Wildlife & Conservation Volunteering
The Complete Guide
by Peter LynchWildlife Conservation and Volunteering Guide – Expert tips and advice on conservation projects across the world, practical volunteering information and ecotourism. This guide also covers charities and organisations focusing on volunteering, tour operators, short- and long-term and gap year options, wildlife guides, volunteer stories and adventures.
Size: 135 X 216 mm
Edition: 2
Number of pages: 256
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About this book
A unique feature of this guide is its dedicated focus on wildlife and environmental conservation volunteering. It is aimed at all three sectors of the age and career spectrum: young people such as gap year students and backpackers; the larger market of vacation conservation volunteers; and the early retired. Peter Lynch investigates rather than lists different types of organisations including charities, clearinghouses, eco-tour operators and travel agents. He audits, analyses and deconstructs them according to a range of verifiable criteria, including their scientific validity.
This second edition had been completely updated and expanded, including more organizations, updated assessments, more volunteer stories and more field adventures. There is also a new chapter on great wildlife migration events – how, when and where to see them, with more great photographs. The guide includes long- and short-term opportunities from roughing it in tents, through simple permanent accommodation to quasi-luxury. The extensive range of expedition opportunities include working with antelope, big cats, birds, coral reefs, dolphins, elephants, fish, hippos, monkeys, orang-utans, turtles, whales, zebras, injured wildlife and people – in every type of habitat – all over the globe. First-hand accounts by volunteers reveal the day-to-day life of being a volunteer.
About the Author
Peter Lynch is a freelance travel writer. He has been on several conservation volunteer expeditions and is the author of the first edition of Bradt’s Wildlife and Conservation Volunteering.
Reviews
This timely and important guide is a must-read for anyone who wants to contribute properly and positively to wildlife conservation.’
Kate Humble, TV presenter
‘A comprehensive guide which helps to identify and explore the issues surrounding volunteering, whilst also providing a reliable and objective assessment of the companies offering volunteering experiences.’
Justin Francis, founder, responsibletravel.com
‘An extremely useful starting point for any conservation volunteer faced with the tricky task of finding a project that is appropriate for them and also genuinely contributes to wildlife and environmental conservation.’
Richard Hammond, greentraveller.co.uk
‘This guide is an extremely useful reference ….’
BBC Wildlife
Additional Information
Table of ContentsCONTENTS
Acknowledgements vi
Introduction vii
How to use this book viii
The Audit Criteria ix
Chapter 1 Conservation: what are the issues? 1
The looming crisis 1
Conservation volunteering: what’s it all about? 2
Issues of concern 3
Measuring the difference 5
The conservation volunteer effect 6
Why pay? 6
Chapter 2 Types of volunteer organisations 7
Conservation opportunities 7
Characteristics of different organisations 7
Subtle differences between companies 10
Effects on the fees 12
Terms and conditions disclaimers 12
Chapter 3 Choosing an organisation 17
Deciding on your purpose 17
Choosing via country 21
Choosing via species 21
Choosing via cost 29
Arranging your own placement 33
What will it cost? 34
Chapter 4 The audit 41
Chapter 5 What is life like as a conservation volunteer? 166
Protecting loggerhead turtles in Greece with Archelon 167
Straw-bale house building with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers 169
Marine conservation in Seychelles with Global Vision International 171
Monitoring leopard, cheetah and their prey in Namibia with Biosphere Expeditions 173
Amazon wildlife conservation by riverboat with Earthwatch Institute 176
Eco-technology and conservation in rural India with Raleigh International 179
Chapter 6 Great migrations 182
Brent goose 183
Caribou and reindeer 184
Atlantic horseshoe crab 186
Monarch butterflies 187
Emperor penguin 188
Red crabs 190
Sockeye salmon 191
Turtles 193
Whales 194
Wildebeest 196
Chapter 7 Fundraising 199
Planning 199
Dos and don’ts of fundraising 200
Charitable trusts 200
Getting publicity in your local media 201
Specimen letter content 202
Promotional leaflets 203
Fundraising events 204
Legal issues 205
Chapter 8 Before you go 207
Booking flights 207
Red tape 209
Travel insurance 211
Health 214
Safety 220
What to take 221
Money 222
Cultural etiquette 223
Keeping in touch with home 224
If things go wrong 225
Appendix 1 Country guide 229
Appendix 2 Further information 249
Appendix 3 What is BS8848:2007+A1:2009? 253
Index 254