If doing ecological and animal research in
paradise appeals to you, look into this station
on the Coral Coast of Queensland, which is
considered to be the jewel of the australian
wet tropics world heritage area. the station
is focussed on issues of adaptation to climate
change, both as it affects the environment
and the human community. You might be
radio-tracking bats, counting figs, stomping
grass for forest regeneration, constructing
station buildings, digging holes or manning
the visitor centre. this is a very special area of
rainforest sandwiched between the fringing
reef and the coastal mountain range, and is
home to a wide variety of animal habitats,
from coastal reefs to tropical rainforest.
status: non-affiliated, funded by the not-for-
profit, tax-exempt austrop foundation.
timing & length of placements: typically two
to three weeks, but extensions are rarely
denied.
destinations: australia.
Costs: Volunteers pay about us$35 per day,
which covers accommodation and food.
airfares are not covered.
eligibility: the station prefers volunteers over
20: people with trade skills are especially
welcome. minor physical disabilities are oK.
Volunteers must be proficient in english.
annual no. of Volunteers: about 45.
selection & Interview process: email CV
and application form. applicants are rarely
refused.
In-country support: station staff support
volunteers 24 hours a day.
Overseas Organisations
archelon, the sea turtle protection
society of greece
57 solomou street, gr-10432 athens, greece
%+30 210 523 1342
fax +30 210 523 1342
[email protected], [email protected]
http://www.archelon.gr
If rescuing turtles and spending time on
the shores of greece sounds palatable,
this could be the opportunity for you. the
primary aim of archelon is to protect sea
turtles in greece through monitoring and
research, management plans, raising
public awareness and rehabilitating sick
and injured turtles. Volunteers must bring
their own tents to stay on designated
free campsites, restricted to archelon
volunteers. archelon was instrumental in the
establishment of the national marine park
of Zakynthos, and is a world leader in its
specialised area of marine wildlife research.
when asked about his most memorable
experience on the programme, mian Vich,
who was with the programme for a month,
says it was ‘the sensation you have the first
time you see a turtle getting out the water
and see her laying that huge amount of
eggs, just 40cm from you’.
timing & length of placements: the advised
participation length is six weeks departure
times vary according to the type of volunteer
work, and are listed on the website.
destinations: greece, particularly in Crete and
in Kyparissia bay in peloponnesus.
Costs: once accepted, applicants pay a
non-refundable participation fee of 250.
a minimum amount of 15 per day should
cover basic food needs. airfares to greece
are not included.
eligibility: no special qualifications are
required, although a driving licence, english-
language skills or a boating licence will be
appreciated. Volunteers need to be over 18
years old.
groups or Individuals: participants work in
teams but applicants are not accepted in
groups larger than two.
annual no. of Volunteers: 500
annual projects: 5
partner programmes: archelon is a
member of the european union for Coastal
Conservation (euCC), the european
environmental bureau (eeb) and a partner
to unep/mediterranean action plan. also,
members of archelon participate in the IuCn
marine turtle specialist group.
In-country support: Volunteers are trained
and supervised by field leaders and
experienced project members.wild at heart Youth adventures
suite office 61 plantations estate,
hillcrest, south africa
%/fax +27 31 765 7767
[email protected]
http://www.wah.co.za
wild at heart is a family business that runs
active wildlife and community projects in
africa that encourage sustainable ecotourism
and support local business ventures. thecompany has pioneered many innovative
youth travel concepts in africa, and offers
volunteer projects and shorter ‘voluntours’,
set up in conjunction with south africa’s
leading conservationists and wildlife
specialists.
status: Close corporation.
timing & length of projects: Year-round with a
minimum stay of two weeks, or minimum stay
of three days for ‘voluntours’.
destinations: south africa, botswana,
Zambia, mozambique, swaziland.
Costs: Costs vary per project. the average
daily cost is approximately us$100.
eligibility: the minimum age is 18 years. most
volunteers are aged 18 to 25, some up to 40.
older and disabled volunteers should check
eligibility for individual projects.
groups or individuals: both.
annual no. of volunteers: 2500
annual projects: 12
selection & interview process: You must
complete an application form. selection
criteria include english language, physical
ability and a love of africa.
In-country support: full-time staff or
representatives are on-site at all projects.
there is 24-hour contact service for volunteers
while in africa. the main office operates
regular phone checks to the volunteers
(where possible), and can assist with
bookings for tours, flights etc.skilled Volunteering
Fancy escaping the rat race and the daily
grind of a nine-to-five lifestyle? Salvation
could lie in a volunteer placement that
will dovetail with your individual skill-set
and culminate in a rewarding escape. This
is a particularly attractive option for pro-
fessional career-breakers or students who
have just completed a degree programme.
From programmes offered by Challenges
Worldwide (CWW, listed right) to the
fairly self-explanatory Lawyers Without
Borders, the following listings are only a
smattering of career-specific opportuni-
ties. If you don’t see a good fit with your
professional skills, don’t worry – with a
few well-aimed internet searches you’re
likely to find that there are niche opportu-
nities out there for almost anyone.International
OrganisationsVoluntary service overseas
Carlton house, 27a Carlton drive, putney,
london, sw15 2bs, uK
%+44 (0)20 8780 7500
[email protected]
http://www.vso.org.uk
Vso is an international development charity
that works to alleviate poverty in the
developing world by recruiting professional
volunteers from countries around the
world. participants in the international
volunteer programmes are typically skilled
professionals who spend two years living
abroad and applying their skills training and
advising colleagues in an area of expertise.
for more information about Vso, see p94.UK Organisations
Challenges worldwide (Cww)
54 manor pl, edinburgh eh3 7eh, uK
%+44 (0)131 225 9549,
%toll free +44 (0)845 2000 342
fax +44 131 225 9549
[email protected]
http://www.challengesworldwide.com
Cww is a charity based in scotland that
matches individual volunteers with three- to
six-month assignments in developing
countries. all placements are carefully
planned to meet the specific needs
of Cww’s host partner organisations
overseas, and therefore volunteers are
matched according to their professional
experience and work backgrounds.
Volunteer assignments use the skills from a
wide range of professions including legal,
strategy, It, communications and finance,
to provide services in renewable energy,
civic governance, fair trade, health and
education.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of placements: departures
happen year-round. length of placement
varies depending on the work but will
be a minimum of three to six months for
individuals. the length of personal and
professional development assignments can
range from six weeks to six
months.05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:Skilled Volunteering