Posted By: Annika F.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Are you looking for an experience you will never ever forget in your life? Then you should definitely consider volunteering with Gnarly Troop. So far, this was the best decision in my life.
Read More
Posted By: Solveig A.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
If you are lucky you are also able to spend time with baby animals during the stay. Honey badgers, antelopes, servals, cheetahs, lions and even a 6 months old rhino were some of the baby animals I had the pleasure to feed and spend time with, and I loved it!
Read More
Posted By: Jeroen B.
#Israel,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Middle East,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
It was an excellent location to learn about the +/- 1100 species present in the Red Sea. Together with Leras, a marine biologist, I received her help in analyzing the photographic material (pictures) from my UW camera. Initially I was only interested in fish species, though after a while I started to do some coral identification as well. In the Red Sea this is pretty much amazing!
Read More
Posted By: Mingyao M.
#Sri Lanka,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Most people in Sri Lanka were extremely friendly, and it was ok to use the combination of English and body language to communicate with them. I chose the orientation week as my first week program, and during this period, I visited many interesting places in Kandy, which included the temple of tooth. Kandy is the center of Buddhism; it was an impressive experience to learn the history and culture of this city.
Read More
Posted By: Giselle M.
#South Africa,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Hard work pays off, and this doesn’t go unnoticed by the amazing crew. I managed to go onto an exclusive boat trip which had less clients on board, giving me more opportunities to capture some great footage of the sharks who displayed incredible activity, breaching around six times in the space of two hours.
Read More
Posted By: Dominique
#Australia,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I didn\'t know what to expect when deciding to volunteer in Australia at this conservation project, but I\'ve learned so much in terms of nature, wildlife, the environment, and self growth as well as how to travel by myself. I would highly recommend this project to anybody who is looking for adventure, looking for an affordable and great way to travel and meet other genuine individuals...!
Read More
Posted By: Ben G.
#South Africa,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
All in all, it was the best thing I have done in my entire life, and I would go back in a heartbeat. The animals, group of volunteers, amazing staff and incredibly fun weekend excursions made my time in South Africa an unforgettable experience.
Read More
Posted By: Monica M.
#Australia,#Agriculture,#Conservation,#Australasia
Actually I didn’t know what to expect when deciding to volunteer in Australia at this conservation project, but at the end I can say that it was a great opportunity to grow up, to help the environment of Australia, to discover new cultures from all around the world. I will never forget this experience and the people that I met.
Read More
Posted By: Tian T.
#Australia,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
The other two weeks I was sent to a small town near the sea, Warrnambool. It was a super lovely town. I was amazed by the natural environment immediately. Diverse kinds of plants along the coast was impressive. We worked in a point danger area in the coast of Portland, where there is a unique ecological system with many different kinds of plants.
Read More
Posted By: Pei Chun
#Australia,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
What we did for those two weeks was not so easy but it was truly meaningful. What I liked most about volunteering was getting to work in a unique environment that you wouldn’t have the chance to experience unless you were a volunteer. Most of the places we worked were deep in the mountains; so beautiful. Everyday we worked about five hours and the leaders would show us some beautiful and amazing places to visit on our time off.
Read More
Posted By: Abby
#Australia,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The first three days of the program took place in Sydney, as our coordinator showed the volunteers around Sydney and filled us in on the history and customs in Australia. Along our tour we visited the Sydney Opera House, Botanical Gardens, a couple different museums and took a ferry ride to Darling Harbour.
Read More
Posted By: Marc V.
#Africa,#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I would totally recommend the Wildlife Sanctuary project. The mixture of hard work and animal interaction is really satisfying, and the people you meet there are awesome!
Read More
Posted By: Nicole
#Australia,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I enjoyed ranger days the most. On these days you were paired with a ranger and got to do everything they did. This included feeding, cleaning, and in some cases even treating the animals. There were so many animals at the park that it was so much to see every day. My favorite part was getting to know each animal and their story. Every animal at the park has a name and is looked after carefully. It was great because you weren’t just standing behind a fence looking at the animal you were in the enclosure handling and helping.
Read More
Posted By: Leah
#Australia,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
All of the staff on the boat was very friendly and helpful. You could tell this is something they all really enjoy and love to share with others. They made sure to let us know where the coolest things to see were and if there were any special things in our dive sites. There was one fish that was a regular visitor. His name is Wally and we saw him most days out on the reef. He swims right up to divers and it is definitely an experience to see how much he likes to hang out with people.
Read More
Posted By: Adel M.
#Middle East,#Israel,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When the time came to say goodbye, I realized that 2 weeks were definitely not enough to explore everything that this place has to offer. I loved every minute of it – the warmness of the sun, the peacefulness of the desert and of the animals, the kindness of the people I have met, the wonderful mix of sights, tastes and sounds and all kinds of experiences that were sometimes challenging and sometimes comforting. I would like to thank Go Eco, my fellow volunteers and everyone at the reserve for making this a one in a lifetime experience for me.
Read More
Posted By: Alexia G.
#Africa,#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When you engage in this Go Eco experience, you start appreciating life through new eyes. You become so empathetic while being with these incredible animals and listening to their stories.
Read More
Posted By: Laura
#Cambodia,#Conservation,#Development,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development
I managed to FaceTime my cousin when I gained access to WiFi again and she asked me, \'So what did you learn from all this?\' I simply responded with, \'If you don’t cut the weeds you cannot see the beautiful temple.\' That statement meant to me that only when you get rid of all the impure, damaging things around you, can you reveal the beautiful temple within.
Read More
Posted By: Tian T.
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
From Wednesday we started the volunteer project. We were grouped to assist at different stations; each station takes care of two to four pandas. An expert gave a wonderful lecture about the situation and behavior of the pandas. He shared his experience of being injured by an escaped panda. Although the pandas look cute, they can be very strong and sometimes dangerous!
Read More
Posted By: Catriona M.
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The work at the panda base wasn’t very hard, but it was extremely rewarding. I feel so grateful to have had this once in a lifetime experience, getting up close and personal with the pandas, learning their different personalities, and helping with their conservation. We were also part of an amazing group of volunteers, united by a love of pandas. We all got on really well and generally just had a great time together, both on and off the panda base. I will miss those crazies all most as much as I will miss my adorable new panda friends!
Read More
Posted By: Matt K.
#China,#Conservation,#Asia
I am very glad that I was able to try volunteering in China and meet these adorable animals. Perhaps, such a trip is the best way to learn Chinese culture and see how China is living far away from big cities. Moreover, with with a unique opportunity to observe the life of pandas. I am sincerely grateful to the staff who have helped me in China and all of the company Gnarly Troop who helped organize my trip. It was one of the most memorable trips of my life!
Read More
Posted By: Alina A.
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
After becoming acquainted with our panda keeper and pandas, we started our first job. It was necessary to clean the cage, removing the bamboo leaves and other garbage. After that, we started to clean their enclosures... In addition, we fed the pandas twice a day with carrot and special bread (named ”panda cake”), and sometimes apples.
Read More
Posted By: Amelia
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Feeding the pandas was an unforgettable experience. The pandas would rush to the entrance of the cage and lumber up to the front. My favorite panda, Susan, would hold a bar for support as she ate. They were so receptive and excited to get their special panda bread and carrots, relishing every bite.
Read More
Posted By: Jennifer
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I spent two weeks on the Animal Rescue and Conservation Program in San Carlos in the summer of 2012. San Carlos is a beautiful rural part of Costa Rica; it is much quieter and less busy than San José. I stayed with a host family who were extremely accommodating and kind!
Read More
Posted By: Hannah G.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day we chose different tasks ranging from preparing a rich meal of fruits and vegetables for the various animals and supplying them with water to cleaning their cages and babysitting infant orphaned sloths and monkeys.
Read More
Posted By: Shantelle P.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day we chose different tasks ranging from preparing a rich meal of fruits and vegetables for the various animals and supplying them with water to cleaning their cages and babysitting infant orphaned sloths and monkeys.
Read More
Posted By: Jessica
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It is an incredible experience and definitely a dirty job! I loved every second of it and wished I would have stayed longer. When I was there they were transitioning to a new location which had bigger rooms and a lot more space for the animals!
