Flexible and Sustainable Volunteering Projects in Australia and Abroad

We, as humans, are the stewards of creation, and we can all do our part in slowing the deterioration of our planet and help preserve what is left, by joining sustainable volunteering projects locally and overseas. A reputable non-profit volunteer recruitment organisation can help you find and join flexible and sustainable volunteering projects so that your contribution can be felt. Such organisations offer volunteers many different opportunities to rescue, care for, and rehabilitate animals and the environment where they live, and by participating, you will be exposed to an amazing firsthand encounter with some of our world’s most beautiful creatures.   

Volunteering projects in Australia and abroad can provide you with a lot of valuable and unique experiences with animals such as monkeys, koalas, pigs, kangaroos, lorises, eagles, lions, crocodiles and dingos. There are different types of projects needing volunteers, allowing you to stay for a short as one week to as long as six months (depending on the project and its requirements), and you can participate in animal rehabilitation, marine conservation, wildlife rehabilitation, animal care, veterinary assistance and wildlife research.

Volunteering in Australia and overseas is a great way to spend a sabbatical or a career break. It’s a way to get a fresh perspective on yourself, people and the world. It can open your eyes to many different ways of life, and may enable you to apply some skills to make a difference and contribute to a meaningful cause. Families, groups of friends, couples and individuals consider volunteering as a meaningful way to spend a holiday in Australia or abroad, and by joining a volunteering project, you can experience a more meaningful and enjoyable holiday because of the contribution you have made. Imagine spending time with like-minded people, getting up close and personal with animals, learning how to care for them, then releasing them to the wild. What a worthwhile endeavour.

Work with Animal Volunteer Programs in Australia: A Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity

Joining any one of the animal volunteer programs in Australia will provide you with a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives and survival of animals. The environment and animals are typically the lowest priority in today's social issues. As a result, funding and resources for environmental and animal conservation are usually limited, and not many people are working on it. Hence, your contribution will be considered valuable when you work in an animal volunteer program of a reputable non-profit organisation in Australia. To get started, consider volunteering with a not for profit organisation that recruits volunteers to assist in the care, rescue, rehabilitation, and release of animals.

Animal volunteering programs in Australia provide you with the chance to offer your skills, expertise, and time to a cause, which you find worthy. You get to work with and for the animals, the environment, and wildlife communities. Through a volunteer recruitment organisation, you have a unique opportunity to become involved in a meaningful project. You will be contributing to the daily routines and running of your chosen cause.

Reputable volunteer recruitment organisations support local animal rescue, rehabilitation, care, and release programs that have identified a real need for intervention. Likewise, they make sure that you are volunteering in a program that is effective and sustainable in their approaches. Your decision to volunteer will make a great impact, no matter how small your contribution is or how short your stay will be. By volunteering, you can become more aware of the need for assistance and team effort in ensuring better living standards for animals and realise the importance of the environment not just for the animals but also for humans.

Your contribution to an animal volunteer program will depend on the length or type of stay, the project's needs, and the country. In Australia, you can choose a seven-day holiday or a six-month stay. During your experience, you will be able to help many different types of animals like owls, koalas, turtles, and wombats.

Blog Source URL: http://www.oceans2earth.org/volunteer/blog/work-with-animal-volunteer-programs-in-australia

Animal Volunteering Projects in Australia: Learn More About Australian Animals

While it is always good to volunteer at local animal rescue and care centres, volunteering abroad in countries like Australia can help broaden your view of the importance of wildlife and the value of people working together to save it. Joining an animal volunteering project in Australia can also be your chance to learn more about Australian animals and travel abroad. If you are thinking of volunteering in Australia, be sure to sign up with a not for profit volunteer recruitment organisation that is based there.

A reputable animal volunteer recruitment organisation has access to ethical rescue shelters, carers, and hospitals that look after displaced and rescued wildlife. However, you need to be careful when exploring your options. There aren’t a lot of opportunities to volunteer with animals in Australia, and many recruitment agencies aren’t even based there, so be sure to choose an Australian-based organisation, and take steps to ensure that they have the safety, health, and welfare of the animals and the environment in mind.

Choose a not for profit volunteer recruitment organisation that it is owned, run and managed by committed volunteers who know the organisations inside out. Then you can be sure that you are volunteering at a project that supports the best interests of the environment and the animals in mind. Imagine getting up close with Australian animals including koalas, sea turtles, wallabies and wallaroos? Some projects give you the opportunity to personally care for these kinds of animals, feeding them and maintaining their enclosures to ensure that they are living in comfortable conditions until they are ready to go back into the wild. There aren’t many opportunities to do this in the world!

