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

Great Barrier Reef: An Eco Friendly Volunteering Tour in Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is among the many attractions that Australia has to offer. It is also home to a huge population of marine turtles. However, because of disease, starvation and injuries caused by discarded fishing gear, boats or the ingestion of plastic materials and products that these gentle animals mistake for food, marine turtles are constantly rescued and taken into care. Fortunately, there are rehabilitation centres that take injured sea turtles brought in from the Reef and rehabilitate them, giving them specialised care and treatment.

A Rehabilitation Centre for sick marine turtles on the Great Barrier Reef is kept alive by volunteers as well as by donations from local businesses. Over the last 10 years, the centre has seen and treated in excess of 170 sick and injured Green, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles, of which many have contracted "floaters disease," a disease common to sea turtles.

Volunteers offer their time and effort to assist. As you can imagine, there is feeding and cleaning to do, tourist tours to run and turtles to rescue and release. It is a great contribution to this self-sustainable rehabilitation centre as it could not be run without their help.  The volunteers get something in return of course, as this is very unique and special work and vacancies are limited. Where else would you get to be so close with some of the most prehistoric creatures on earth?

The centre is very much in need of additional hands that assist them in rehabilitating these turtles while sustainable and humane practices are promoted with the use of education initiatives to locals and tourists. Volunteers can enjoy being close with the turtles while completing simple tasks including cleaning turtle tanks, feeding the turtles, scratching the turtles, performing reef monitoring research, turtle release and providing any kind of assistance when requested. Volunteers may also enjoy a special visit to the Intensive Care Unit where they can see local volunteers care for critically injured or very sick turtles. Volunteers are expected to work in hot, humid, or wet weather, depending on the season in which they visit. You do not need to have any special skills to volunteer at this rehabilitation centre. The only requirement for this kind of volunteering projects is a love for animals and their welfare.

Blog Source URL: http://www.oceans2earth.org/volunteer/blog/an-eco-friendly-volunteering-tour-in-australia

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

Things You Should Know About Overseas Volunteer Programs

Animal welfare is a broad term that encompasses the general wellbeing of animals, and volunteering in the field of animal welfare is a way that people can contribute while gaining experience, skills and life lessons. In my experience I have found it can be particularly beneficial to individuals who are interested in or studying animal psychology, veterinary medicine or animal research or conservation, in addition to those who simply have a deep love for animals.

Overseas volunteer programs that centre on animal welfare vary widely, and there are many that aren’t geared towards the welfare of the animals, however there are a few projects that have the best interests of the animals at heart and are designed to provide an exceptional level of care. Volunteers are needed within these organsations to help with the workload of caring for and rehabilitating these animals for release, where possible, and in turn, they are provided with a unique opportunity that is not able to be gained elsewhere.  Imagine working with a like-minded team to look after wildlife, help promote animal rights, conduct research, educate communities and fundraise. Animal volunteering programs abroad provide these kinds of opportunities for individuals who hold a great passion for animals and the environment to interact with wildlife close hand.

Working with wildlife highlights the issues as to why these animals came to be in care. It educates and enlightens someone to the real fact of habitat destruction, one of the biggest threats to animals. It is here that we become horrified to the destruction of species on a daily basis and how people, corporations and governments make decisions nonchalantly that leave countless animals displaced, injured and on the endangered list.

Animal welfare is becoming a larger concern around the world since social media has put the world in touch with what is really happening, therefore there are more and more people wanting to help. International volunteers are the largest group with volunteers choosing to travel overseas for wildlife volunteering opportunities. It’s a good way for people to travel and experience a country while seeing the native wildlife up close, without visiting or supporting zoos and wildlife parks which, in most cases, exploit animals for profit.

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.