destinations: madagascar.
Costs: for nonqualified scuba divers, the cost
is £1950 for six weeks, including all food and
accommodation, training and diving.
eligibility: the minimum age is 18. there are
no skills or experience required. those with
disabilities are accepted whenever possible.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers travel to the
site as a group and work as part of a team,
with a maximum number of 18. You can apply
with a friend, partner or as a family.
annual no. of Volunteers: 120
annual projects: 1
partner programmes: blue Ventures works
with a number of ngos, private companies,
community groups and national institutions
like the wildlife Conservation society, wwf
and the fisheries department of madagascar.
selection & Interview process: receipt of an
application form is followed by a telephone
interview.
In-country support: each expedition has a
leader, medic and four local staff available
at all times. annual risk assessments are
carried out and satellite communications
mean emergency services are always
contactable.national trust
heelis, Kemble dr, swindon sn2 2na, uK
%+44 (0)1793 817632
fax +44 (0)1793 817401
[email protected]
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteering
the national trust maintains over 248,000
hectares of land, which are home to over
200 historic buildings, coastline, countryside,
gardens, houses and farms throughout the
uK. It has been accepting volunteers since
1895 and a huge range of opportunities are
available, from room stewarding at heritage
properties to estate gardening. some of its
short-term programmes are geared towards
younger participants but it also offers
individualised long-term placements for older
volunteers.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: placements are
available year-round and range from very
short term (two to seven days) to full-time
(meaning a minimum of 21 hours per week
for three to 12 months).
destinations: england, wales and
northern Ireland.Costs: short-term placements are £35 for
two days or £60 for one week, including
food and hostel-style accommodation.
full-time volunteers usually receive free
accommodation but may need to cover some
amenities (such as heating or electricity).
travel to and from projects is generally
covered by the volunteer.
eligibility: there are no restrictions, although
some short-term programmes (called ‘working
holidays’) are age specific. acceptance is
granted on a case-by-case basis.
groups or Individuals: most conservation
tasks are carried out by groups. short-
term placements tend to be in groups of
approximately 12.
annual no. of Volunteers: 47,000
annual projects: there are 180 different types
of volunteering roles available and many
different projects.
partner programmes: the national trust
works in partnership with many organisations,
including bt CV, mencap, scouts and rspb.
selection & Interview process: Ideally,
applicants for full-time placements will be
interviewed in person at the volunteering
location. Interviews for short-term placements
are more flexible.
In-country support: Volunteers are given an
induction and consistent support, particularly
in areas such as health and safety.orangutan foundation
7 Kent tce, london nw1 4rp , uK
%+44 (0)20 7724 2912
fax +44 (0)20 7706 2613
[email protected]
http://www.orangutan.org.uk
this well-respected charity actively conserves
the orang-utan and its Indonesian rainforest
habitat. Volunteer placements are generally
construction based, such as building release
camps or conservation health centres. while
volunteers do not have hands-on contact
with orang-utans, they do encounter some
of the free ranging, ex-captive orang-utans
in the locality and will have the opportunity to
accompany resident assistants into the forest to
search for wild orang-utans. they’re also given
the chance to visit the orang-utan care centre.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: three teams
of six weeks in length between may and
october, with set starting dates.annual projects: again, they do not keep
track. all hosts are checked and usually
visited by the country’s wwoof organisation.
partner programmes: 0
selection & Interview process: wwoof does
not select volunteers. placements are offered
at the discretion of the host. to apply, you
must first join the wwoof organisation of
the country you’d like to volunteer in (via the
website), after which you will be sent a copy
of the list of available hosts. It’s then up to
you to contact the farms and make your own
arrangements.
In-country support: wwoof does not supply
any in-country support: it’s up to the hosts
and the volunteer to arrange this.
UK Organisations
biosphere expeditions
the henderson Centre, Ivy road,
norwich, nr5 8bf , uK
%+44 (0)8704 460801
fax +44 (0)8704 460809
[email protected]
http://www.biosphere-expeditions.org
this group offers volunteers the chance
to be involved in hands-on wildlife and
conservation research alongside local
scientists in locations around the globe.
promoting sustainable conservation, the
group doles out ‘adventures with a purpose’.
past projects have included snow-leopard
research in the altai mountains, whale
studies on the azores, human-elephant
conflict resolution in sri lanka, and chamois,
bear and wolf conservation projects in the
tatra mountains.
status: not-for-profit organisation.
timing & length of projects: project length is
usually one or two weeks, but people can join
for up to 10 weeks at a time. start dates for
different expeditions vary throughout the year.
destinations: project locations vary,
depending on where there is a need,
however, they generally include oman,
honduras, the azores archipelago, peru,
slovakia, sri lanka, namibia, brazil, the altai
republic and australia.
Costs: between £960 to £1730, including all
food, lodging and in-country transportation.
at least two-thirds of this contribution goes
directly into the conservation project to fund
long-term sustainability.
eligibility: biosphere aims to be inclusive and
there are no age or physical restrictions (the
oldest participant so far was 87!). expeditions
vary in the amount of physical ability required
and you must be confident that you can cope
with the demands. Volunteers under the age
of 18 must have parental consent.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers travel
in groups of up to 12 and work in smaller
research teams of two to four once in the
field. You can apply as an individual or with a
partner, friend, family or group.
annual no. of Volunteers: 400
annual projects: 9
partner programmes: 15
selection & Interview process: the process is
self-selecting with the requirments that you
can speak english and you are physically
able to undertake the work of the project
that you have selected. two projects require
a diving qualification. You can join a project
immediately by completing an online form.
In-country support: there is an expedition
leader on every project who works and lives
with the volunteers, liaises with the local
partner organisation and deals with all
emergencies.blue Ventures
2d aberdeen studios, aberdeen Centre,
22-24 highbury grove, london n5 2ea, uK
%+44 (0)20 3176 0548
fax +44 (0)800 066 4032
[email protected]
http://www.blueventures.org
blue Ventures runs projects and expeditions
to research and conserve global marine life.
Its volunteer programme is popular and has
won a number of prestigious eco-awards.
Volunteers carry out research with scientists
and camp staff in southwest madagascar.
this includes diving to collect data, monitoring
sites, surveying coral reef habitats and
identifying new sites. onshore, volunteers
assist with social-research activities, surveys,
community environmental education,
awareness-raising initiatives and teaching
english or french in local schools. placements
can be focused towards volunteers’ interests.
status: not-for-profit organisation.
timing & length of projects: six weeks,
although there are options to stay for three
weeks or over six weeks. projects begin
year-round.06: Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes:Conservation & Wildlife Placements