Give Back to ecoDestinations: Voluntourism Opportunities Participating in voluntourism activities (tourism activities involving various types of volunteering) is a great way to enjoy off-the-beaten-track travel experiences, and at the same time give back to the communities, people and the destination you are visiting. Responsible voluntourism can help you make a difference through travel, and enrich your trip with authentic and rewarding memories. >> Learn more about voluntourism and access online resources: The Power of Giving Back Featured Voluntourism Programs: Mountain Destinations
Global Volunteer Network (GVN): Fundraising Trek - Mount Kilimanjaro, Kenya Hike one of the most beautiful mountains and prestigious climbs in the world to help support children in Kenya. There are an overwhelming number of children in Kenya in dire need of care and protection. Conflict and AIDS have also taken their toll throughout the country and contributed to the disintegration of traditional community structures, which would have previously cared for these orphans. more... Suggestions? Contact us at: ecoDestinations[at]ecotourism.org
Featured Voluntourism Programs: India
Grass Routes Journeys: Rural Village Volunteer, Kolkata – Visakhapatnam Explore rural India, connect with community projects and make a REAL positive difference! Converge on India's cultural capital Kolkata; weave through bustling markets and join an NGO handcraft souvenirs. Explore the seaside temple town of Puri, meet traditional artisians and cruise Asia’s largest saltwater lagoon, Chilika Lake. more... Indian Volunteers for Community Service (IVCS) - Experience Rural India, Amarpurkashi IVCS' volunteer program in Amarpurkashi offers the opportunity to visit local development projects and learn about the culture of rural India. With an emphasis on learning rather than traditional volunteering, the three-week program with IVCS is a great addition to independent travel itinerary and an introduction to the life in Amarpurkashi, a village in Northern India. more...
Featured Voluntourism Programs: Peru
Planeterra Foundation: Women's Weaving Co-op, Sacred Valley Despite close vicinity to Cuzco and Machu Picchu, and the thousands of tourists that visit these sites each year, very few communities from the surrounding countryside benefit from tourism. Through the development of the women's weaving co-op, this project provides a viable economic alternative for the women of the local Indigenous communities. more... Planeterra Foundation: Peru Street Kids Project, Cuzco In partnership with a local organization called Inti Runakunaq Wasin (Quechua for "House of the People of the Sun"), this project works to support children and adolescents who live in extreme poverty. Travelers participating in the Planeterra voluntour can alongside staff and children at this project. more... Planeterra Foundation: Stove Building Project, Cajamarca Working with voluntour participants, this project helps improve the living and health conditions of local families by building a Peruvian cooking stove with a chimney so that the women no longer have to cook over an open fire and inhale the black smoke that it produces. more...
Featured Voluntourism Programs: Marine Conservation
Kosrae Village Ecolodge, Micronesia Kosrae Village Ecolodge offers divers the opportunity to make a contribution to the continuing health of coral reefs through several coral monitoring projects in collaboration with the Kosrae State Marine Resources. Kosrae provides training and logistical support for the divers joining the project survey team. more... Koh Ra Ecolodge, Thailand Working with volunteer divers, Reef Check Thailand has carried out a coral reef and marine monitoring programs for over six years, collecting data from reef surveys that describe and health and condition of key ecological features. In collaboration of Reef Check, Koh Ra Ecolodge offers a PADI specialty course "EcoDiver" certificate. more... Project Costa Rica, Planeterra Foundation Planeterra's sea turtle project is a science-based conservation program protecting female sea turtles, nests, and hatchlings laid on the Matapalo beach. A turtle hatchery protects the eggs of this endangered species and the program has ensured the survival of the sea turtles with a large increase in the number of hatchlings in the area. more... A New Kind of Green Travel, SEE Turtlec SEE Turtles is a conservation tourism project that connects volunteers with turtle conservation projects, tour operators and conservation partners. Through unique group eco-tours, SEE Turtles works with turtle sites to support protection efforts, while increasing resources in communities to help residents thrive and value sea turtles in their environment. more... Leatherback Sea Turtles Project, Reefs to Rockies Reefs to Rockies specializes in unique itineraries to adventurous locations, with the belief that traveling to diverse destinations is a process of discovery. Reefs to Rookies' Leatherback Sea Turtles project engages participants of the Leatherbacks and Caribbean Coast trip in volunteer work at a family-run research station. more... Sea Turtles & Ecology Trip, Eco Teach, Mexico Eco Teach's Mexico excursion offers the chance to encounter unique geography, ecological treasures, and stunning wildlife. The trip highlights includes: snorkeling with tropical fish, patrolling for nesting turtles and hanging out with crocodiles, and kayaking and swimming in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. more... Sea Turtle Monitoring & Conservation, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica The Corcovado Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of the natural resources in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, focusing on protected areas such as Corcovado and Piedras Blancas National Park, Golfo Dulce Forestry Reserve, Caño Island Biological Reserve and Golfito Wildlife Refuge. more... |
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