Pod Volunteer

Your family will have exciting conservation activities every day, including turtle nesting beach surveys (early morning starts), harbour surveys of the turtle population, a night turtle nest protection shift, snorkelling surveys of sea grass meadows and a coastal clean-up. These activities will be accompanied a series of engaging and interactive presentations throughout the week. Available for children aged 7 +. The family programme runs from Thursday morning to the following Tuesday evening (6 days). You will meet the team in Argostoli town each day and transport is provided for activities that are not within walking distance. Your family will be involved in the following tasks: ...Read more >

Your family will be volunteering at a non-profit biological research and education center formed by community members and Costa Rican scientists. They different projects throughout the year: * Sea turtle conservation (from July to January) * Wildlife monitoring – birds, monkeys, bats, other mammals, crocodilians, reptiles and amphibians (all year) * Outreach and education, including a butterfly garden (all year) This project is suitable for families with children aged 9+. In your first few days your family will receive an induction to the center, training about the research activities, how to use the equipment, and the work you will be doing. In turtle season, July to January – ...Read more >

Use your passion to capture and promote the charity’s achievements and local stories through social media, videos and photographs. This opportunity is an amazing way to experience life in rural Ghana whilst working alongside a passionate local team who are helping to improve the lives of the local children from their community through reducing child poverty. This is a fantastic opportunity to live in the heart of a Ghanaian village and make a direct impact on the charity's development work which aims to provide safe drinking water, improved education and increased sanitation to local communities. Social media This is a perfect role for anyone - if you are new to social media you ...Read more >

Your family will be part of the desert elephant conservation team who strive to create a positive relationship between the community and desert elephants in the stunning Namib Desert. The team’s role will involve helping to build and repair school buildings and researching the elephant population out in the desert. Our award winning Southern African conservation team work to help protect and research desert elephants in Namibia. Camp out under the stars and experience life in the beautiful Namibian desert. Experience life in the desert by visiting tribal homes and exploring the wild landscapes. Day 1 On the Monday the group will arrive at the base camp which is located on the banks of ...Read more >

You will be part of the Volunteer Under 18 team spending 1 week getting involved in Turtle and Marine conservation in Greece! You will be supported by team leaders who will be living with you on the beautiful island of Kefalonia. It's open to all 16-17 year olds and is also an ideal trip to complete your DofE Gold Residential. You will have exciting conservation activities every day, including turtle nesting beach surveys (early morning starts), harbour surveys of the turtle population, snorkelling surveys of sea grass meadows and a coastal clean-up. One evening is spent rescuing turtle hatchlings! These activities will be accompanied a series of engaging educational presentations. You ...Read more >

An exciting opportunity to work hands on with a variety of primates who have been rescued and provided with permanent care in this sanctuary. The project is designed to introduce you to the fascinating world of primates and allows you to get to know them. You will work closely with primates on a daily basis. You can make a difference to the primates by helping the sanctuary to provide them with a better quality of life. The sanctuary, which is the first of its kind in South Africa, has been running since 1996. The sanctuary currently cares for over 70 primates of varying species. The sanctuary rescues and provides permanent care for any primate from anywhere in the world. Volunteers are ...Read more >

Set on the stunning island of Phuket, the sanctuary was established to help street dogs and cats who had no-one else to care for them. It carries out an extensive spay & neuter programme and houses and looks after the medical needs of over 1,200 dogs and 150 cats who are too vulnerable to be returned to the community. Whenever possible new homes and families are found for the dogs and cats. The primary role for volunteers is to socialise and walk the dogs. It is essential to teach the dogs to trust people and for them to learn how to walk on a lead so that they can be adopted. The dogs love to get some quality time outside, walking and playing! The dogs live in large 'runs' of up to 25 ...Read more >

Set on the stunning tropical island of Phuket, the sanctuary was established to help rescued street dogs and cats. It carries out an extensive spay & neuter programme and houses and looks after the medical needs of over 1,300 dogs and 400 cats who are too vulnerable to be returned to the community. Whenever possible new homes and families are found for the dogs and cats. You and your family will help to socialise and walk the dogs to help them gain trust and learn to walk on the lead so that they can be adopted. The dogs love to get some quality time outside, walking and playing with families! The dogs live in large 'runs' of up to 25 dogs. Each volunteer will take one dog out at a time ...Read more >

Volunteers join a non-profit biological research and education center to help protect the incredible local wildlife. The reserve is located on the stunning Southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, an area famous for its biodiversity. Volunteers are able to participate in a number of active scientific research projects on local wildlife throughout the year, and support turtle conservation work during the turtle season. Wildlife monitoring (year-round) Volunteers work in a range of research fields: • Birds – bird watching surveys take place 2-3 times a day in morning and evening, volunteers learn to identify and record birds spotted in the forest • Monkeys – surveys are carried out twice ...Read more >

Your family will join a group of international volunteers to help look after rescued wildlife in tropical Thailand. There are currently over 700 rescued animals at the wildlife sanctuary including over 300 primates, 24 elephants, over 30 bears, tigers and a variety of other small mammals, birds and reptiles. The Wildlife Rescue aim is to re-release the animals or ensure that they spend the rest of their lives in a sanctuary as close to their natural environment as possible. Your family will help with a range of tasks at the Wildlife Rescue center, including: * Preparing and distributing food and water for the animals * Cleaning the animal enclosures * Creating enrichments for the ...Read more >