Read More
Posted By: Autumn
#Greece,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Within minutes the volunteers were buzzing about. A nearby restaurant reported that a nest was hatching in the middle of their dining tables! We grabbed some supplies and headed down the beach. Up ahead we saw a lot of commotion. We joined the crowd just in time to see tiny turtles scrambling in every direction and bystanders grabbing them up and ushering them to the Sea. We got to work right away...
Read More
Posted By: Bridget
#Croatia,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Every other day, the entire team went out with the boat to observe and collect data of the dolphins near the coast. While documenting them, they put on a very entertaining show for us! The morning the day after, we all analyzed the data collected. Everyone worked together and helped each other out. During the project, I started to understand how serious this situation is for the dolphins. We could understand the dolphins on another level than before.
Read More
Posted By: Emily
#Croatia,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The weather was warm and sunny and we saw dolphins on our very first outing on the boat! It was so much fun seeing them in their natural habitat. The next day, we observed the data we collected by examining the pictures of the dolphins and matching them to the existing dolphins in the catalog.
Read More
Posted By: Alexis
#Costa Rica,#Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Everyday, something new and exciting would make that day the best day ever. Being waken up by the sound of screaming monkeys in the morning, walking in jungles and seeing dozens and dozens or wild green parakeets in the trees, discovering the sweet taste of Tamarindos and all the other delicious fruits and wonders the trees and vegetation have to offer, seeing baby turtles dig themselves out of the sand and run to the ocean – the list never ends.
Read More
Posted By: Whitney J.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I’ve never been a morning person, so rising at 3am didn’t seem appealing at first, but the morning patrol was always my favorite. At least during my time on the project, the morning patrols were much more active. Baby turtles were hatching from their nests, and we helped them down to the ocean so they could avoid beach predators. Only 1 in every 1000 turtles lives to adulthood, so saving those that actually hatched, from a beach massacre was important!
Read More
Posted By: Sam
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Before I volunteered with Gnarly Troop in Costa Rica last summer I was on the fast track to law school and to becoming a lawyer. However, my experience at the Costa Rica – Sea Turtle Conservation project, helping sea turtles on the Pacific Coast, has changed that forever. I am no longer interested in limiting my life to domestic law, but have broadened my horizons to consider the entire world!
Read More
Posted By: Lior
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
At night we would patrol the beach and look for sea turtles that had come ashore to lay eggs. Once our eyes adjusted to the dark it became easier to spot the silhouettes of turtles and large logs blocking our path. We had to look at the sand carefully and try to find turtle tracks so we could follow them and find the eggs. We would mark where the eggs were on the beach or move them to a safe place. This was nature at its best!
Read More
Posted By: Cassie R.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Seeing the turtles in their natural habitat was a truly amazing experience. Watching them crawl up to the same beach they were born on to lay their own nests was awe-inspiring and I really loved collecting data to ensure their continued survival and protection.
Read More
Posted By: Rodrigo C.
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The beach there is excellent for people who like to surf on their down time. The beach itself is beautiful because you can see the ocean intact without ships or oil rigs to ruin the view. The vegetation is so lush that every time you step onto the beach you enjoy a very rustic and prestigious view that many people could only dream of.
Read More
Posted By: Lindsay M.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
At night, the stars and moon were so bright we didn’t need flashlights and the waves glowed yellow from plankton. The next three weeks were filled with hard work during the day (building the hatchery, cleaning the beach, maintaining the land) and beach patrols at night. We collected eggs from and tagged six turtles in my time. We had each weekend off and would travel to nearby beaches. We were given breaks throughout the day and would spend them exercising, relaxing on the beach and playing games.
Read More
Posted By: Denisse
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
I learned how to stop worrying about unimportant things that take up most of my time, I met amazing people, I saved over 400 turtle eggs and released over 150 baby ones, and I had the time of my life.
Read More
Posted By: Marie L.
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Central America
This trip was sincerely dreamlike. I loved every bit of it.The organism is really efficient and quick to answer when you have any questions. The trips from the airports and schools or to the projects are well organized so you don’t have to worry. The welcome from your local family is warm and kind. You will never lack anything with them.
Read More
Posted By: Sofia B.
#Greece,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Teens and High School Students
Everything is really well organized and straightforward. There are three shifts. Two at night and one in the morning and obviously, you will never get more than one shift per day. The night shifts involve walking along the beach looking for turtles and waiting for them to nest. If they nest you get to watch them lay eggs and help measure and tag them. It’s honestly an amazing experience because it’s something so different and unique. The morning patrols consist of writing down all the turtle tracks and finding nests to help secure them.
Read More
Posted By: Flora W.
#Greece,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#MarineConservation,#Teens and High School Students,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Europe
Waking up in the middle of the night or not going to bed until 2 am was totally worth it to see a mother turtle lay her legs or find and protect their nests. We observed from just inches away as these giant turtles laid up to 100 or more eggs, and then take the time to carefully cover and camouflage her eggs to protect them from predators.
Read More
Posted By: Will
#Greece,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Teens and High School Students
It was such a rewarding project to be involved in, as at the end of each day, I could see the nests that I had protected, and know that I had done my part towards saving the turtles, and saving the planet. One of the staff members who was supervising us said, “the best feeling on earth is saving a life that can never repay you”. Helping to save those turtles made me see the truth behind these words.
Read More
Posted By: Kira J.
#Indonesia,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Asia
Volunteering with the local community was humbling and valuable to learn to follow your dreams and interests that hard work will pay off. The coordinators were well educated about the sea turtles and showed immense compassion.
Read More
Posted By: Amanda A.
#Indonesia,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I learnt some basic Bahasa (the language spoken in Indonesia) skills, created my own batik painting, strolled in the rice fields, made an offering to the Hindu Gods, attended a cooking class where I learnt the art of Indonesian cuisine, and visited a holy water temple. Yet this discovering of Ubud could unfortunately not last forever and a week later I packed my bags again to move on to the remote island of Nusa Penida for the real volunteering.
Read More
Posted By: Delia
#Indonesia,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
A few other places in the world, I felt such at ease and in peace. Such impression was reinforced the following week in the island of Nusa Penida, where while helping to conserve the sea turtles and keep the magnificent beaches clean, you also have the chance to explore spots of untapped natural beauty and engage in happy if humorous conversations with the locals, genuinely curious about your home as much as your life story.
Read More
Posted By: Louise
#Indonesia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Asia,#Bali
I couldn’t wait to witness the lucky little fella be released at the end of the week. It was so exciting, knowing that one of the turtles that had been in our care was soon going to start his life in the \"big blue.\" I couldn’t hide my anticipation, regardless of the fact that we release a turtle (or two), every week.
Read More
Posted By: Remi
#Indonesia,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Asia,#Bali
Volunteering through Gnarly Troop in Bali is one of the best decisions I have ever made. This summer I traveled to Ubud and Nusa Penida, participating in a sea turtle conservation project that soon became the most rewarding experience of my life. Over the course of two weeks I was introduced to incredible coordinators, awesome traditional food, and friends that I will have for a lifetime. I would highly recommend this trip to any and everyone.
Read More
Posted By: Ho Ying
#Indonesia,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Orientation week was conducted in Ubud. I stayed in a homestay with cottages, family temples and yards. The yards were the playgrounds for the children, the places for making handicrafts as well as the farmhouses for the chickens and dogs. I felt like I was living on a farm! With the cocks crowing nonstop, I got up by 6 am every day! What a countryside living style!
Read More
Posted By: Paola
#Asia,#Indonesia,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Community Aid and Development
The greatest aspects of the project are two. First of all, you really feel useful as local coordinators need our help to take care of all turtles as they are not enough to do the job alone. Second, compared to Ubud, there are less volunteers (around 25, even if they told us that during the high season it can go up to 70). As you are not a lot, no small groups are done; we are all part of a big group, or even better a big family. You really get close to volunteers and to coordinators and cookers.
Read More
Posted By: Jacquie
#Israel,#Marine Conservation,#Middle East,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Working at the Coral Reef Conservation project was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. The people who work there are friendly and accommodating. There is lots of joking, laughing and I was made to feel like part of the family. Work tasks varied on a daily basis. My favorite thing to do was explore the reef. It is really beautiful and it felt good knowing that I was helping to conserve the reef.
Read More
Posted By: Yan
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Who hasn’t wanted to take some time off from life’s routine and escape to a new and different place, free of stress and filled with new experiences; to find a break from the monotony of everyday life. It is tragic that so often in our lives we are not aware of the wonder all around us and that we don’t always need to travel across continents to experience satisfaction and happiness...
