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CONSERVE WILDLIFE

by Katherine Noyes
Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife conservation efforts exist to make sure we never see a world without polar bears, hippos and sharks. Sadly, those are just a few of the wild animals recently added to the growing list of species threatened by rapidly accelerating extinction rates. More than 16,000 species of plants and animals are now considered threatened, including one-third of the world’s amphibians, one-quarter of its mammals and one-eighth of its birds. Close to 800 species have already gone extinct; if nothing is done, many others will soon follow. By spending your next vacation assisting in a wildlife conservation effort, you can help protect the future for many of these magnificent but threatened wild animals.

Around the globe, wild animals are routinely killed on a massive scale when bulldozers raze the forests that were their home, when cars run over them on roads, when they are over-hunted, or when they are poisoned by pesticides. Meanwhile, highways, strip malls and other developments have now fragmented what remains of the earth's undeveloped land into small, unconnected pieces. The result is too little land for too many animals, and local isolation that compromises the genetic diversity necessary for a species to remain strong over time. Global warming, too, poses a bleak future for species such as polar bears and other Arctic wild animals.

Yet some notable successes have shown that wildlife conservation approaches can make a world of difference. White-tailed eagles, for instance, went from being classified as "near endangered" to "least concern" over the past decade following the introduction of some key wildlife conservation tactics.

Today a variety of such wildlife conservation efforts are underway throughout the world, and many of them depend on the help of volunteers to track and monitor wildlife so that the best decisions can be made in designing wildlife corridors and other conservation approaches. The work can be hard, but the reward — knowing that you have directly contributed to the survival of countless wild animals — will last the rest of your life.

  • Earthwatch Institute offers wildlife conservation expeditions, including: Wildlife Trails of the American West, which focuses on designing wildlife corridors for western American wildlife; Wildlife Habitats, which studies animal movements in Kenya; and Elephants of Tsavo, aimed at understanding elephant movements and behavior in Kenya for better decisions on land use and wildlife corridors. Costs vary, but meals and lodging are typically included in the fee.
  • Global Vision International coordinates a wide variety of wildlife conservation projects ranging from a few weeks to a few months in locations all over the world. Some involve advance training; costs vary.
  • Ecovolunteers offers several wildlife conservation volunteer vacations, such as one in Zimbabwe dedicated to conserving African Wild Dogs (included under "Carnivores" in the species list). Housing is provided, as are basic materials for preparing meals.
  • African Conservation Experience offers a variety of wildlife conservation projects that are open to volunteers. Participating reserves are based in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
  • Greenforce offers a volunteer expedition focusing on wildlife conservation in Tanzania in which volunteers conduct wildlife surveys for the World Wildlife Fund. Trips are available for 3 to 10 weeks, and volunteers live among the Tanzanian Maasai.
  • Responsible Travel coordinates a variety of wildlife conservation travel opportunities, including one focused on monitoring chamois, wolf and bear species in Slovakia.
  • Volunteer Abroad's typical wildlife conservation volunteer trips last 2 to 4 weeks, and are available all over the world. Search for opportunities on "wildlife surveying" to see hundreds of such opportunities.
  • Biosphere Expeditions features wildlife conservation opportunities in a variety of locations and focusing on assorted species. One, for example, focuses on surveying macaws, monkeys and large mammals in Peru's Amazonian rainforest.

The opportunities are many, so choosing one project may be tough. But no matter where you go, the rewards will be limitless — both for you and for the planet.