In honor of World Elephant Day, let’s take a moment to talk about the real benefits of volunteering for Wildlife Conservation projects abroad. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, over 730 animal species have been declared extinct and another 6,200 are considered endangered or critically endangered worldwide. This may be due to loss of habitat, poaching, or other issues plaguing their surroundings.
Wildlife Conservation projects work to remedy these issues by creating safe, protected environments where animals can enjoy long and healthy lives. Volunteering your time and energy to these projects involves both care for animals and habitat preservation work. There are innumerable benefits to spending your time abroad on these projects.
Here are the top three benefits for World Endeavors Wildlife Conservation programs:
Each task completed during each day spent at your volunteer project positively impacts the animals you are there to help. Some days, you will find yourself physically assisting fascinating creatures. You may be tasked with feeding the animals or assisting in the bathing and grooming process. Perhaps you are guarding their nests, ensuring their safety from threatening predators. Volunteers participating in these projects can pride themselves on keeping habitats clean and well-maintained, making the environment a comfortable place for the animals to call home.
The Community.
Communities are sometimes uninformed about how their actions and behaviors may affect an endangered species or local wildlife populations. Wildlife Conservation projects aim to raise awareness by teaching the local people about these issues and what they can do to ensure a better future for the animals. Volunteers can become involved in these outreach efforts. Organizing workshops, educating school children, and developing innovative and interesting ways to convey the information can all lead to a more educated and informed community.
You.
It’s undeniable that volunteering abroad plays a pivotal role in volunteers’ personal growth and development. Whether you spend two weeks patrolling a beach and working with sea turtles in Costa Rica or one month feeding and caring for elephants in Thailand, you will return with a heightened sense of self-awareness and, hopefully, the urge to continue giving back. Volunteering is an inherently selfless act, but volunteers often return feeling that the lessons they learned and the experiences they had were the biggest benefit of their volunteer program.
If you’ve ever participated in a volunteer project abroad, you know just how rewarding the experience can be. If you have yet to become involved in such a program, now is your chance! World Endeavors is always looking for volunteers with open minds and hearts who are hoping to make a difference.
Interested in a Wildlife Conservation project? World Endeavors offers exciting programs in the following countries:
Brazil | Costa Rica | Ecuador | Sri Lanka | Thailand
Posted by World Endeavors on August 12, 2015
World Endeavors believes that international travel has the power to change lives, broaden horizons, and deepen intercultural understanding. The world is undergoing rapid changes, with societies becoming more interconnected and environmentally aware; at the same time a more challenging global economy inspires in many a need to reach out and make a positive difference while seeking personal growth opportunities. There has never been a better time than now to travel abroad.
