Green volunteering holidays

Ruth Harwood

Coral reef © Johnny Lye - Fotolia.com

Want to use your holiday time to make a difference? Check out these eco-inspired volunteering projects

What kind of holiday gives you the chance to learn new skills, make friends and protect the environment? Volunteering may sound like a sacrifice, but for the thousands of people who devote their time to it, it can be an incredibly rewarding venture.

How do you choose your volunteering holiday? To narrow down the options, first decide on a cause or an activity that that interests you most. Take time to research - it goes without saying that you should always carefully check an organisation’s ethical credentials.

Many volunteer organisations charge a fee to take part, so find out how this is spent. How much does the organisation spend on internal administration costs, staff wages, your food and accommodation and training, and how much actually goes to the projects?
Once you’re satisfied, you can book your holiday with confidence.

In this article

Volunteering in Britain

You don’t have to go abroad to volunteer away from home. Several organisations, including many environmental and conservation groups, offer a range of exciting opportunities.

We’ve compiled a small selection to help get you started.

National Trust

The National Trust is the main provider of green working holidays in the UK. You can choose from around 450 holidays, usually staying in Trust base camps with bunk beds in dormitories.

These working holidays give you the chance to help out at National Trust properties and enjoy some beautiful surroundings. There is a range of activities available including gardening, construction and helping at events.
 
As a reward for completing a working holiday, volunteers receive a National Trust admission card.

For more information:
Email: volunteers@nationaltrust.org.uk
Website: National Trust

Ffestiniog Volunteer

Kids’ week on the Ffestiniog Mountain Railway in Wales is a way of introducing children to volunteering, with or without their parents. During a week in the summer, youngsters can work on concreting, painting wagons and installing new lighting on a traditional railway. Plus there are social activities every night, including a beach party and a barbecue.

For more information:
Email: team@ffestiniogvolunteer.org.uk
Website: Ffestinog Volunteer

Waterway Recovery Group Canal Camp

The Waterway Recovery Group organises week-long residential holidays to help restore derelict canals. The Canal Camp is a great opportunity for people to try their hand at something totally different and pick up some new skills along the way.

The work includes various restoration tasks, scrub bashing, tree felling, canal clearance, demolition of old brickwork and stonework and digger driving.

For more information:
Email: enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Website: Waterway Recovery Group Canal Camp

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV)

BTCV is a practical conservation charity, committed to protecting the environment through action. The Natural Break programme is the largest of its kind in Britain - these conservation holidays enable volunteers to spend a week in spectacular settings learning new skills.

The work includes various practical conservation tasks such as orchard management, woodland protection schemes and dry-stone walling. They offer weekend breaks, which is a good way to dip your toe in the water.

There are also longer-term posts overseas in 20 countries and in the UK at one of BTCV's volunteer centres for three to 12 months.

Email: information@btcv.org.uk
Website: BTVC

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)

WWOOF is a worldwide exchange network where people who want to gain practical farming experience can get in touch with more than 300 organic farmers in the UK and across the world. The farms offer accommodation and food in exchange for manual labour, which might include making fences, weeding or sowing.

For more information:
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

Volunteering overseas

There are a huge variety of environmental volunteering holiday opportunities available all around the world. Here are a few to whet your appetite.

Blue Ventures Conservation

Blue Ventures is a not-for-profit marine conservation organisation dedicated to facilitating expeditions and education initiatives that enhance global coral reef research. They offer opportunities and field experiences, both in the UK and overseas, to volunteers wanting to become actively involved in marine conservation.

Blue Ventures offer challenging but rewarding experiences, where volunteers work with local scientists, carrying out field research and conservation projects on coral reefs in Madagascar.

For more information:
Email: enquiries@blueventures.org
Website: Blue Ventures

Coral Cay Conservation

Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) takes groups of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to tropical countries to carry out marine conservation surveys to help protect threatened coral reefs. Volunteers undergo full diving training and play a vital part in collecting data and participating in community work that aims to empower local communities.

Through the protection, restoration and management of coral reefs in the Philippines and Tobago, CCC aims to sustain livelihoods and alleviate the poverty of coastal communities across the world.

For more information:
Email: recruitment@coralcay.org
Website: Coral Cay

Trekforce Expeditions

Trekforce run two-month conservation expeditions in the South-East Asian and Latin American rainforests. Its conservation projects are challenging programmes, combining adventurous expeditions with language courses and rural teaching placements.

Expedition options include Belize, Central America, for two weeks to five months, where you undergo jungle training, go trekking and get involved with community project work.

For more information:
Email: info@trekforceworldwide.com
Website: Trek Force Worldwide

Frontier

Frontier is a non-profit conservation organisation. Projects run from four to 20 weeks and are based in Cambodia, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Tanzania and Fiji.

The projects involve hands-on fieldwork, which benefits endangered wildlife and their ecosystems. It also helps developing countries that are rich in biodiversity but have a poor capacity to manage natural resources.

Volunteers also have the opportunity to gain a level 3 BTEC Diploma in Tropical Habitat Conservation when they participate in an expedition.

For more information:
Email: info@frontier.ac.uk
Website: Frontier

People and Places

People and Places organises trips in Pakistan, Madagascar and South Africa. They work closely with local people and treat them as partners, not employees.
These partnerships enable People and Places to ensure that every volunteer project is responsible, sustainable and meets the needs of the local community.

Volunteers work alongside local people, sharing experience and expertise. The projects are wide-ranging and include wildlife science and conservation.

Examples of projects include monitoring bottle-nosed dolphin numbers in Mozambique and their behaviour to make recommendations for improving the conservation of marine biodiversity.

People and Places guarantees that at least 80% of what you pay, for placements of four weeks or more, is spent in the host country.

For more information:
Email: enquiries@travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk
Website: People and Places

Greenforce

Greenforce volunteers help on environmental projects around the world, working on the front line, gathering important information for scientists. They work alongside local communities to develop long-term sustainable action plans.

Greenforce’s activities range from marine conservation projects in the Bahamas to wildlife conservation projects in Tanzania.

For more information:
Email: info@greenforce.org
Website: Greenforce

Global Vision International

A trip with Global Vision International (GVI) offers volunteers the opportunity to gain practical experience on conservation expeditions in Latin America. GVI works locally with its partners to promote sustainable development through environment research, conservation and education.

They also offer family volunteering overseas, which is a great way to see unique destinations, experience new cultures and see parts of the world children often don’t learn about at school. Examples of GVI projects include marine expeditions, and learning about rainforest ecology and research techniques in Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest expeditions.

For more information:
Email: info@gvi.co.uk
Website: Global Vision International

Earthwatch

Earthwatch is an international environmental charity that engages volunteers worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. It offers more than 130 expeditions, where volunteers work alongside scientists to help solve environmental problems.

Projects include determining the impact of climate change on grey whale populations in Mexico. In addition, they offer specially adapted teen and family projects.

For more information:
Email: info@earthwatch.org.uk
Website: Earthwatch