Read More
Posted By: Felix
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I always wanted to visit Israel, it is such a beautiful country, it’s multicultural, multi-faith, and the amazing people there really attract me. Israel as a desert country contains an extreme diverse flora and fauna; this is due to its geographical location. Israel is situated between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, therefore Asian and African species have mixed together and evolved into many endemic species that are only found in Israel!
Read More
Posted By: Deborah
#Israel,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The team at the Desert Wildlife program is fantastic. The banter was brilliant and I felt very at ease with all of them straight away. I loved the fact that each member of staff injected their own love and passion for their work and that rubbed off onto the volunteers as well. Every day was a day of learning something new whether it was about an individual animal’s diet or how a specific species would live free in the wild.
Read More
Posted By: Andrea
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We got to set a falcon free, watch amazing felines devour calve legs, run around with a playful fox and have deep and fun conversations with the rangers. It was one of the best experiences I\'ve ever had and would recommend volunteering in Israel with wildlife to anyone who doesn\'t mind getting dirty and is up for hard work.
Read More
Posted By: Cynthia
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It was amazing to watch the animals\' individual habits and how they expressed themselves. Each had their own personality. A lot of time was spent fixing enclosures and fixtures for the animals but it was rewarding to see them move from smaller enclosures to larger fixtures with more space and room for them to live and thrive that is more similar to the wild. Almost every night a ranger would come ask us if we wanted to join for the night feeding. It was so great to feed the animals at night..
Read More
Posted By: Kayla
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The program was such a learning experience. Each day was different with different tasks to complete. The rangers were very patient and taught how to do each task well that was given. They made sure that I was comfortable with what I was doing and if not then they made it an option to do something different. Practically the only thing that was the same was feeding the animals each morning and cleaning enclosures of either the desert night life or the predators. After that was completed, each person would start on other tasks that were given to them.
Read More
Posted By: Naomi
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The reserve is a safari where ostriches, oryxes, Addaxes and donkeys live and a place which looks like a zoo, where animals are in cages (raptures, vultures, owls, porcupines, lizards, turtles, snakes, foxes, fennecs, jackals, hyenas, wolves, parakeets, caracals, leopards, sand cats, wild cats, sand rats….).The volunteers’ apartment is next to the safari (we can see the ostriches everyday), but we have to cross the safari to go to the place where we work (about 10 min by car).
Read More
Posted By: Susanna
#Italy,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
When we did see the dolphins and whales it was exciting and definitely something I will take away with me. Now that I am back home I really miss the people, gelato, homemade Italian food, and boat living. I would recommend this project to anyone looking to get involved in something unique and fun!
Read More
Posted By: Lauren
#Italy,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
All volunteers took turns on one-hour watch shifts carefully scanning the horizon for sights of wildlife. When we were not on lookout duty we monitored the hydrophone and GPS scans of the area. Once we sighted a dolphin or whale we videotaped and photographed the animals for photo-identification purposes.
Read More
Posted By: Nikki
#Italy,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Nothing compares to sighting over eighty dolphins and spending two to three hours photographing their beauty, observing their habits, recording their acoustical data and filming them underwater. Whenever there was a sighting, everyone on board had a special task to do, whether it was sailing the boat, filming, photographing, recording sounds or just simply observing.
Read More
Posted By: Ruslana
#Italy,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Some nights we would go to restaurants and pizzerias in Casamicciola, Ischia Porto and on Mt. Epomeo. It was a great way to see the island. There was always such an energetic and happy atmosphere on board and everyone was just so fascinating and lovely to talk to; you really make amazing connections. Don’t even worry about learning Italian, ba bene (a phrase you’ll most definitely learn that means “it’s alright”), you can easily learn a bit on board!
Read More
Posted By: Eudes
#Italy,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
When I arrived on the Casamiccciola’s harbor I was anxious. I had many questions on my mind: am I ready to leave my comfort zone and to adapt myself to a life on a boat? Will I be useful on the searches and in the sailing? Will the other crew members be welcoming and sympathetic? I was optimistic on this point and I was entirely right.
Read More
Posted By: Stephanie
#Kenya,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The first day of the plain count I remember looking over the list of the 30 or so wild animals. I thought, “Yea right, like we are really going to see all these? I doubt it!” Then I thought, “How am I supposed to count something I have never heard of before in my entire life?” Each creature was pointed out and explained in vivid detail to us. I had seen more beautiful creatures on that day than I had ever seen in any zoo anywhere. And I have been to quite a lot of zoos in my life. I was shocked, excited and ready for more.
Read More
Posted By: Marion
#Kenya,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The program allowed me to immerse myself in both environmental and cultural aspects of the area. I also had the chance to do some safaris in Africa. Being so close to nature and people, I realized how people have to live on a day to day basis, in a sometimes harsh environment...
Read More
Posted By: Wu
#Madagascar,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It was interesting to be a volunteer in Madagascar. I think this experience was full of change and pleasure. My project was Wildlife Research and Conservation and when I arrived at the camp, everyone said hello to me with big smile and enthusiasm. It made me feel like home; like we were family.
Read More
Posted By: Sikanderjit
#Maldives,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I learned so much from this trip especially about sea life and the beautiful Green Sea Turtles...I enjoyed our work every day, but it was an even better time because of the amazing people on the project. I went on excursion trips to uninhabited islands and snorkeled for the first time. Snorkeling was truly spectacular; it was like a dream!
Read More
Posted By: Julie
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Volunteer work started our first morning & continued every day until we left. The center takes in turtles ranging from hatchlings to more mature juveniles – from 1 week olds at about 7cm’s, and 12 month olds about 25cms. Every single turtle there will make you fall in love with them. Caring for them alongside the marine biologists & other volunteers was a hell of a lot of fun.
Read More
Posted By: Yun-Chieh
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I can still remember how excited I was having the chance to touch a turtle for the first time. They are just so adorable, especially the hatchlings. It was also interesting to see that every turtle had its own characteristics, some were calm and some more energetic!
Read More
Posted By: Prithvi
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I learned a lot during my three week stay and made some great friends. Waking up early every day, going to the marine center to feed the turtles and carrying out the rest of our duties taught me a lot about marine life. We also got to release a few hatchlings and grown turtles into the ocean.
Read More
Posted By: Jaimi-Lee
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
A daily routine was split over two shifts a morning shift and afternoon, each taking two hours to complete. We would feed the turtles and drain the tanks, clean them and refill them. Once a week we would do a deep clean and all volunteers are roistered on and we scrub ALL the tanks and rocks with betadine to ensure everything is clean. Once a week we would also measure each individual turtles weight, length and width once a week.
Read More
Posted By: Brandi
#Asia,#Maldives,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Each turtle seemed to have different personalities that made it easy to tell the difference between each turtle. It was really incredible! One of my favorite days was when we did weights and measurements because we took measurements for every single turtle and it was so cute to watch.
Read More
Posted By: Ashika
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My second day on the island is when I got to meet and start working with the turtles – which was great! Our main tasks were emptying and refilling the tanks and feeding and numbering the turtles, but once we also had to measure and weigh all of the turtles too. Once a week we also had to scrub all of the tanks to keep them clean which takes a whole day!
Read More
Posted By: Hannah
#Maldives,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Volunteering in the Maldives... was everything I could have ever imagined, but the biggest surprise to me was how much I gained from the program. Working with the turtles in itself was incredible. To watch them grow, get to know their personalities and then release them back into the ocean. To know that you have had a positive impact on saving such a beautiful creature from extinction, it is very rewarding. It’s not an experience that comes around often and I’ll hold it close to me for the rest of my life
Read More
Posted By: Andrea
#Maldives,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Apart from the daily routine and some other work that we did, there was always enough time to go snorkeling. There were different snorkeling grounds close by (and once a week we went on an excursion a bit further away) and I discovered something new every time. Another part of the experience was living on a local Maldivian island – which seemed worlds away from the resort islands.
Read More
Posted By: Holly
#New Zealand,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
Every other week we worked on restoring the coast of Punakaiki, and the weeks in between we traveled to different locations close by. As we drove we had remarkable views of luscious trees, mountains, and the ocean. I wish I never had to look away. The work itself consisted of a combination of weeding, planting trees, clearing paths, planting flax, potting, and setting up traps depending on the site. The work was sometimes very repetitive and could be tedious, but the enthusiastic team leader and amiable volunteers ensured that it was never boring.