A good volunteer recruitment organisation in Australia links nature and animal lovers from around the world with a network of sustainable, conscientious, and ethical not for profit organisations concerned with the care, rehabilitation, release, and rescue of Australian animals. Why not join a project? You could benefit from an animal volunteering projects in Australia as you accompany your holiday with a unique travel experience while making a great contribution to criteria-assessed animal conservation and welfare projects.

Blog Source URL: http://www.oceans2earth.org/volunteer/blog/learn-more-about-australian-animals

10 Benefits of Great Barrier Reef Volunteering

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most iconic and popular natural wonders in Australia. The reef itself is a long ecosystem of hundreds of islands and thousands of reefs that are home to various species of fish, starfish, molluscs, sharks, dolphins, and turtles. There are not many volunteering opportunities that aim to help preserve the beauty and integrity of the Great Barrier Reef. You may have to research hard to find them. If you live locally or abroad, there is an opportunity to join a Great Barrier Reef volunteer program in Australia. There is a non-profit organisation that recruits volunteers for the project. When you become a Great Barrier Reef volunteer, you can:

• Help treat sick and injured marine turtles – These animals are brought in from the Cape York Peninsula and the Great Barrier Reef due to starvation, disease or injuries caused by discarded fishing gear, boats, and ingested plastic. Most turtles suffer from 'floaters disease' too.

• Keep a rescue centre for animals running – Volunteers can lend a helping hand at a rescue centre and assist in the care of sick and injured turtles. You can assist in cleaning turtle tanks, feeding turtles or work on special projects where you help with important research.

• Gain some valuable and unique experiences– The Great Barrier Reef is unique to Australia and there is plenty of opportunity to explore while working with animals like the Green Turtle and the Hawksbill.

• Make a big difference – The rescue centre opened over 3 years ago, and since then, its success rate in rehabilitating injured and sick animals and returning them to the sea has grown to over 85 percent from a mere 20 to 30 percent, thanks to the research that has gone into their care.

• Spread the word – Apart from rehabilitating injured and sick turtles, you can help promote sustainable and humane practices through education and co-operation initiatives.

• Help in reef monitoring research – Depending upon the time of year, volunteers can assist the staff in monitoring the reef.

• Rescue turtles – Volunteers may provide assistance when there is a need to save turtles in distress.

• Enjoy an adventure – If you love animals and travelling, volunteering on the Great Barrier Reef is an excellent opportunity to go on an adventure of a lifetime.

• Clean the beach – Volunteers can participate in beach clean-ups on the Great Barrier Reef.

• Have fun – Volunteers are free to use water sports equipment during their free time.

Blog Source URL: http://www.oceans2earth.org/volunteer/blog/benefits-of-great-barrier-reef-volunteering

Animal Volunteering Programs – A Helping Hand

Joining animal volunteering programs is a great opportunity to lend a helping hand to animal welfare and wildlife conservation groups, and many animal volunteer recruitment agencies offer you the opportunity to join a variety of animal volunteer programs abroad. Australia has only one organisation that is dedicated to animal volunteer recruitment giving you access to local animal welfare and wildlife conservation projects that no one else offers. Volunteering in Australia is a great way to experience hands-on animal rescue and rehabilitation and the opportunity to care for its beautiful wildlife.

Animal volunteering programs are a great way to spend your summer because they give people who have a love for animals, the opportunity to get up close and care for wildlife and the environment where they live. Projects can include animal rehabilitation, rescue, marine conservation, wildlife care, research, veterinary assistance and education programs. You can choose where to contribute by looking at the details of a project and seeing which one is suitable. Look at the location, types of animals you will be caring for, the type of work involved, the work hours and the length of stay.

Volunteers may prefer a one-week volunteering holiday or a longer three month stay. A non-profit volunteer recruitment organisation can help arrange your trip to Australia and connect you with a suitable Australian wildlife project. Reputable not for profit volunteer recruitment organisations are able to offer access to ethical wildlife conservation and animal welfare projects. Some also offer opportunities in other countries such as South America, Asia and Africa, so you should be able to find the right program for you.

