Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia
The centre works for the conservation of bats and their habitat as poor public attitudes towards flying foxes and habitat loss are the root causes of many problems facing bat conservation.
They achieve this by:
• rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing hundreds of bats every year
• providing a lifetime sanctuary for bats that are too severely injured to return to the wild or have been retired from zoos
• educating the public about bats through schools and the onsite Visitor Centre
• habitat restoration work at 2 bat colonies
• facilitating research into flying foxes by various universities and government bodies
• advocating for bats.
All four species of Australian flying foxes are in permanent care as well as tube-nosed bats and microbats. A visitor’s centre was opened in 2009 to provide educational programs for a broader community of local residents, students and tourists.
Volunteer fees and time are essential for making this project a success.
Your input into this initiative is valuable as the centre could not run without the contribution of volunteers who are needed all year. This is especially during tick paralysis season when hundreds of adults and orphans come into care.
All financial contributions directly support the organisation and its programs incorporating the land and conservation management of the Tropical Wetlands.
Volunteers are involved in applied conservation management and research activities on the main reserve under supervision of the ranger. The placement offers a range of wildlife management and rehabilitation skills, as well as experience in applied field conservation.
Other activities may involve assisting in all aspects of animal and bird rehabilitation from the daily work of feeding and cleaning pens, grounds maintenance, conducting structured behavioural observations and data collection on the various species undergoing rehabilitation, wildlife surveys and other work across the savanna and wetlands.
Your daily activities will consist of:
*Assisting in rescue calls
*Assisting in emergency medical treatment
*Prepare food for the adult bats and milk for the babies
*Feed, clean, weigh and measure the orphan bats
*Clean cages
*Handle large amounts of washing
*Assist in trips to the rainforest to search or release (depending on season)
*Help with miscellaneous projects around the hospital
*Environmental education activities in the Visitors Centre (June to September)
The age requirement is 21 years of age unless special consideration is granted.
You must have the ability to work as a member of a team, have a high level of maturity and be committed to the welfare of the bats. You must be self-motivated and able to learn quickly.
The biggest challenge of this project is the long days volunteers work in the high season from October to February. During this time, there is many orphans which require rescuing, rearing and releasing.
Monday – Sunday, all year.
10 – 15 hour days, 6 days a week with some flexibility.
Shared rooms in a comfortable self-contained apartment with all the creature comforts, or large tents which offer more private accommodation.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. All volunteers are expected to help with preparing and cleaning up evening meals. Preparation of all other meals is each individual’s responsibility.
From AUD $72 a day
| Duration | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| 1 week | $870 |
| 2 weeks | $1430 |
| 3 weeks | $1825 |
| 4 weeks | $2000 |
What’s included:
- Pre departure support
- Project Information Pack
- Project orientation
- Training
- Field equipment and materials
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Return transfers from the local town to the project
- O2E T-Shirt
- 24-hour in-country support
- 24-hour O2E emergency phone
- Certificate of Participation, if requested
*Please note some items are not included in the project fees listed above, such as flights, visas, vaccinations, travel insurance, snacks, spending money, local transport, in-country tours and return airport transfer (unless mentioned above). Please note that prices are subject to change without notice. Please ensure you have read the O2E Volunteers Terms and Conditions.
Amelie F.
United Kingdom
" I felt very useful there and I learned a lot
about megabat and microbat.
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