Read More
Posted By: Gabriel
#Seychelles,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The intense learning process began the very first day we arrived, teaching us physiology, behavior and survey methodology of different sea organisms, as well as different aspects of the ocean. At the same time, what we learned we practiced in the ocean through surveys, collecting valuable data for the Seychelles National Park Association (SNPA) to monitor the coral reefs in the country.
Read More
Posted By: Sarah
#Seychelles,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Nothing will put a smile on your face like when you see baby turtles. We were so fortunate that we got to see hatchlings during our last week. It was such a wonderful way to end our time on Curieuse. Seeing the little guys make their way down the beach to the sea amazes me every time. They are so small and surprisingly fast for such tiny creatures. I’m sure the “Aaaawwwww”s of all the volunteers were most likely heard on the other side of the island.
Read More
Posted By: Noam
#Seychelles,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I arrived to Curieuse Island in Seychelles and met my group for the next month- 12 amazing people from the US, UK and Germany. When we arrived I felt like I had found paradise, such a beautiful and special place! Every morning it was a pleasure to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and start the day with our awesome surveys - with the sea turtles or with the lemon sharks, the coco de mer trees or go to run in the mud at the mangroves!
Read More
Posted By: Rebecca
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In South Africa, I was greeted with an abundance of visual inspiration. Drawings of elephants, rhinos and lions now fill my sketchbook, and I have a growing list of ideas I can’t wait to get on paper! Listening to our guides as they interpret the behavior and traits of the animals and plants was immensely helpful as I illustrated my surroundings. Our work in the Research program was a refreshing change of pace and an incredible learning experience.
Read More
Posted By: Matthew
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
My involvement allowed me to avoid being the one-dimensional tourist, but rather to provide meaningful work in the further advancement of research done on the wildlife in Africa. Seeing and working with these beautiful animals has been eye-opening, especially the black and white rhinos. The next 5 years will be critical for the survival of these magnificent creatures. Conservation becomes vital for the survival of the rhino as well as all the species that live in a very unpredictable part of the world.
Read More
Posted By: Tim
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The sights are of course the thing I will always remember, but there was something that was even more important, the sense of community. It was a project for the animals, but we always worked with people. For me, that was the biggest surprise, all the great people I met there.The staff members were amazing and they were like the other volunteers just great and we all became such fast friends.
Read More
Posted By: Williams
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Through the photography aspect of the program I was given the perfect opportunity to increase my photography skills in the midst of one of the most bio diverse places I have ever been. Gnarly Troop provided us with amazing photographic opportunities through the many day trips we took. Whether it was Kruger National Park, The Blyde River Canyon, or Khami Reptile Park the photographs turned out absolutely amazing. Not to mention the fantastic daily game drives in local reserves.
Read More
Posted By: Norine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Then I discovered the one-month Greater Kruger Area Wildlife Photography and Conservation project. Living at Dumela Lodge in the Greater Kruger Area surrounded by game reserves I returned to the wonderful world of the South African bush. We walked, drove, and camped as we improved our photography skills and captured birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, flora, landscapes, lightening, sunrises and sunsets.
Read More
Posted By: Ryan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
There was a wide variety of tasks to be completed, including research, conservation work, community involvement, camping, and social events. On the weekend, everyone got to sign up for a fun excursion. My trip to Swaziland proved to be memorable.
Read More
Posted By: Heather
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Upon arriving, I was terrified. I was 18 years old and had never traveled anywhere alone before, let alone engaged in transcontinental travel alone. I had no idea what to expect for the next three weeks. Almost immediately, I learned that nothing could have enriched me more than traveling and volunteering, the abrupt thrust into the unknown that mandates meeting new people, understanding new cultures, trusting, collaborating, listening, and learning.
Read More
Posted By: Susan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Our guide showed us how to track her and to be wary of her as an injured Lion is a dangerous Lion. I immediately wanted to know all about her so I took on the responsibility of making an identity kit for “KF5 Unknown Lioness.” We made a total of 4 game drives in less than 24 hours. Our second drive took us upon a Cape Buffalo kill that the Ross Breakaway Pride had taken down.
Read More
Posted By: Erica
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
One of the highlights was us watching an animal birth. A few of the researchers spotted strange blue legs sticking out from one of the pregnant buffaloes.Everyone quickly whipped out their binoculars and cameras to zoom in on what was happening. Then came out the legs of a buffalo calf, still in its amniotic sac. We were actually witnessing the birth of a baby buffalo! The mother moaned and walked around for a bit before giving the last push where the calf literally dropped onto the ground.
Read More
Posted By: Lisa
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every week, we went on at least five game drives to conduct data collection on wildlife. This experience alone was worth the cost of the program. The Kruger area and surrounding private reserves are incredible. Seeing animals in a zoo is not even close to how amazing it is to see animals in the wild. We had close encounters with elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes, and countless other animals. I learned so many interesting facts about these animals and now have such a greater understanding of how they behave and the threats they face for survival in the wild.
Read More
Posted By: Christine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Our purpose there was to assist in the data collection of a variety of species, including elephants, rhino, lions, leopards, birds of prey, and many others, to give to conservation organizations that protect these animals and their environments. Without the help of volunteers, the staff wouldn’t be able to collect and maintain all of the information that they need.
Read More
Posted By: Katie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We also saw many impala, steenbok, buffalo, zebra, and other animals. We were lucky enough to see two leopards, one of which was from a distance relaxing in a tree, but the other we lucked into seeing prowling around and hunting.
Read More
Posted By: Gizela
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When I went it was winter time and even then we weren’t stopped from doing things like caring for there majestic animals, I mean where else can you get this close to cheetahs, lions, white tigers, lemurs and leopards?
Read More
Posted By: Gali
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We arrived in Cape Town and spent a week doing tourist things; it was beautiful. It was now time to go to the African Wildlife Ranch. Upon arrival we were introduced to everyone and were given a tour. The Ranch is a beautiful place and everyone there was fantastic. We were really well taken care of at the volunteer house and at the Ranch. The staff even booked and took us on tours on our free time.
Read More
Posted By: Leva
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I had a chance to experience a variety of tasks and jobs while there, from cleaning big cats enclosures, preparing food for smaller animals and birds to walking a massive tortoise, creating enrichment for all big cats and brushing cheetahs.
Read More
Posted By: Laurel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
On the weekends you can request to do a certain excursion or sign up for something someone else has already arranged to do. We went to see the Cango Caves, an Ostrich Farm, had a Spa Day and did a quad drive. Some of the others did sky diving and shark cage diving.
Read More
Posted By: Montserrat
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
As a volunteer, I got to interact with animals that regular visitors don’t get to interact with, for example the black and white lemurs (which are EXTREMLY soft) and the bat-eared foxes. During my stay, I got to learn a lot about conservancy and animal preservation. Most of the staff there are really well informed and can answer all the questions you can have regarding the animals.
Read More
Posted By: Stephanie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Typical days at the African Wildlife Ranch aren’t typical at all. Each day provided for a new opportunity to help improve the lives of the animals at the ranch. Whether it was assisting with cleaning enclosures each morning, preparing food for various animals, providing enrichment to one of the many wonderful animals, building and preparing enrichment opportunities or assisting with project work, there was always something new to keep you focused on.
Read More
Posted By: Rachel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The whole experience was humbling, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get up close and personal with all sorts of animals but more importantly to me it helped me learn and understand the troubles that animals are faced with and what this particular organisation is doing to protect endangered species such as the cheetah. I have a lot of fond memories of the people who I worked with and the animals I was fortunate enough to get to know and those memories will never fade.
Read More
Posted By: Kaylen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
My two weeks at the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary were the best and happiest days of my life. I learned so much. Kevin and his team sacrifice so much just to make these animals lives the best possible. It really is true, once you leave the sanctuary and Africa, you are a changed person. You won’t look at life the same. I have so many wonderful memories that can never be taken from me.
Read More
Posted By: Jeff
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation
This project helped me understand the biodiversity of the oceans and the Great White Shark, dispelling my fear of sharks. It helped me decide that I need to help save our seas. The oceans and its inhabitants are being dramatically impacted by human activity including pollution, global warming and over-fishing. Please help save the oceans!
