Oyster Worldwide

Help to provide a safe haven to rescued elephants , volunteering in this beautiful Thailand elephant sanctuary on the Malay Peninsula. You will be working with previous dancing and performing elephants, liberated from former lives begging in the streets of Bangkok. Now rescued, these elephants need volunteers to help with their feeding, care and bathing. Each day you will be enjoying spending time with these gentle giants, helping to care for them and ensure their welfare. A lot of emphasis is placed on ensuring that they have a good diet, and so you will be involved in harvesting and preparing their food - and then helping to feed them. In addition to this, volunteers get stuck in and ...Read more >

If you love creatures from the deep, this project is for you. Seeing the Marine Big 5 - comprising of Great White Sharks, whales, dolphins, penguins and seals - and conserving them for future generations is the main aim of this mission. Head out to sea to witness one of the world's mightiest (and most misunderstood) creatures in the world - the Great White Shark. Monitor the sharks from both above and below water on daily boat trips. If that isn't enough of a draw, if you go between June and December, you will also be able to help with whale monitoring and research missions. And if you're looking for another reason to go, there is a penguin sanctuary right next door to your ...Read more >

Head to Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal, and volunteer with children in a local school. The location of this project is spectacular, situated on the lakeside. The project will enable you to assist in a school, helping children to develop new skills and improve their conversational English. Why volunteer? Many rural schools on the outskirts of Pokhara, in small villages such as Pame, are underfunded and under-resourced. This projects aims to support local teachers and volunteers work as teaching assistants, helping young children to develop English, which is essential for broadening their future career prospects. The curriculum in Nepal is very much based on the core subjects. ...Read more >

Pokhara, a beautiful lakeside city, is the setting for this worthwhile volunteering project. Driven entirely by the women that the project serves, volunteers get involved with workshops that can help local Nepali women develop new skills and confidence. Why volunteer? Many women, particularly in rural Nepal, do not have access to education. The lack of education means that many women have limited career prospects. This project aims to address the educational disadvantages and to provide women with opportunities to learn basic conversational English and maths. Volunteers also work together to provide workshops on a range of topics, such as preventative healthcare, entrepreneurial ...Read more >

Horses and humans have a bond which dates back over many generations. In the dim and distant past of the western world, horses were used primarily for transport whereas today they can be a well-loved part of the family or even used to provide therapy for those who have suffered trauma. This fascinating project uses horses to help people with both physical and mental challenges to overcome these issues, regain confidence, improve communication and social skills, and learn to trust. This project is all about using the unique relationship between horse and human as a force for good. Based in hills outside the UNESCO world heritage city of Porto, the project was founded in a deprived community ...Read more >

Volunteer at a sun bear rescue and rehabilitation center in Borneo to help bring the world's smallest bear back to the wild - and to keep this species alive. Often considered to be the “cutest” bear in the world due to its size, the tiny sun bear is sadly threatened with extinction thanks to habitat loss and captivity. Sun bears are often taken illegally from the wild at a young age to be imprisoned as pets. As they grow older and more wild, they create havoc in homes and are chained and beaten. Rescued from this cruel captivity, they now have the opportunity to start a new life living in freedom at this inspiring sanctuary. Become a part of this incredible journey of rescue and ...Read more >

This project is for volunteers who are passionate about protecting the planet, driven to travel, but also wanting to get off the beaten track in New Zealand. Meet inspiring locals, other enthusiastic volunteers from around the world and make a genuine contribution to environmental conservation. New Zealand is one of world’s most unique set of islands for biodiversity and a range of stunning landscapes. By taking part in this valuable conservation project, you can help to combat issues such as coastal erosion, the introduction of foreign flora and fauna and the detrimental effects of drought and pollution. When volunteering you have the chance to work in urban, regional and very remote ...Read more >

Take the perfect vacation with a difference on this elephant volunteer experience. Ideal for animal lovers who are short of time, this elephant experience allows you to work closely with elephants for just one week. Since 2010, this elephant project has been receiving volunteers to help with their elephants for durations of 3 - 12 weeks. Sadly, this has meant that we have had to turn away many volunteers who are desperate to work with elephants, but who have limited availability. The one week elephant experience has been created so that people no longer have to miss out. The experience works alongside longterm volunteers and full-time members of staff. You will gain a valuable insight into ...Read more >

Become a part of the education system in South Africa, supporting teachers in under-privileged areas to teach children English. You will be working in some of Port Elizabeth's poorest townships, helping the teachers around the classrooms and working in small groups to improve the children's English. The kids here are motivated to get a good education, and the presence of an English speaking volunteer stands them in very good stead for later life. You can become part of extra curricular activities as well, such as music lessons, after school clubs and sports sessions. There is very little money within the schools here, and often teachers are working with large groups with limited ...Read more >

Lisbon is a brilliant city to visit, and full of restaurants. But what about living here? What the average tourist doesn’t see is what goes to waste at the end of every day from the city’s bars, restaurants and cafes. This project supports 500 homeless people in Portugal’s capital by supplying them with meals, and fights food waste. Overall, the project feeds 2,000 people. As a volunteer, you’re expected to work various weekday shifts for around four hours a day. You'll travel around the city picking up food donations from supermarkets, schools and restaurants; food that is unsellable but still perfectly edible. Next you and your team will sort and prepare the food, making packages for ...Read more >

