Malawi
Volunteers can opt to spend 2-10 weeks on the wildlife research program where they will assess the status, distribution and movements patterns of a variety of wildlife occupying the study conservation area. Awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO in 2000, the National Park covers approximately 3,200km2 to establish one of Malawi’s truly outstanding features. Situated on the border of Zambia, this thriving hub of activity hosts no less than 100 mammal species and 430 individual species of birds. Running in conjunction with the Wildlife Reserve, this research camp operates to house, protect and monitor a variety of wildlife including Cheetahs – a species that were thought to be extinct for the best part of two decades. Volunteers may like to complete a week or more at the widllife rehabilitation centre as part of their placement.
Our main research focus is on monitoring species of ‘special concern’ in the beautiful national park.
Activities vary based on time of year, project needs and park requirements. For these reasons, placement participants are not guaranteed to take part in all activities.
- Camera trapping
- VHF tracking of cheetahs, lions and various other species
- Behavioural observations of cheetahs and lions
- Developing identification kits for hyenas, cheetahs and lions
- Vulture road counts
- Vegetation surveys
- Large carnivore diet surveys through scat collection
- Data entry and GIS mapping
In the field, the volunteers will obtain an up close and personal view of the cheetahs, elephants, pangolins, vultures, buffalo, warthogs, zebras and bushpigs to gauge their health, wellbeing and overall integration back into their native habitat.
Once in the field, volunteers will undertake research duties. Our field work generally runs for five and a half days a week. Participants will occasionally have down time between monring and afternoon monitoring sessions, although the work is unpredictable and may result in full days in the field. In the evenings, there will be time to sit around the fore, listen to the sounds of the bush and chat about the day’s events.
At the wildlife centre, working hours are completely dependent on the animals we have in at the time, and on the level of care they need. Ideally, volunteers will work from 8am till 5pm, but this is not often the case as most orphans need feeding at unsociable hours and some even need round the clock care. We try our best to split this up between volunteers but please be aware that there may be some long days or even some night shifts. However, a typical day could look like this:
8am-1pm: Orphan care activities and/or enrichment
1pm – 2pm: Lunch
2pm – 5pm: Community outreach/animal care/projects
Age Requirement: 18 years of age. Field work is intensive and requires early starts, long days and plenty of patience!
- Enthusiasm for the project
- Great work ethic
- Willingness to learn
- Ability to work within a team environment
- Ability to work in a remote area
- Capacity to translate newly acquired skills across to others *Previous conservation experience helpful
While the luxurious and exotic surrounds of Africa will provide an experience you will never forget, there are some obvious challenges that some volunteers will encounter. Removed from a comfortable first world environment, volunteers can be confronted by the state of some of the animals in the park given their circumstances. Those that arrive in the warmer months will also be exposed to a hot and unforgiving climate, making it imperative to come prepared.
Minimum 2 weeks
| Working hours vary depending on the animals at the reserve at the time. A standard day will run from 8am to 5pm, but some night shifts will be necessary during orphan feeding. |
Home stay – You may choose to stay with a family which is a great opportunity to practice your Spanish and get to know more about Ecuadorian culture. The families are carefully selected and have experience with foreign travellers. All families are located within walking distance from Central Quito and close to bus stations where you can catch the bus to the project. A laundry service and your meals are included and most families have a private bathroom.
Shared Apartments – The apartments are located in a quiet area in the middle of the entertainment district “La Mariscal.” Cleaning and a change of bed linen is complimentary and apartments are available on a monthly basis.
Hostels – The hostels are located in the central district “La Mariscal”. Transport around Quito is easy with buses and taxis very affordable.
Breakfast supplies are available to all volunteers. Meals are cooked by our local chef each day except on Sunday when extra food is given to our dedicated volunteers. The vegetarian menu catered by chef Joseph is a mix of local and international cuisine, but we are flexible enough to cater to most dietary requirements. Visitors are welcome to bring their own meats or other luxuries if they wish.
From AUD $78 a day
| Duration | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks | $4715 |
| 5 weeks | $5440 |
| 6 weeks | $5105 |
| 7 weeks | $6750 |
| 8 weeks | $7345 |
| More than 8 weeks | Price on application |
What’s included:
- Pre-departure support
- Project Information Pack
- Return Airport Transfers
- Accommodation
- Local sim card
- All meals, tea, coffee, bottled water
- Orientation & training
- Project t-shirt
- WiFi
- 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.
Amity M.
Israel
"Amazing place and amazing people
that doing a magnificent work protecting
the animals and nature of africa "
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