Read More
Posted By: Martine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation
Volunteering with Gnarly Troop on the Great White Shark Conservation Program has been a most rewarding experience! Being able to go out on the ocean almost every day, seeing Great Whites 20cms from your face, and helping manage a commercial shark cage diving vessel is possibly the most exciting thing I have ever done!
Read More
Posted By: Stephanie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation
Volunteering with Gnarly Troop has been an unforgettable experience. I knew I wanted to do the Great White Shark Conservation project as soon as I read the description online a year ago. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical seeing as how I found it online and had never previously heard of Gnarly Troop. However, it turned out to be even better than the description had depicted.!
Read More
Posted By: Susan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My first trip to sea was actually aboard the Whale Whisperer. It was a cold and rainy day but I did not care, I went onto the top deck and enjoyed it! We spotted a few whales up close and saw one breaching a bit of a distance off from us, it was beautiful! Our third day in we made our first trip to sea was as a client, and the sharks were great! I had no idea I even took any decent pictures until we looked at the pictures that night. As you can see, I was inches from the teeth!
Read More
Posted By: Karol
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
From sea level as well as below the water, we got a closer look at the curious sharks that swam nearly up to the cage and it was such a thrilling experience. Besides working on the boat with tourists and the crew, I also met some incredible people that came from all walks of life and each had amazing stories to tell.
Read More
Posted By: Ziv
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
While I stayed there we were scheduled a shift to go out in the bush to nurse two cheetah cubs and the baby rhino. This experience for me was beyond wonderful – to be surrounded by animals from dusk ’till dawn, all the while in close contact with them. Every night I fall asleep to the sounds of hyenas answering the roars of lions... this was a one-of-a-kind experience.
Read More
Posted By: Kristen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Volunteering at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center was truly one of the best experiences of my life. There is so much interaction with the animals and education about South African wildlife and conservation; spontaneous opportunities to experience something unique are bound to pop up.
Read More
Posted By: Kimberly
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I was able to also meet a lot of amazing people from volunteers to the actual staff. There are those who are going for veterinary school and those who are not. The vets will be able to assist in more things such as emergency procedures. However, those without the vet background like me will also be able to participate in a lot of amazing things such as flying a vulture to a glove or help with the ambassador training for the cheetah program.
Read More
Posted By: Nurit
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In my stay at the center there was a baby rhino that was abandoned by her mother, which was no less than incredible to see and be a part of. All the volunteers were really nice and friendly and I got to build relationships with people from all over the world that will last a lifetime!
Read More
Posted By: Sarah
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Before lunch was pool time, my favorite time of day. The baby baboons were let out of their cage and jumped onto the volunteers to be taken down to the pool. We would spend over an hour playing with the baboons as they ran around the pool, went swimming, and climbed and chased after each other.
Read More
Posted By: Darion
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Seriously though the bonds you can create with any of the animals at the center is amazing, I never thought a monkey could mean so much to me. I really didn’t realize how much they could get into my heart. No matter your mood or your circumstances, those cuddles will surely put a smile on your face that you won’t forget.
Read More
Posted By: Francesca
#South Africa,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
One of my favorite aspects of my project was “baby time.” On this day, one group would be in charge of taking care of the baby monkeys. We fed them bottles, spent time in their enclosures, took the baboons to the river, prepared their night boxes, and much more. This allowed us to develop a connection with the baby monkeys, which was so unique.
Read More
Posted By: Angie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In the afternoon the volunteers would take the baboons down to the river and watch them play and socialize for about an hour. This also gave us time to socialize and become very close friends and family. The baboons would grab my legs and hands when they wanted me to carry them as we walked down to the river. This was my favorite part of the day.
Read More
Posted By: Ciera
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I’ve traveled to farms to work with livestock, injecting, de-horning, pregnancy testing and artificially inseminating. I spent a lot of time in the townships, getting to know the locals – dogs and children! It was refreshing to be in community that valued love and kindness over materialistic items. We dipped the dogs (and many puppies!) for fleas, ticks and mange, de-wormed, vaccinated, and injected antibiotics to treat illnesses and injuries.
Read More
Posted By: Floortji
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We did some game captures too, so I got to give some injections to wildebeests, impala’s and blesbucks. From wildlife we went to a farm and I witnessed the birth of a calf, and I got to do some pregnancy testing myself. Of course volunteering is hard work, but we had some time off too.
Read More
Posted By: Ashley M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
After being at the project for 3 weeks and being able to visit the same townships, during dog dipping, you could see the impact you were making on the animals which is honestly the best feeling in the world. You would notice the decrease in mange, ticks, fleas, and worms that dogs had.
Read More
Posted By: Ashley
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
During my time in South Africa I gained such a wide array of experience that would have never been possible at home. I participated in several game counts, tested cows and sheep for fertility, treated horses and mules in the area of Coffee Bay, and experienced both a net and helicopter capture.
Read More
Posted By: Ana
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
While I was there, we were working on a new space for Roger the caracal. We also assisted on daily tours of the facility. In between working, there was plenty of free time to spend quality time with the animals of our choice, including cheetahs, caracals, lions, servals, monkeys, and more.
Read More
Posted By: Christina
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Aside from relaxing time, remember, that you will have to work. There is a fixed schedule according to which you will have to get up early and go around your chores. Sometimes there is not much to do and sometimes there is a lot of hard and even dirty work to be done during the day, including construction, helping around the house, cutting meat, feeding etc. It is important to remember that you came here not to enjoy, but also to help and, thanks to your contribution, the farm will grow and prosper. You will be able to see its progress with your own eyes even if you stay only for two weeks.
Read More
Posted By: Kate
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
A main reason this sanctuary stood out for me is because they are against canned hunting and captive bred hunting. The leaders of this project do everything possible to ensure that their animals are safe and have a long and happy life. If you’re looking for an ethical volunteering project; you’ve found one. I could not recommend this project more, and the founders and owners of the project are incredible, inspiring people. Their dedication to their work and their love for every single one of their animals is awe inspiring.
Read More
Posted By: Kailin
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I met so many lifelong friends and so many were from all across the globe. When you meet these people and bond so much, you will feel like family by the end of the trip. I now know that if I ever want to travel somewhere where one of these friends live, I will find them willing to take me in. I would do the same for them if any of them came to where I live as well.
Read More
Posted By: Margaret-Amelia
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The biggest shock for me was when one volunteer mentioned that we had the opportunity to spend the night with a cheetah—Zena was rescued from a family who kept her as a pet and therefore she is unable to regulate her own body temperature. At night, she either sleeps with the project leaders or two volunteers. Sleeping with Zena was like sleeping with a dog-sized cat; she purred, cuddled, and gave kisses.
Read More
Posted By: Reanna
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
At this project you will get up close and personal with most of the African mega-fauna. These are beautiful, enchanting animals. I remember blowing into the mother elephant’s trunk so that she would remember me – they say that an elephant will never forget your scent... I remember being in awe of the might of the grown lions as they growled over haunches of meat!
Read More
Posted By: Jen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
How should I begin telling my story? Well, when I arrived I didn’t even know the name of the place where I was going to stay for the next 16 days, so I was pretty excited and curious. The first two pictures I took where from a gorgeous area in the sanctuary and a stunning sunset, which was not a bad way to start! The following days where full of once in a lifetime experiences, great people and unique animals. I worked (or played?) with lion cubs, fed a lot of different animals, walked with lions and elephants...
Read More
Posted By: Jessie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The Wildlife Sanctuary really opened my eyes, I was able to meet so many different people and learn about their different cultures as well. I want to thank Gnarly Troop one more time for allowing me to have this amazing opportunity. I will definitely remember volunteering in South Africa for the rest of my life!
Read More
Posted By: Sol
#SouthAfrica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
South Africa, you were my deepest dream, my biggest life lesson, my Neverland… you stole my heart, you changed my life and most of all, you offered me the most beautiful experience.
Read More
Posted By: Jacob
#SouthAfrica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The animals in the park were amazing, I’ve never seen so many friendly ‘wild’ animals in my life. Jack the zebra loves attention as well as the two mongoose and two cervals. There’s also four hippos you have to keep an eye out for and a few giraffes you’ll see wandering past every now and again. I’m not even saying the half of it either! The elephants were my favorite, so beautifully friendly and but also so amazing to watch when going on the elephant walks.
