Wildlife Volunteer Programs Ideal for College Students and Grads

Help is Needed for Endangered Species Abroad

By Lavanya Sunkara
Resources updated 1/27/2020by Transitions Abroad

由于各种原因，狮子在非洲受到威胁，但有志愿者的项目可以保护他们免受偷猎者的侵害。

丛林之王正在慢慢进军灭绝。亚洲的熊在胆汁农场的笼子里徘徊。海洋生物正面临气候变化和污染的威胁。强大的大象正在致死。我们最亲密的亲戚，黑猩猩，正在为生存而战。尽管人类可能负责这些动物的困境，但我们也有能力扭转局面。我们可以在社交媒体上促进动物福利，避免参观水生主题公园和马戏团，我们可以将钱汇给野生动植物保护组织。但是，真正帮助动物的最好方法是学习和做。

With an increasing number of opportunities available across the globe, it’s become much easier to participate in programs crucial to species conservation. Spending a considerable amount of your time on the ground allows you to witness the change you are making for the wildlife and local communities, and inspires you to enact change in the future.

Whether you’re seeking your calling post-college, looking to gain experience in a particular field, or simply hoping to make a positive difference during a transition period, we’ve put together six amazing volunteer experiences that could make an indelible impact on both you and the animals.

1.泰国大象自然公园项目

Help protect elephants from abuse as a volunteer in Thailand.

当您想象泰国的大象时，您的第一个想法可能是骑它们。可悲的是，在公园和徒步旅行公司中发现的大象遭受了巨大的酷刑，以适合骑行。他们不工作时被束缚，当他们不合作时，他们的操作人员用牛钩戳了戳。Elephant Nature Park (ENP), located north of Chiang Mai, is a true sanctuary for abused and neglected elephants, where they can live out their lives in peace. There are no chains and no rides given, only love and care. Volunteers have a life enhancing opportunity to be around these majestic creatures, get a fascinating look into the lives of Asian elephants, and come away with a real sense of the issues they face. They help with preparing food, planting trees, maintaining mud pits, and the most fun part: feeding and bathing elephants in the river. Volunteers can also spend time at the Dog Project, which hosts several rescued dogs at ENP. Onsite, comfortable accommodations are provided along with meals, including vegan and vegetarian options.

Age: 18+; Teens must be accompanied by legal guardian
持续时间：从1天到1周。请参阅其网站上的许多选项。

2.Bali Sea Turtle Rescue

自愿照顾巴厘岛从当地渔夫收到的受伤海龟。

Our oceans are getting increasingly polluted. You may have seen distressing images of sea turtles with plastic forks and straws embedded in their noses. Thankfully, there are organizations helping to rescue these marine animals in need. On the island of Nusa Penida, a 45-minute speedboat ride from mainland Bali,Goeco志愿者与一个组织在协助和照顾海龟的同时传播基于保护的知识的组织。该项目从当地的渔民那里收到受伤的爬行动物，并关心他们，直到可以释放到海中为止。志愿者培养新的孵化场，直到它们年纪大到可以自己生存。早晨在庇护所中度过了特定的项目，而下午则致力于社区，向当地儿童传授有关环境和海洋生命护理的知识。空闲时间的活动包括瑜伽，在沙尔海滩放松，徒步旅行火山，骑自行车穿过城镇，并享受巴厘岛美丽的文化。距离项目现场五分钟步行路程提供了住宿。

Age: 16+
Duration: 2-12 weeks
价格：2周内980美元

3.非洲大5号和南非野生动物保护

Join African Impact field guides and their research team for an African safari. Experience daily drives through South African wildlife reserves to monitor and study the African "Big 5." Help protect the elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, and buffalo from poaching and starvation. The volunteer work involves a wide variety of activities to protect these endangered and at-risk species. You will participate in tracking the movements and behaviors of herds of elephants and prides of lions. Your volunteer work will help in the conservation of the incredible animals for future generations.

Age: 18+
Duration: Minimum two weeks
Price: From US$2460 for 2 weeks

4。Cambodia Bear Sanctuary

亚洲国家的熊迫切需要我们的帮助。他们被监禁和折磨在熊胆电农场中，在这些农场中提取了传统的亚洲药物。Globalteerworks with The Bear Rescue Sanctuary, located 25 miles south of Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh. The Sanctuary is dedicated to the rehabilitation of sun bears and Asiatic black bears poached for their bile, exploited as pets, used for profit within the tourism industry, or rescued from illegal wildlife trade. Many of these bears cannot be reintroduced into the wild due to the serious physical abuse they have endured or because they were raised in captivity. The Sanctuary gives the bears the quality of life they deserve, providing large areas that match their natural habitat. Volunteer tasks involve feeding the bears, along with repairing, maintaining and cleaning enclosures. Most of the work is geared towards enriching the lives of the bears, to make their existence as interesting and challenging as possible, to avoid boredom and stress. Volunteers share housing on the outskirts of a rural Cambodian village, roughly 6 miles from the sanctuary. Weekend getaways include visiting the temples of Angkor Wat and the beach resort of Sihanoukville.

Age: 21+
持续时间：1-8周的价格：1周的755美元至5周的$ 2030。

Lavanya Sunkarais a freelance writer based in New York City. She writes about wildlife conservation and travel. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, and NBC among others. Find out more atwww.Nature-Traveler.com.