Volunteer stories

Project : Great Barrier Reef Turtle Rehabilitation

I am Elisa from Germany. In my “normal” life I work in Public Relations for a cosmetics company. To fulfil my dream and go three months to Australia, my wonderful company gave me the time off from work. In these three months I did not only want to travel, I also wante…

Project : Australian rescue animals

My name is Diane Friese and my passion is playing soothing music for rescue animals – 4-legged, winged and 2-legged non-human species. For the past 6 years, I weekly volunteer playing music (Native American flutes and lyre) at my local non-kill, humane society animal shelte…

Project : Great Barrier Reef Turtle Rehabiliation

For my work volunteer week, I traded in my laptop for Crocs and spend a week caring for sea turtles near the Great Barrier Reef. Taking a week to submerse myself in something I’m passionate about in a completely new place was the best travel experience I’ve ever had…

Project : Flying Foxes & Aussie Wildlife

Project : Australian Forest Wildlife

Other than feeding and cuddling animals, we did activities each day, including animal rescues, apple picking, and gum leaf collecting. Once a week an organisation for the disabled stops by and gives food donated by the local grocery store….

Project : Surf Coast Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary

Surf Coast Koala and Wildlife Rescue is where we spent the past week volunteering. The 5+ acres are a maze of pens, cages, habitats, and aviaries. All manner of Australian wild life, mammals, marsupials, reptiles, birds are cared …

Project : Surf Coast Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary

For all those of you (like me) who believe koala’s are cute, cuddly creatures, I can tell you that yesterday I have experienced quite the opposite. Time to catch koala’s, weigh them, listen to their lungs and check their teeth. I have to admit I was a bit …

Project : Flying Foxes & Aussie Wildlife

It becomes clear pretty soon that not only do these people care deeply about wildlife and animals, but they know a hell of a lot about them too! It’s not every day you have the opportunity to get up close and personal with Australian wildlife, but this was certainly an experi…

Project : Flying Foxes and Aussie Wildlife

We had such a fantastic time in Queensland with the Oceans 2 Earth Foundation. My favourite experience was visiting the rescued baby bats and other wildlife, and learning about each of their stories, how they came to be at the centre and the plans to rehabilitate and release them…

Project : Mexican Kitten Rescue & Rehoming

Always having been compassionate towards animals with a special soft corner for cats, I decided to spend my gap year holiday in a productive way. I did some research around international volunteering in Playa del Carmen, which was the intended spot for my vacationing and stumbled…

Project : Thai Wildlife Rehabilitation & Care

Volunteering at this project opened my eyes up to a new world. I thought I was just going to care for animals, which I was, but I feel so much more educated now on the illegal wildlife trade, the treatment and mistreatment of animals and how Thailand’s animals welfare laws,…

Project : Great Barrier Reef Turtle Rehabilitation

There is nowhere on Earth that is as unusual as the Great Barrier Reef. It is a storehouse of natural wonders, marine life, animals, plants, and corals. To volunteer on the Reef is a privilege and taking care of the turtles that are in danger here is a perfect way to spend a few …

Project : Amazon Animal Sanctuary

I volunteered for this animal rescue project to have the chance to travel to the Amazon, work with the Quichua community, and make a difference. Volunteering with Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers provided an incredible opportunity to work in animal care and help rehabilitate animals dam…

Project : Great Barrier Reef Turtle Rehabilitation

O2E said, “This project is loads of fun” and they were right! I could only imagine what it would be like being up close with sea turtles and I wasn’t disappointed.
My placement started with a ferry ride to a tropical island East of Cairns. The…

Project : Australian Forest Wildlife

I have to be honest; for my first few days at Australian Forest Wildlife I felt like I was at boot camp. To begin with I wasn’t accustomed to the rustic conditions; accommodation was modest to say the least. Electricity was generator only and only at night. …

Anyone who loves animals and who's not afraid to get stuck in to help out will love it here, it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Stephen McGovern (Ireland)

Volunteer

I loved all the kangas and all their different personalities. Every day was a different adventure and I loved waking up to the sounds of the koalas outside our room in the morning.

Yvonne Moran (Ireland)

Volunteer (Wildlife)

I will miss you all! This experience was the best thing in my life and I will never forget it! Thank you for everything – it was a great time!

Sabrina Pluss (Austria)

Volunteer (Marine Conservation)

I’m very grateful that I have had the opportunity to come here are work with all these lovely animals for the past three months. It makes me very happy to see that there are still so many people that care about animals and nature and to see that all the animals here are being treated so well. I’m going to miss them all!

Louise Simeon (Belgium)

Volunteer

My experience was incredible. I would do it again!

Thomas King (Australia)

Volunteer

Whatever you give to the animals is too little compared with what they can give to you.

Frederico Perea (Spain)

Volunteer (Marine Conservation)

The community, friendship and dedication I’ve encountered here has been truly amazing. I’ve come to love animals I didn’t even know existed before and grown a deeper appreciation for the ones I did. I take home with me only good experiences and memories, even pool scrubs will be thought of fondly, or at least make me laugh!

Charlotte D. (Canada)

Volunteer

This experience has been one of the most rewarding, exhilarating and exhausting experiences that I have had. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to gain a chance to work with gibbons, macaques, bears and even a sea otter!

Elizabeth C. (USA)

Volunteer (Thai Wildlife)

My heart is full!

Yuna O. (Australia)

Volunteer (Wildlife Rehab & Farmlife project)

I had the experience of a lifetime in Australia and exploring the Great Barrier Reef! I'm super grateful to have met such interesting people, learn about conservation efforts, and get to stay in one of the most beautiful places in the world. The program was great in the sense that we got to learn something new every day, snorkel on multiple islands, and also had the time to explore Cairns and the surrounding area! The program team was top-notch and made us feel at home the entire time. I couldn't recommend this program enough to anyone who is looking for a cool experience.

Joe J. (USA)

Volunteer (Marine Conservation)

A journey of a lifetime.

Vim M. (Canada)

Volunteer (Marine Conservation)

This amazing experience - seeing the turtles & being 2 little hands but contributing to such a big cause was unbelievable. Thank you so much.

Shanthi N. (Canada)

Volunteer (Marine Conservation)

Elisa Steinmetz

Diane Friese

Laura Renfroe

Tiffany Wagner

Lillian Ciardelli

Karen Modell

Isabelle De Meerleer

Thomas King

Alex King

Kate Becker

Aya Van der Hoff

Rachel Marie

Jean Rubach

Brittany Francis

Jacinta Richardson

Wildlife Rehabilitation and Farm Life

Island Reef Research and Conservation

Great Barrier Reef Marine Conservation

Endangered Species Conservation

Eco-Expedition for Families & Groups

Thai Wildlife Rehabilitation & Care

Stephen McGovern (Ireland)

Yvonne Moran (Ireland)

Sabrina Pluss (Austria)

Louise Simeon (Belgium)

Thomas King (Australia)

Frederico Perea (Spain)

Charlotte D. (Canada)

Elizabeth C. (USA)

Yuna O. (Australia)

Joe J. (USA)

Vim M. (Canada)

Shanthi N. (Canada)