You may choose to travel alone, however to make volunteer work more enjoyable, invite some of your friends and family with you. Animal volunteer programs can provide some valuable and unique experiences with animals like kangaroos, wallabies, monkeys, lions, bears, elephants, and turtles, and if you have someone to share it with, it can be an even more amazing experience. Many animal welfare organizations will welcome a helping hand from volunteers to keep their services running for the animals and help promote their cause, however ensure you book through a reputable volunteer recruitment organisation so you know you’re contributing to something legitimate.

Blog Source URL: http://www.oceans2earth.org/volunteer/blog/animal-volunteering-programs%E2%80%93a-helping-hand

Learn More about Australia's Animal Welfare and Conservation Projects

You won’t find many opportunities to volunteer in animal welfare in Australia. Whether you are a traveller or a local who wishes to help animals, there isn’t many prospects to work close with the local wildlife. Here are some things you should consider and know about before taking the plunge into animal welfare and conservation projects and volunteer work in Australia:

·         Consider the difference between a not for profit organisation that is privately owned compared with one that is a government incentive or a company (zoo, for example). Decide what you want to support and locate a project that fits your criteria of what it means to help animals. Of course it should be something that you are passionate about so find out what activities the project demands and commit to a realistic time frame. Animal welfare and conservation initiatives are fuelled largely by the enthusiasm of volunteers, so get on board and try your hand at something you will never get the opportunity to do in a normal circumstance.

·         Obtain plenty of information about the organisation you want to work with. Read all aspects of the website and see if you can find any online reviews from past volunteers. An organisation’s Facebook page is a good place to look as it should give you a good idea of what the organisation is about and you may get a good insight on what the project is all about and what you will be doing. Learn about the key people who run the organisation and who you will be dealing with. You will soon know which organisation is reaching out to you and is a good fit.

·         Volunteer sending organisations should include a lot of information about each project on their website. There should be write-ups, testimonials, photos and videos, and when volunteering in a foreign place, it is important to know exactly where you are going. Most organisations will provide you with an information guide once you sign up which will give you all the information you need to know, so get started volunteering with Australian animals and make a difference to their beautiful creatures.

Learn about Animal Volunteer Programmes Abroad

To create a balance in nature, it is important that humans co-exist with animals in their natural surroundings. Sadly, rapid development of human civilisation and incessant hunting and poaching of animals have created a severe imbalance in the environment, and many species of flora and fauna are already extinct and several are endangered and nearing extinction.

There are numerous non-profit organisations around the world working towards preserving and conserving endangered species and their habitat, and many are simply on the frontline of caring for animals that have been injured or misplaced. Due to a lack of resources and no government funding available, organisations often find themselves unable to carry out their duties effectively, which is one of the main reasons why they look to recruit animal and conservation lovers from around the world to volunteer. People who participate in these programs gain unique and diverse experiences,and develop knowledge about the plight of animals and our planet. This knowledge can be used to help spread awareness so that people are more effective in their efforts towards global responsibility and sustainability.

If you are considering volunteering yourself, there are a few things that you must consider beforehand.

·         Choose the Country:You can find animal volunteer work in most, if not all countries across the globe, however not all places are safe to travel to.The past year has been a tumultuous one and any traveller must be weary of where they are thinking of going overseas. Make sure you check out the latest travel advice and stick to countries that are free of social and political unrest. If you are combining a holiday with volunteering work (as many people do), locate programs that are close to places you want to visit. 

·         Use a Volunteer Sending Organisation: Utilising a reliable volunteer sending organisation is the best way to ensure a safe, positive and memorable experience (for all the right reasons). Find a good match by looking at websites, reading reviews, talking to people (word of mouth), internet research and joining Facebook and other social media pages. But how do you tell which programs are worthwhile? Are the animals exploited in any way? Which programs are worth the fees? Which are sustainable and which are money making ventures for company owners that lead to harmful impacts on animals and local communities? Firstly, look into who owns the company. Is it a large, profit driven travel agency or is it a not for profit organisation? Create a shortlist of organisations you like, then get as much information from the website as you can. If you are not 100%, then email them with any questions you have.

·         Are you up for a challenge? Although you will have an idea of what your experience at the project will be, it will always be very different. Unless you are volunteering in your own country, you will be in unfamiliar surroundings and you may not have all your creature comforts. It is sometimes a challenge to make an adjustment, especially if you are travelling alone, and some adapt more than others, so don’t give up! The longer you put in the effort, the more you will get out of it.  Take any challenges and frustrations as part of the adventure.

Above all, stay committed, and once you get there, work with dedication. Working with animals will be one of the most amazing things you ever do!