Read More
Posted By: Kellie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day here at Wildlife Sanctuary was different but each day was just as exciting as the next because there can always be surprises. For example, one night in the middle of the night it started to rain. I did not think anything about until I got woken up suddenly and was asked to help put the baby ostriches in the bar. As it turns out, baby ostriches do not handle cold temperature.
Read More
Posted By: Zyna
#SouthAfrica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Volunteering in South Africa for two weeks at the end of July was the BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE! After being home for a week I am still missing falling asleep with the roaring of the lions.
Read More
Posted By: Samuel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The tigers are a new experience for me, they weren’t there last year. It was amazing to get to work with them, never thought I’d do that! The three lionesses are now 18 months old and substantially bigger than when I last saw them. My biggest surprise came when we fed the animals and got to see Sheba’s cubs again. They were a month old when I left them last year; I’d actually sat with them and looked after them for some time. Now, they look like full grown lions! What a difference a year makes in the life of a lion.
Read More
Posted By: Kenzie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I did not think I was going to get to get up close and personal with so many of the beautiful creatures. There was definitely a lot of manual labor involved in this volunteer project such as cleaning up after the animals, building a new enclosure for the tiger cubs, and picking up trash around the farm. Although it was a lot of work it was such a rewarding feeling knowing you are helping better the lives of such fascinating animals.
Read More
Posted By: Aleksandra
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
There are many unforgettable moments and things I got to do there, also we had many opportunities to go on to different excursions especially during the weekends – we went to crock city (a reptile house), visited a proper African village, ate amazing African food and watched a dance show.
Read More
Posted By: Matilda
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Working with the lions, tigers and the elephants was probably my favorite. Everyone that works on the project are all so caring and nice. I have never met people so passionate about their job. They also make sure that you have the best possible photo that you can have with the animals.
Read More
Posted By: Alessandro
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
They soon took me for a tour of the farm and the animals and I soon understand I was not going to forget my three weeks easily. Everything surmounted my expectations. There was always something new to do, starting from simply chopping wood for the fire to walking with the lions or building a pool for the elephants (which was really fun!)
Read More
Posted By: Samantha
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Everyone always asks me to tell about my adventure but the only words I can get out are \'It was a truly amazing, once in a lifetime trip.\' Waking up in the morning or in the middle of the night hearing the lions roaring truly made me feel like I was dreaming. I played with the 4 month old leopard cub like I would play with one of my kittens at home.
Read More
Posted By: Cathrine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Looking back there is only good memories. I came back to Norway under 24 hours ago, and I am already looking for new tickets back to my real, African home. If you consider travelling to the sanctuary, don´t hesitate. I can promise you the only thing you will regret is not staying there forever.
Read More
Posted By: Cierra
#SouthAfrica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We started each day with our morning chores, followed by an amazing South African breakfast. We would have a mix of work to do in the field and cleaning of enclosures during the day before and after lunch. Following dinner, we had the rest of the day to ourselves to socialize with the other volunteers. The staff were always planning events and activities for us to participate in during the downtime, such as Africa Night and play movies filmed right there on the sanctuary.
Read More
Posted By: Bridie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Booking through Gnarly Troop gave me the opportunity to take part in orientation in Johannesburg for 2 days, which I thought was a great idea. This is where I met 3 of my closest friends, which helped me settle significantly as I had been on my own prior to this. We were given a guided tour around the city visiting places such as cool independent shops and places where pivotal historical moments happened. I won’t spoil them for you as they were truly eye opening.
Read More
Posted By: Ali
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I was very surprised by one aspect of the trip; the friendships I made in such a short amount of time. I never knew it was possible to become so close with a group of people so quickly. I became friends with people from all over the world and learned so much about their countries and cultures, while also teaching about mine.
Read More
Posted By: Britney
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Never having been out of the country, I had worries and therefore researched EVERYTHING, from the conservation to the hostel in Johannesburg and everything in-between. Everything went off without a hitch. The orientation in Joburg was a blast! I felt very safe at the hostel; the staff was warm and accommodating. There were 13 volunteers the week I started, four went to a different project and nine went to the same as me. We are all still in contact!
Read More
Posted By: Alex
#Spain,#Conservation,#Europe,#Community Aid and Development
This previous summer (Summer 2012) I traveled with Gnarly Troop to Valencia, to take part in a series of conservation projects around the Valencia Region. I can summarize my experience in exactly one word, AMAZING! From the beginning, GO-ECO helped me find a suitable program and made the entire process so much easier.
Read More
Posted By: Rachel
#Spain,#Conservation,#Community Aid and Development,#Europe
This previous summer (Summer 2012) I traveled with Gnarly Troop to Valencia, to take part in a series of conservation projects around the Valencia Region. I can summarize my experience in exactly one word, AMAZING! From the beginning, Gnarly Troop helped me find a suitable program and made the entire process so much easier.
Read More
Posted By: Radu
#Sri Lanka,#Community Aid,#Humanitarian Aid,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Days started with a 40-minute spiritual session with one of the sisters, and after discovering the meaning of life, we jumped straight into lending a hand. From putting on nail polish and washing their faces and hands to coloring and building with blocks, it was an eye opening experience.
Read More
Posted By: Matthew
#Sri Lanka,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The second week I moved down south to a new house and to work with the turtles. This was an amazing experience, it was very hands-on and I got to spend as much time with the turtles as I wanted. We cleaned them, fed them and generally worked with them on the beach trying to get them back to full health. They are such amazing animals and the work they do at at this project is fantastic. All the volunteers really care for each individual turtle and no one is afraid about getting dirty and being involved.
Read More
Posted By: Sara
#Tanzania,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The project goals are long term – building community and relationships takes time, and those are what are needed for a paradigm shift. I hope the data I helped collect contributes to policy change to make dolphin tourism more sustainable.
Read More
Posted By: Emily-Janes
#Thailand,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I spent two weeks volunteering in Thailand at the Gibbon Sanctuary. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We woke up early to start preparing breakfast for the gibbons and macaques; their diet consisted of fruits and vegetables.
Read More
Posted By: Christina
#Thailand,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
What I enjoyed the most was seeing the excitement and pleasure the gibbons felt whenever the owner came to say hello to them. After two weeks of volunteering in Thailand, I know that I made a difference and that feeling of being a part of the gibbons\' happiness is something I couldn\'t be without.
Read More
Posted By: Chloe
#Thailand,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
As conservation volunteers, the team I worked on saw early mornings and plenty of data entry in the afternoons. We worked at two separate sea turtle conservation efforts weekly and also taught classes that combined conservation concepts and English vocabulary to the local primary school classes every week. Two of the most fulfilling, enriching things I’ve ever done in my life...
Read More
Posted By: Winnie
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Going to Africa was a lifelong dream of mine. The experience was worth all the long flights and excruciatingly painful layovers in the world. Upon arrival at my destination, I was greeted by 2 lion cubs at the orphanage. There was a 5 month old male & a 20 month old female. It was such a magical encounter. To be able to interact with a wild animal like that freely (especially the huge lioness) left me in such awe, I’ll never forget how it felt.
Read More
Posted By: Trish
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Our day started at 7am with making our own breakfast. We would meet with all the staff at 8 for the day’s work which would continue until 4 or 5. We were assigned different jobs with different staff and animals every day. We had baby monkeys which were so cute, but bratty; we took turns bottle feeding and playing with them as well as a little dyker and springbok.
Read More
Posted By: Elie
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I saw rhinos and cave paintings and had the chance to visit a village, where I met an 82-year-old chief that told me the tale of fighting a leopard that was eating his livestock. His stories were incredible and followed shortly by a dance performance by the children of the village. I could not write about this day with enough detail to do it justice, but believe me when I say it was one of the most memorable days of my life!
Read More
Posted By: Carly
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Teak, the 3 month old Bushbuck, was a particular favorite of mine. I especially enjoyed it when it was his ‘outdoors’ time, which was only possible when it was warm enough. He loved to run around and jump everywhere, either escaping or chasing after imaginary friends. It was really wonderful to see!
