Sea Turtle Conservation & Sustainability Volunteer Project
Location
Malaysia
Description
On Tioman Island, at JTP we run open-ended year-round volunteer programs where we live and work together intertwined with the small Malay Village, Kampung Juara, right on a beautiful beach.
Daily activities are always changing depending on whats going on. Our work area is determined by the turtles which is usually in the morning and evening. The foundations of what we do are "Turtles First" and "Minimal Interference". JTP's main focus is relocating green and hawks bill sea turtle eggs with the help of a experienced Juara resident and incubating them ex-situ within hatcheries. We take data on the nesting, and release the babies back to the beach they came from as soon as they hatch.
Volunteers help to run the entire project, and are in effect the facility staff. Most Sea Turtle activity is during the morning and evening, afternoon are usually spent working in food gardens, doing projects or talking with visitors but volunteers are certainly free to explore the village, ocean, and jungle during their time here. We try to work with everyone's skills and interests to help develop the project, allowing volunteers to help steer its direction.
Volunteers will be invited to get involved in almost every aspect of the turtle project from relocating eggs, burying eggs, releasing, and taking care of any resident turtles (handicapped in some way). Volunteers can help maintain and expand the various gardens located around the project.
Volunteering with the Juara Turtle Project can really be whatever the applicant makes of it. We do of course provide full instruction for sensitive activities. There are daily tasks and resident turtles to take care of, night-time boat missions to deliver hatchlings to their native beaches, gardens to tend, creative facility projects, and any conservation or business networking aspects one may want to participate in while here.
We love to help people come up with their own projects as well, and have people use our resources and foundation for their own ideas.
The Juara Turtle Project is as sustainably run as possible. At the current moment we grow some food, raise chickens, compost our waste, and are working to find better methods all the time.
Please understand we work and live on a small remote island, internet is slow (remember dial-up?) unless we go to the other side of the island. It might take us a couple days to return emails, please don't be alarmed.
Highlights
Volunteers so far have told us some of their highlights have been:
* Working and learning side by side with a traditional island egg collector.
* The morning boat rides to monitor beaches and look for new nests. Finding and relocating Sea Turtle nests to the hatchery.
* A lot of people have really liked explaining the project to visitors.
* Working with the local school kids on their conversational English.
* Just being in Kg Juara and living at the little community that is JTP.
* Working the gardens and living principles of sustainablity.
As a director, I find the highlights to be turning people on to understanding and appreciating nature, working the land, driving the boats and ultimately living here in Juara.
When not working around the project there are many different activities like biking into the village and sampling local cuisine, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, trekking, and rock climbing.
Juara is home to amazing bouldering, coasteering, and some 30+ granite sport routes.
JTP's facility is located directly on the trail to the local waterfall and tallest mountain on the island.
Local run trekking, climbing, and snorkeling trips can easily be arranged. Or do any of the above on your own as well.