On a volunteer vacation or trip with the non-profit Earthwatch Institute even the dryer aspects of science come alive. Why not take an Amazon river trip to help with the conservation of monkeys, sea otters and birds; trap and track puma, jaguarundi and other cats in Argentina’s pampas grass; or collect data to help save the endangered forest marsupials in Australia?
Yearly, some 4,000 volunteers learn about our planet and the diversity of people, as they collect field data in such areas as rainforest ecology, wildlife conservation, marine science and archeology. The Web site has a page where you can input the preferred geographical region and dates that you would like to travel, click, and a list of projects appears on the screen. On the left side of this same Quick Expedition Search page, there are often links to lists of new-, teen- and family expeditions.
Where to Learn More About Earthwatch Institute
Visit Earthwatch Institute.Where to Find More Volunteer Vacations
VolunTourism – combining traditional travel with volunteer work – is a rapidly growing trend because combining a vacation or trip abroad with volunteering on local projects is one way you can immerse yourself in local cultures and make a difference. Are you among the one-quarter of the travelers queried in the Voice of the Traveler survey by the Travel Industry Association who said they were currently interested in taking a volunteer or service-based vacation? No matter whether you’re in your 20s, a baby boomer (the group expressing the strongest interest), or parents who want to introduce their children to other cultures, there’s a company offering volunteer vacations for you.
These trips and experiences are as close as building homes in New Orleans or a far away as helping in orphanages in Romania or elephant camps in Africa. To see a list of organizations that offer volunteer travel trips and vacations (where you spend a few days of a trip volunteering and explore a new country the rest) click on Top Sources for Volunteer Vacations.