Read More
Posted By: Chelsea
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When we arrived at the African Wildlife Orphanage Nikki gave me a quick tour of the center so I could navigate it on my own. After unpacking and meeting the other volunteers, I was told I could help with feeding some of the baby animals. I was all for jumping right in and helping, after all it is what I was there for!
Read More
Posted By: Maria
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
After meeting the staff and my fellow volunteers, I realized that I was not alone in my love for animals...[in the morning] I was given an hour to interact with any animal I wanted. It was so much fun and I made sure to pick a new animal every day
Read More
Posted By: Benita
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Another aspect I really enjoyed about volunteering at the Wildlife Orphanage was getting to learn more about the usually unseen wildlife, like nocturnal bushbabies. At the orphanage, there were three bushbabies being cared for by our hosts and we were able to play with them every night and prepare their food.
Read More
Posted By: Erin
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
\"I was als lucky enough to watch 5 hyenas get darted, 2 of which received radio collars and were released back into the wild. They also received a pangolin that had been thought to be hit by a car in touch and was examined for any injuries and then released. The main duties for volunteers is caring for the babies 3 times a day and then any other random jobs that need to be done around the orphanage. They had several babies including 3 barn owls, a grey duiker, 3 pookies, a serval, and several tortoises.
Read More
Posted By: Michele
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The African Wildlife Orphanage’s main goal is to care for orphaned or injured animals until they are able to be released back into the wild. If that’s not a viable option, they’re lovingly cared for the rest of their lives. These animals are also used for educating young local children about the creatures that share their environment. Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, so many of the children living there have never had the opportunity to see or touch wild animals.
Read More
Posted By: Kathie
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The part I didn’t expect was the awesome friendships we made with other volunteers from all over the world. Every night we would sit around the campfire and play games from our home countries or tell stories. It was truly outstanding and I would do this trip again in a heartbeat!
Read More
Posted By: Melissa
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
One of the main tasks for the volunteers, and the most exhausting, was taking care of Cupid, the 12 week old baby Vervet monkey. Holding a baby monkey in my arms was a surreal experience, one that I had dreamed of for a long time. Cupid had more energy than anything I had ever seen before. He was very much your typical monkey.
Read More
Posted By: Pauldeep
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I dug a pond for the lions and prepared food for all the carnivores. I loved feeding the servals, especially since they were very friendly and gave plenty of kisses. I witnessed two lamb births and got to spend lots of time with the newborn lambs. I would go into the enclosure every night to kiss them goodnight.
Read More
Posted By: Nicole
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
African Wildlife Orphanage gave me everything I wanted out of this experience. It’s a haven for all animals and it truly deserves to be applauded. The amount of work they do to help animals in need is extraordinary. No animal was ever turned down, no appointments had to be made, it was as simple as just dropping them off. I’ve seen anywhere from a plover to a steenbok to an owl to a snake come through the doors of Chipangali.
Read More
Posted By: Meghan B.
#South Africa,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I have nothing but positive things to say about this program- it was truly the adventure of a lifetime! I can’t wait to go back to the beautiful country, and meet up and do more traveling with the new friends I have made. A huge thank you to Gnarly Troop for helping me find this project, and to the wonderful people in Gansbaai who have given me bright and unique memories!
Read More
Posted By: Laura K.
#Middle East,#Israel,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
There were so many great take -away experiences from my volunteer time at the Hai Bar that it is difficult to name just a few. It by far exceeded my expectations
Read More
Posted By: Charles M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I can honestly say it was a life-changing experience. To work in such close proximity with such glorious animals was a breathtaking experience and changed my life forever.
Read More
Posted By: Emma M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation
Being on the sanctuary was definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced...I was so excited for so long about this opportunity to bring a dream of mine to fruition, that when the moment finally arrived it didn’t even feel real!
Read More
Posted By: Cassie W.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The night shifts were absolutely magical; if there were turtles to release we would take them to the ocean. This was a very special and beautiful moment, showing the hatchlings their way back home.
Read More
Posted By: Dave P.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day was amazing and full of incredible experiences and new people. The days flew by as we were so busy working on the farm, hanging out and making new friends, and learning about the wildlife in a very hands on manner.
Read More
Posted By: Alasdair H.
#Australia,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Australasia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I love diving, but diving with a purpose is brings an entirely new perspective to the sport.
Emerging from the water with not simply an appreciation for, but also an understanding of what I was seeing when I was down there is what is making me want to go back...
Read More
Posted By: YuFei L
#Tanzania,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
One day we had recorded about 50 dolphins...Swimming with these large mammals is an experience that I will never forget.
Read More
Posted By: Ben T.
#Ecuador,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#South America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The trip, in memory, became a month long blur of beautiful, unbelievable, and unforgettable moments. Each weekday involved an up-close and always amusing interaction with the Giant Tortoises.
Read More
Posted By: Vanan S.
#Thailand,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It did hurt a little when my trip had to end but I take comfort in the fact that I would always be able to go back and volunteer again!
Read More
Posted By: Jolin S.
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Overall, I learned a lot on this trip, including being around exotic animals, the culture and travelling on my own. It was a wonderful experience and I could not have asked for more!
Read More
Posted By: Latoosa
#Mozambique,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The time here was just spectacular and that the memories of the people and things we saw will be bright spots in our memories!
Read More
Posted By: Rachel F.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Prepare to get your hands dirty. But most of all, prepare to have a life-changing experience. It was difficult saying goodbye to the animals, the family, and the amazing volunteers. I can’t wait to go back!
Read More
Posted By: Nichole W.
#New Zealand,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
I spent five weeks in Punakaiki, at the New Zealand Conservation Experience project both as my first experience outside of the United States and as my internship. It was kind of nerve-racking at first because of being somewhere totally new and not knowing exactly what to expect, but in the end, it was totally worth it!
Read More
Posted By: Roberta D.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I came to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center project to make a contribution, and I feel I did, but the center’s contribution to me was even greater.
Read More
Posted By: Stephanie B.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Overall, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone with a love of the ocean and respect for the magnificent Great White sharks!
Read More
Posted By: Omar G.
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Africa
I would never trade this experience for anything in the world. This was an amazing learning experience for me and it gets you away from the normal lifestyle.
Read More
Posted By: Bethany S.
#Italy,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Europe
I plan to go back annually if possible. And I will definitely use Gnarly Troop to help me find opportunities on future travels wherever I go.
Read More
Posted By: Claudia
#Croatia,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
When we first saw the dolphins on the sea everyone was excited about it. It was such an amazing moment when the first dolphin jumped out of the water. We also saw a dolphin with her calf. That was a really amazing and emotional moment.
Read More
Posted By: Melanie
#Croatia,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
It is absolutely a joy, that you can, through the love to the dolphins meet even so dear people!
Read More
Posted By: Ilze
#Sri Lanka,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The day-to-day activities are related to protection and rehabilitation of sea turtles, because they are protected reptiles.Three weeks later after coming back home, my heart is till there, in Sri Lanka.
Read More
Posted By: Molly
#Australia,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Overall, this experience was a great adventure! I had exposure to animals I had never seen before, saw several different landmarks, and met a lot of great people along the way. I plan to stay in touch with a few of them and possibly might even meet up with them again in the future!
Read More
Posted By: Rachel
#Australia,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We toured picturesque Port Stephens and exciting, metropolitan Sydney, enjoyed delicious Australian and international cuisine, met a ton of new friends, and got into the rhythm of Australian life. Invigorated by the week-long holiday, my two project-mates and I flew down to Melbourne to start working with wildlife!
Read More
Posted By: Alexa
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The hands-on involvement was unlike any other! It felt great being able to help the local vets and townships. Volunteering in South Africa was by far one of the most rewarding experiences of my life!
Read More
Posted By: Kristen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I definitely have some life long friendships to take away from this experience. If you go I would recommend staying minimum 3 weeks, it takes a full week to really adjust to the experience.
Read More
Posted By: Lauren
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My time volunteering in Costa Rica was truly amazing and it’s hard to sum it up into a few short paragraphs. I would definitely travel back one day, and I recommend this program and trip to anyone hoping to travel!
Read More
Posted By: Tegan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I truly loved my time volunteering in South Africa at the Wild Cat Sanctuary and look forward to returning in the future to see for myself the fantastic work they continue to do for their animals.
Read More
Posted By: Daniela S.
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Everyone from Gnarly Troop was helpful, supportive, and friendly all throughout the experience, and the project definitely lived up to our expectations. It is an experience I´ll always remember, and I would definitely recommend it.