Each year, over 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is left in our oceans - killing more than 130,000 seals, whales and dolphins annually. In addition to that, plastic and other rubbish is dumped by humans in our waterways, eventually finding its way to the sea. Join a passionate group of divers who go out every day to remove debris from the ocean around Lisbon. Volunteers complete one dive per day to remove fishing gear, plastics, household items and other rubbish which makes its way to the sea bed and reef. To date, almost 3000kg of waste has been removed from the sea, and the divers are seeing an increase in biodiversity in the areas that they have cleared so far. Every participant will ...Read more >

Head to beautiful Transylvania to join an art course in Romania's breathtaking medieval city of Brasov. Receive expert tuition from a professional artist, helping you to become more competent and confident in your painting abilities. This course is an intensive introduction to botanical drawing and painting. It is is aimed particularly at beginners and intermediates, although competent artists will also benefit from learning in a new way, in a new location and with different people. The course takes place in an airy studio in the medieval center of Brasov, although there may be times when outdoor painting is embraced too. Towering mountains and stunning forests surround Brasov, ...Read more >

By volunteering on a wildlife conservation project in Borneo, you will discover one of the most beautiful and undiscovered pockets of the island, stepping off the beaten track and into the heart of an important conservation area. Help to conserve a proliferation of wildlife including orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, macaques, singing gibbons and sun bears – not to mention the birds! –through protecting and regenerating their jungle environment. Habitat destruction has led to a rapid decline in many of Borneo's species. This inspiring project helps in a twofold way: 1) Planting trees to regenerate the jungle. Increased jungle coverage means that more creatures can live ...Read more >

India is not only exciting but it is also a traveling must-see destination. If you are short of time and looking for an affordable and fun tour, look no further. In 13-days, you will see some of the iconic wonders of this mesmerising country. If you are heading to India in October, why not take part in our 18-day tour that adds on the golden beaches of Goa. The cost of the tour covers all accommodation and transport. Some must-see activities are included but many activities are optional. We provide full budgeting information pre-departure.Read more >

This primate rehabilitation center in South Africa needs your help to care for orphaned baboons. Each year, many baby primates are found injured and orphaned following on from encounters with humans, such as car accidents and hunting. Your role will be to help support the team in nursing them back to health, and preparing them for life in the wild. There are currently 450 primates in various stages, from those that have recently been rescued to those who are ready to be released. You will become an important member of the team, helping in a variety of roles: - Daily food prepping shifts in the milk kitchen - ‘Troop cleans’ involve maintaining enclosures through adding new enrichments, hay ...Read more >

Get into the heart of Africa and shadow a vet on a South Africa experience programme working with some of the continent’s most renowned mammals on a lush game reserve. Get to grips with hands-on basic care and checking on the health and well being of the animals, including the African Big 5. If you are looking to gain veterinary experience or put your skills into practice, this project is a great way to acquire immersion and a deep knowledge base. There are a great number of areas in which wildlife experts and vets are needed on the reserve. The internship covers domestic and wild animals that have been rescued and are being rehabilitated, as well as wild animals from the reserve which ...Read more >

Fancy a mix of volunteering and vacation? This trip is a great way to explore the wonderful city of Barcelona, but at the same time to help some of its animal inhabitants too. Half of your day is spent volunteering, and the rest is free for you to visit the famous sights, hit the beach and soak up the atmosphere. There are innumerable cats in Barcelona that do not have loving homes. It is illegal to euthanise animals in Catalonia, which has resulted in a real problem with stray and homeless animals. The problem comes when owners die and their pets have nowhere to go, when owners can no longer afford their animals, and when abandoned kittens have to fend for themselves on the streets. All of ...Read more >

Help to track, monitor and conserve wild desert elephants in Namibia - one of the last places in the world that these elephants can be found. They are under threat, and this project works with local people to understand and protect them. Life is tough for both humans and wildlife that live in this area of the world. The annual rainfall only brings short respite to the limited natural water sources for farmers' animals and wildlife alike. With humans and elephants competing for the same water, conflict has developed over the past few decades, resulting in the wild elephant population decreasing. This decline is nothing short of tragic, as in only two places in the world can desert elephants ...Read more >

This is your chance to run with the wolves. Iberian wolves used to roam all through Portugal’s countryside, but now it’s believed that there are only 300 left in the wild. The best chance you have of seeing wolves is by volunteering at a wolf sanctuary. In this sanctuary just outside Lisbon, 10 or so rescued wolves live in 17 hectares of leafy space. These wolves, delivered to safety from cramped zoos and human hands, will never be released into the wild. Their sanctuary has to be as close to the wild as possible. This means that you won’t be cuddling wolves, but you will be preparing their food and feeding them, which gives you the best chance to see them every day, and monitor them for ...Read more >

When you volunteer on this Ecuador conservation project, it gives you a chance to explore wilderness and surround yourself with some of the most amazing Amazonian wildlife you could ever see. Immerse yourself in life at a leading animal sanctuary, dedicated to rescuing and protecting abused and mishandled Amazonian animals. Help to provide a new life to animals that have had a tough start. Prepare the food for the chattering monkeys, feed the beautifully colourful birds, provide enrichment to the majestic forest cats and care for the cute coatis - and this is just some of what you will become a part of. Where possible, these animals will be rehabilitated to the wild in a separate ...Read more >