Join the local expert team to care for and research their herd of 5 captive African elephants, which includes relocated elephants, orphaned calves and elephants rescued from situations such as culls. The elephants live in a 110 hectare park where tourists visit daily to interact with the elephants on educational elephant tours and walks. Volunteers staying 1 week focus on caring for and learning about the elephants, while those staying 3 weeks+ receive additional training and familiarisation on the techniques needed to observe and study the elephants, allowing them to get more involved in their research and welfare. All volunteers receive elephant information and talks and are involved in ...Read more >

The turtle population of Kefalonia is under both human and natural threats and are as a result now endangered. Volunteers joining this project are a vital support to the local conservation team in protecting the loggerhead sea turtles, who migrate to Kefalonia to lay their eggs on the sandy beaches of the island. Tasks are managed on a rotational basis and may include: • In nesting season: surveying beaches to find, record and protect turtle nests • In hatching season: protecting the hatchlings from light pollution and ensuring they can crawl safely to the sea • In hatching season: monitoring the hatching success of each nest • Observing and recording turtle behaviour • Measuring the level ...Read more >

Join an award winning elephant conservation team to help protect and research the desert elephants. Construct walls to protect farmers’ water infrastructure and build drinking points for the elephants to help reduce the conflict within the local community. Camp out under the stars in the beautiful Namibian desert whilst immersing yourself in pioneering conservation work. The project helps to reduce conflict between elephants and farmers by building protective structures around water sources and creating safe water drinking points for elephants. The team also researches the elephants’ movement and distribution, and compiles identikits on herds and individual elephants. The volunteer role ...Read more >

Live in tropical Thailand working up close with monkeys, gibbons, otters, bears and other wild animals. Your work helps to educate others on conservation issues and protect engaged animals. You can also combine this role with Elephant Care which is based at the same center. * What will I be doing?* Each day will differ but general wildlife rescue volunteer tasks may include: -Feeding the animals -Providing water for the animals -Assisting with cleaning the enclosures -Creating enrichments for the animals -Maintenance work for enclosures and fences -Looking after other domesticated animals on site There is no such thing as a ‘typical’ day and some volunteers may also find they are involved ...Read more >

Your family will help provide a safe haven for over 50 animals at a tropical wildlife sanctuary which rescues a number of new animals each week, including sloths, monkeys, birds and anteaters. The hope for these newly rescued animals is that they can be treated in the on-site clinic and then quickly returned to the wild when they are healthy again. For those animals who are too badly injured or not able to be released for other reasons, they can be provided with a home at the sanctuary. Your family will be part of the team at the sanctuary, tasks can include: * Preparing food * Providing water * Feeding the animals * Assisting with cleaning the enclosures * Creating enrichments for the ...Read more >

If you’re looking to help conserve the rainforests of South America and work on sustainable development programmes then isn’t it about time you thought about being a volunteer in Peru? This 16 day jungle conservation and research vacation gives you the chance to volunteer in Peru and support a range of projects featuring several worthwhile tasks, as detailed below: Collect data on blue headed macaws and monitor other bird species Get video and stills of local jaguars, tapirs and peccary Observe and gather data on amphibians, reptiles and butterflies Carry out transect & pitfall surveys, leaf litter plots and bamboo traps Assist the Forest Regeneration Project by preparing canopy photos and ...Read more >

Our volunteer teams gain hands on experience in conservation management on a wildlife reserve, assisting the local team in a diverse mix of conservation activities including monitoring of the Big 5 (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard). Volunteers receive conservation education and training to assist with the important research and conservation work on the wildlife reserve. This may include locating and monitoring wildlife using telemetry equipment, removing invasive plant species and replanting native species and even assisting with animal capture, relocation or introduction! You will also have the opportunity to support local community projects, giving you a full experience of ...Read more >

You and your family will work alongside the local team to support their initiatives to help elephants and communities live together in harmony. The project is unique in Sri Lanka as the award-winning model focuses on researching wild elephants whilst working with the community to help them live peacefully together. You and your family could get involved in many tasks including: * Elephant monitoring and observations - recording data on behaviour, range and habitat use * Research treks to collect data on elephant foraging, dung research and map trails * Checking camera and sand traps to gather details on mammals - setting up traps then examining tracks and photos of sloth bear, leopard ...Read more >

Volunteers work alongside local and international staff to assist in the rewilding of rescued Asian elephants and helping with the day to day running of the sanctuary. The daily schedule will differ and generally volunteers spend half of each day with the elephants, observing them or assisting with their health checks. Volunteer observations and health checks are vital in identifying any concerns regarding the elephants. You may also be involved in research tasks such as monitoring and recording the feeding habits and preferences of the elephants. This is important in guiding decisions as to which plant species should be grown for the elephants to feed on in the forest. The other half ...Read more >

The project provides a safe haven for over 50 animals and rescues a number of new animals each week. The hope for these newly rescued animals is that they can be treated in the on-site clinic and then quickly returned to the wild when they are healthy again. For those animals who are too badly injured or not able to be released for other reasons, they can be provided with a home at the sanctuary. As a volunteer, your core role will focus on assisting in the sanctuary, tasks can include: * Preparing food * Providing water * Feeding the animals * Assisting with cleaning the enclosures * Creating enrichments for the animals * Maintenance work around the sanctuary You will volunteer for 6 ...Read more >