Read More
Posted By: Marie G.
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
At the risk of repeating myself, it is impossible to describe precisely what I experienced. You have to live it to believe it. In conclusion, it was a fabulous and deep human experience volunteering in Israel!
Read More
Posted By: Annette
#Israel,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When I went to the Animal Shelter for the last time, I noticed that my favourite dog, Looq, had been adopted...It was really a holiday to remember! A country to go back again.
Read More
Posted By: Diana
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We got to visit three adorable lion cubs a few times a week, which was unforgettable! Giraffes, zebras, donkeys, and an ostrich are always roaming around free without any barriers between you and them, which is truly amazing.
Read More
Posted By: Michelle
#Seychelles,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The people I met were from all over the world and every culture. I learned so much from the other volunteers; it was great. The ocean and beaches are incredible and our accommodations were right on the beach! Every night we fell asleep to the sounds of waves rolling ashore.
Read More
Posted By: Alexa
#Costa Rica,#Community Aid,#Education,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#International Internships,#Volunteer with Children
When I visited there were 12 kids there and we played all morning on the playground, with sidewalk chalk, doing puzzles, etc. I think I had just as much fun playing as the kids did.
Read More
Posted By: Lisa
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I would highly recommend this experience to people of all ages and fitness levels. Pandas are even more wonderful than you can imagine. Find out for yourself!
Read More
Posted By: Ezra
#Israel,#Marine Conservation,#Middle East,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The most rewarding part of my experience was the family I gained. Omri, Ziv, Chen, Omessi, and Golan—these guys weren’t just my co-workers they are my brothers.
Read More
Posted By: Angela
#Israel,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Taking part in this project opened up new perspectives for my future life and opened a lot of windows to see the world and the to perceive the wide spectrum of opportunities/changes to change or to take different directions.
Read More
Posted By: Ramona P.
#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Malaysia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I have been here on the Perhentian Islands for about one month and I’m still excited for the beautiful landscape, the warm people and of course the amazing turtles we are working with daily. On the 10th my teammate Joel, Kinsey and Elliot and me saw the first turtle nesting at Tiga Ruang during our night patrol. It was so amazing seeing the turtle laying her eggs in the sand, measuring her carapace and taking photos of her for photo identification!
Read More
Posted By: Maria P.
#Belize,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
It was an amazing experience; I definitely gained a new perspective and more awareness of the issues humans and other animals are doing to the ecosystem. I would recommend it to anyone looking for underwater fun and work.
Read More
Posted By: Holly G.
#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Malawi,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I am so lucky to have been a part of all the great things going on at this program, if only for a short time. I will definitely be back!
Read More
Posted By: Jamie P.
#Cuba,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Central America
I had such an incredible, life changing experience on my trip to Cocodrilo. Pre-Trip communication was clear and my pre-trip questions were quickly responded to. I felt extremely prepared and well informed for my trip.
Read More
Posted By: Stella J.
#Indonesia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Bali,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Our time at turtle camp was capped off by releasing two of ‘our’ turtles into the sea to begin their journey as independent turtles! Hopefully, the love and care provided at the turtle project will ensure these turtles have a greater chance of survival in the big, wide, scary ocean. Go well, little turtle!
Read More
Posted By: Jane M.
#Italy,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Europe
We were lucky and had a multitude of striped dolphin pod sightings, bottlenose sightings, and we had four sperm whale sightings. We even documented a new sperm whale, who swam very close to the boat and we were able to get amazing footage of him! When there are sightings you videotape on the stern with the gopro camera, take pictures using high resolution cameras, and would have the acoustic equipment on to record/locate the communication of the dolphins or whales.
Read More
Posted By: Megan G.
#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Africa
To the animals that have enchanted and inspired me! To my Dear Horses, Victoria, Oliver ,Selati, The Lions, Tigers, Rhinos, Hippos, Giraffes, Zebra, warthogs, Dug beetles, Preying mantés, Wildebeests..... I will miss you deeply and hope for you to continue inspiring others.
Read More
Posted By: Olympe L.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Central America
The project was perfect to make new friends from all over the world and also, we had a lot of liberty. I am really happy I chose this one to start my adventure in Costa Rica! By the end of my 2 weeks there, I did not want to leave…
Read More
Posted By: Wade W.
#New Zealand,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone that loves the environment and traveling, and wants to make a difference!
Read More
Posted By: Ellie L.
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Working at the wildlife center has the perfect balance of being active and relaxing, and even many of the volunteer tasks have a very noticeable rhythm and method. It was so easy for me to adapt for this reason, and my volunteer hours gave me so much time to reflect on my experiences while simultaneously helping a small ecosystem.
Read More
Posted By: Alisa N.
#Australia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Australasia
I really enjoyed my time at the park as I was able to interact with so many different animals, and also felt like I was contributing to the many initiatives that they have going on. I also liked being a bit further away from Sydney, exploring different parts of the country, that were a little less touristy.
Read More
Posted By: Devyka S.
#Sri Lanka,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Volunteering at the dog care clinic has been an unforgettable experience and I absolutely recommend the program to anyone considering it. You don’t any special qualifications, experience or veterinary knowledge. Just bring along a love for animals and a desire to lend a paw. I’m sure your time here will be meaningful and you’ll fall in love with the people and animals there just as I did.
Read More
Posted By: Ella H.
#Sri Lanka,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We’ve spent almost three weeks here and have really enjoyed it! The organization is so important; the locals really appreciate the work done by the local team. The staff who run the program are all so lovely, many of them grew up in the village we’ve been working in so know everything there is to know. The tasks have been engaging and diverse...
Read More
Posted By: Maria J.
#Sri Lanka,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I spent two weeks at the Wild Elephant Conservation and Research program. I met some lovely people and had lots of fun. I enjoyed the dorms, and although there are walls, they aren’t joined to the roof, so it’s rather lovely having that gap and falling asleep and waking to the sounds of nature...
Read More
Posted By: Sandra R.
#Sri Lanka,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
This is an effective, worthwhile conservation organization to support! My reason for coming was to contribute to wildlife conservation instead of a typical vacation. Also to see first hand what they are doing to conserve incredible animals like elephants, wild cats, and butterflies...
Read More
Posted By: Amy C.
#Indonesia,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
My time in Java was unlike any other experience I have ever had. The four weeks I spent at the Wildlife Rescue Center was life-changing and tremendously eye opening...
Read More
Posted By: Leo
#Malaysia,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I stayed for a month at the Coral Reef Conservation and Diving program. It was the best holiday ever! I had the unique chance to live in an authentic Malaysian village and learn about their community....
Read More
Posted By: Marie
#Asia,#Malaysia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My friend and I volunteered on the Perhentian Islands at the Sea Turtle Conservation program for two weeks. We had an excellent experience and learned so much about sea turtles...
Read More
Posted By: Gracie
#Asia,#Indonesia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I volunteered at the Orangutan and Wildlife Rescue Center for two weeks and it was amazing to work with the local staff and learn about the amazing animals here. The mornings begin with a wake up call from gibbons and birds - there is no better way to start the day!
Read More
Posted By: Maxine
#Asia,#Malaysia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I joined the Coral Reef Conservation and Diving program for a week and loved it! The program is run by a couple of diving instructors who are very nice and into diving...
Read More
Posted By: Lilly P.
#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Europe,#Greece
My Greece experience was one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I learned so much not only about the Loggerhead Turtle and conservation, climate change, pollution and marine biology, but also gained skills such as teamwork/collaboration. I also learned about different cultures, people and ecological footprint.
Read More
Posted By: Sophie C.
#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Australasia,#Fiji
The eight weeks I spent on the other side of the world were the best 8 weeks of my life and have shaped me into a better person. From the moment I met the team and my fellow volunteers in Fiji I felt at ease. Living on a tiny island in the middle of paradise whilst learning a new skill...
Read More
Posted By: Lisa F.
#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Ecuador,#South America
If this is not the most rewarding feeling in your life and also the reason to pack your backpack now and move into the Amazon to have the TIME OF YOUR LIFE, I don’t know what is. Okay okay…being able to take care of a baby sloth and other incredibly cute animals you could die for is a great bonus and definitely worth visiting the center too...
Read More
Destination 
Activities 
More Info