot spots, volunteers aid in scientific research in an area of their choosing. This could be helping penguins or meerkats in South Africa, dolphins and whales off of Abaco Island, sea turtles on Pacific beaches or mapping for water supplies in northern Kenya, an area suffering from drought.
Biosphere Expeditions
The Conservation in Action program of Biosphere Expeditions offers volunteer jaunts as two-week expeditions, one-week projects and "taster days" designed to give prospective applicants an idea of what the commitment will entail, usually located in the United Kingdom or Germany. Longer trips might entail going to Slovakia to research the Tatra chamois mountain antelopes or observe snow leopards in Central Asia.
Other Groups
Conservation volunteer projects also can be based on a singular area. The African Conservation Experience and Volunteer Latin America are two organizations that regularly work on conservation in those areas in attempt to build observable change.
Tags: South Africa, Biosphere Expeditions, EarthWatch Institute, Global Vision, Global Vision International