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CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES RESEARCH PROJECTS

by Deborah Mitchell
Environmental Studies

Environmental studies are crucial in the effort to preserve animal and plant life as an increasing number of species are threatened or in danger of extinction. A volunteer vacation with an environmental studies conservation team offers a unique opportunity to save these species.

Currently, more than 16,000 species of animals and plants are listed as threatened with extinction, including one-third of all known amphibians, one-quarter of all mammals, one in eight bird species, and one-quarter of the world’s coniferous trees. The single largest threat to animal and plant life is habitat destruction due to human activity, including activities that promote global warming. Some of the more well-known animals rapidly becoming more endangered are polar bears, ring seals, and walruses.

Scientists who conduct environmental and conservation studies often rely on dedicated volunteers to help them with their work. Environmental studies conservation projects encompass a wide variety of tasks, including conducting wildlife surveys of caribou or the endangered pygmy hippo, monitoring the migration habits of sea turtles, cataloging marine algae species, tracking the social behavior of common dolphins in the Mediterranean to stem their decline, or documenting the numbers of endangered or vulnerable Mediterranean plant species. These and other environmental conservation studies give volunteers an opportunity to make a positive difference for the environment and to work with some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated experts involved in animal and plant sciences

Although having a background or degree in environmental studies or conservation is welcome, the vast majority of volunteer opportunities do not require special skills or academic credentials, just a willingness to learn and follow instructions, an appreciation for the environment, patience, and a sense of adventure.

  • ProNaturalezas Butterfly Conservation Volunteer Program in Peru needs volunteers to support for its butterfly research, breeding, and education programs and to assist in butterfly research projects. You can choose to help for one week or for up to three months.
  • EcoVolunteer offers more than two dozen hands-on environmental studies conservation opportunities, varying from working with rhinos in Swaziland, toucans in Brazil, beavers in Poland, and rare breeds in Bulgaria.
  • Work hand-in-hand with marine biologists, marine institutes, and community members in Madagascar to perform environmental studies research and conservation projects designed to save threatened reef habitats. Blue Ventures Conservation offers this opportunity. You must be a competent diver or an experienced swimmer (diving instructions will be provided).
  • Conservation Volunteers of Australia offers two- to five-week environmental conservation opportunities in Australia as well as Italy, Greece, and many other countries. You can help scientists conduct baboon surveys, participate in a reforestation project in the Amazon, protect endangered sea turtles, and more.
  • British Trust for Conservation Volunteers provides a directory of international environmental studies and conservation projects that range from one to three weeks in duration. You can join a reforestation project in Nepal, conduct species surveys of rare, threatened, and endangered species in South Africa, or help restore natural fauna in Portugal, among other projects.
  • Earthwatch Institute offers more than 130 environmental studies and conservation projects lasting from one to three weeks or longer. Adventures include monitoring amphibians, bats, otters, and birds at the Pantanal Conservation Research Initiative in Brazil, helping to preserve endangered marsupials in Australia, or assisting with the restoration of the Baltic grasslands.

The physical requirements of environmental conservation studies can be demanding and unpredictable along with being rewarding. Before you commit to an environmental study or conservation project, make sure you are familiar and comfortable with the tasks and living arrangements.