Gap Year Volunteering

Conservation and Environment

Why do a conservation project?

With climate change and environmental degradation in the news every day, there’s never been a better time to get involved in conservation. There’s a massive variety of hugely worthwhile projects out there, helping endangered animals, habitats and ways of life.

What will it be like?

You’ll almost certainly be living in a remote place, possibly in cabins or tents; you’ll be totally immersed in the environment you’re there to help. Conditions will be basic, but you’ll be getting plenty of real, hands on conservation experience.

Animal-based projects

There are two types of animal projects you might get involved in. Firstly, wild animals: the endangered species list seems to grow daily at the moment – you’ll be trying to slow it down by working with dedicated conservation professionals to encourage breeding, protect habitats and maintain the health of animal communities. One example of this would be turtle conservation, where you collect newly laid eggs, take them to a safe, guarded place to hatch, then six weeks later collect the hatched babies and make sure they get safely to the sea.

The other type of animal project is one involving the rehabilitation of unwanted pets, such as monkeys, macaws and ocelots. You’ll be working to retrain these animals on how to survive in the wild, and hopefully releasing them once they’re ready. The same goes for injured wild animals.

Environment-based projects

Environment-based projects involve working in national parks, forests, lagoons and coastal areas, to stop or slow degradation (for example, logging) and maintain biodiversity. You’ll also be listing species present in certain areas, so that the local people can make sure the protected status is kept.

Another side to environmental projects is a proactive approach to future sustainability – you might start working on a farm project, where sustainable, undamaging methods of farming are promoted and discussed within the whole community, helping to make sure the area is conserved long after you leave.