When I was a teenager trying to decide what to do when I left school and whether to go to college, the big ‘must-do’ thing was to go inter-railing around Europe. For lack of money, lack of confidence, or perhaps just through sheer laziness, I never went, and instead postponed by travel experiences until much later in life.
These days, however, taking a ‘gap year’ has very much become accepted. Indeed in many circles it’s almost expected that people will buy a round-the world ticket and head off to far flung places to experience all the world has to offer on a shoestring budget.
For many, the opportunity to travel and experience new places and cultures is enough. But some view their gap year as an opportunity to get involved in something more substantial, from working abroad, take a TEFL course and teaching abroad, to contribute something to the world, and perhaps to gain experiences that might stand them in good stead when they return home to the harsh realities of studying or job-seeking.
To fill the demand such aspirations create, the volunteering sector has grown enormously in the past couple of decades. Opportunities to volunteer abroad in just about any capacity abound all over the world, and the conservation and wildlife rescue/rehabilitation sectors are no exception.
Volunteering at a conservation or wildlife centre can be a life-changing experience. During my later-in-life travels, I volunteered in South America and Asia, and enjoyed the experiences immensely. Indeed the experience of working with big cats, primates, parrots, pangolins, coatis, capybaras, reptiles of all shapes and sizes, and many other animals, has very much shaped the path of my life since.
However, like with most human activities, there are people out there who see the big increase in demand for volunteering opportunities as little more than a way of making money by extracting your hard earned (or borrowed) cash, and the bewildering choice of opportunities now available to eager travellers contains everything from the sublime to the downright criminal.
So how do you choose?
Here are a few tips from someone with some experience in the sector.
1. Keep the animals at arm’s length
Many people view wildlife volunteering as a way of getting up close and personal with big, beautiful, exotic, and in some cases downright dangerous animals. But serious wildlife rescue/rehabilitation projects will recognise that giving rescued animals the best chance of a successful return to the wild means minimising the contact they have with people. So choose a ‘hands-off’ programme – it may look a bit less sexy, but you’ll be doing a whole lot more good.
2. Take advice from animal charities
Big well-established wildlife and conservation charities and organisations have extensive networks and contacts across the world, and may be able to guide you towards responsible programmes that accept volunteers. Have a trawl through the websites of the well-known charities that work on the issues you’re interested in, or give them a call. Most will be very helpful.
3. Use the skills you have
While wildlife volunteering projects will often accept just about anyone with a sunny disposition and a penchant for hard graft, being able to offer skills that might be directly useful can lead to a more fulfilling experience. Most projects actively seek out people with experience that is directly applicable to animal work, such as veterinary skills or animal handling, and offer such people incentives for working with the project (such as reduced fees). However, many projects run education programmes with tourists or in local communities, so teaching or other people-related skills are often sought after, and proficiency in languages is always a huge asset.
4. Go direct to the project if you can
Most good volunteer projects charge you a fee, and give you room and board at the facility at which you’ll be working. Your fee will help to cover the costs involved in looking after you, and may provide some money for the project itself. Booking your trip directly with the project at which you’ll be working ensures that all of your money goes directly to the good cause. There are quite a few agencies around that will organise your volunteering opportunity for you, but bear in mind that most are commercial organisations that will retain a chunk of your fee for themselves. If you are going to go through an agency, try to use a charitable agency that ploughs money back into the projects it places people with.
5. Work hard and enjoy
Above all, when you get to your chosen project, be prepared to work hard. You’ll enjoy it all the more, and the project coordinators will be much more likely to engage with you and give you every opportunity to experience the full range of opportunities the project offers if you show willing!
By Mark Jones