You’ve already heard about how wonderful it is to volunteer abroad, make a meaningful difference, and clean up the world while you’re at it. You know all the perks: self-growth, positive global impact, resume boosts, good juju. You researched, signed up, got on a plane, unpacked, attended orientation, and now, amidst two silly team building activities and no WiFi, you’re wondering what in the world you got yourself into.
Keep your energy high — committing to be a conservation volunteer is the best decision you could have made. We’ll tell you why!
Whether you’re nesting turtles in Mexico or building compost toilets in Rwanda, the greatness of conservation volunteering abroad can at times stink of rotten eggs and manure. That’s completely normal — and not only because you are improving fertilizer and cleaning monkey cages. In addition to bouts of homesickness and culture shock, you’re dealing with the occasionally hopeless feeling of having to save a broken Planet Earth. Ain’t easy.
However, the selfless altruism of making the world a better place is among the most noble deeds out there, so here’s a pep list to get you out of the trench and onto the podium of superpowers.
9 ways to make an impact during conservation volunteering abroad
1. Communicate with your coordinator regularly
Good communication is key to keeping operations running smoothly. Both you and the volunteer organization have expectations and ideas, and it is vital to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Ask questions during the initial project presentation, then be vocal (in a clear and polite way) about any concerns, ideas, and tips that might come up. This way, everyone has a common understanding, feels part of the project, and can adjust sails accordingly.
2. Keep your goals in mind
This will keep you centered during your conservation volunteer abroad experience.
It’s a good idea to write down your personal goals when starting your volunteering abroad conservation project and then inspect them from time to time. Once the volunteer ball starts rolling, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about all of the things that need to get done — and all of the things that you will never get a chance to do (placements don’t last forever!).
Social issues start to overlap, geographic areas expand, and there are deadlines beyond your project placement. Instead of getting distracted by the global crusade for good (and by Snapchat, neighboring must-see destinations, and that local cutie), focus on what you set out to accomplish, practice daily discipline, and celebrate ticking off those checkboxes.
3. Focus on both the small and big picture
After months of rehabilitation, finally seeing Gorilla Heidi swinging on vines after malnourished confinement is personally a lot more meaningful than a statistic about general ape conservation. While it is important to keep the big picture in mind, it is just as important and even more stimulating to celebrate the daily victories, small steps, and your own contribution to the final goal.
On the same note, don’t feel like you are the one who needs to save the entire polar population; others are working on similar causes and the project extends after you leave the volunteering base. You are making a big difference with small actions. It all adds up!
4. Make genuine connections
Whether it’s volunteer coordinators, locals, or fellow conservers, take time to establish positive relationships with those around you. Not only are they your new temporary family (and hopefully lifelong BFFs), but they’re the ones that’ll be cheering you on, sharing care packages, and giving you the run-down of insider tips while conservation volunteering abroad.
Furthermore, one-on-one connections come with a higher emotional connection, so actions feel more impactful. Interactions with villagers become more meaningful after learning their names and hobbies.
5. Expand time
Keep your mind open to extending your time as a conservation volunteer.
While any involvement is great, longer project commitments correlate with higher levels of commitment, satisfaction, and impact. Rather than merely signing up to be a wildlife conservation volunteer abroad between two action-packed weekend adventures in adjacent countries, dedicate a block of time to the task.
Not only does this give you the time to get grounded and focused on the task, but you get a more thorough understanding of your work and see a higher effect of your actions. Likewise, be generous with your conservation volunteer work when abroad; obviously, there needs to be a balance between work and play, but when extra volunteer hours are needed because some unexpected issue came up, take initiative to get involved with the solution, rather than turning away because it’s over your daily 5-hour quota. The generosity will come back to you.
6. Be flexible with solutions
Just because you have a graduate degree in environmental sciences or prior experience as a wildlife conservation volunteer abroad doesn’t mean that you have the solution to local issues in remote areas. Keep an open mind to the problems, obstacles, limitations, and needs of a particular zone or community.
There might be quirks, cultural beliefs, and concerns that you’ve never encountered before, so it’s best to listen and try to understand the situation from all sides before proposing an answer. Ideal solutions might need to be compromised or will take time to instill; don’t take this as a defeat, but rather be optimistic in the advances that you are making.
7. Don’t clock out of your conservation project
There’s no point in helping build a recycling facility and then taking your street food with an extra order of plastic straws, forks, and Styrofoam. Some of the biggest impact you can make as a conservation volunteer abroad is being a walking example and educating others outside of the classroom; keep the conservation mind-set both on and off the clock.
If you see yourself as a living representation of your conservation project, your words and actions will reach others!
Working with like minded individuals is great, but even more important is changing the perspective and actions of those living there. Don’t condemn local ways, but be visual about better solutions and talk about the good things you’re doing. Be a ripple effect of positivity.
8. Align your interests
It’s not rocket science — you’re both happier and more efficient when doing something that sets your heart on fire. Consider your interests, hobbies, and strengths, then see which type of project they best match.
Love lions? Go save them in the savannah. Want to expand your engineering resume? Find an environmental organization that needs your skills. Mermaid in your past life? Head over to a tropical island as an animal conservation volunteer abroad.
When environment, location, and field of work supports your likes, then your sense of meaning skyrockets.
9. Be patient
Things take time; don’t expect everything to fit together perfectly in an instant. Administration might be lagging, the rivers don’t seem any cleaner than they did yesterday, and you are still not feeling at home in your new dorm.
It’s normal; persevere through any frustrations and learn to function on village time with some of the things you can’t change. True friendships don’t form overnight, conservation solutions need time to show their impact, and it’s normal to take time to adjust to cultural quirks, especially in the work environment.
Sometimes, the pressure of having to save the entire world before it explodes makes us forget that one of the quickest ways to fix a problem is to slow down, breathe, and turn the problem upside down.
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You CAN have an impact as a conservation volunteer
The more you believe that your work will truly impact the world, the more you’ll make a difference as a conservation volunteer.
As with most things, what you put in is what you get. If you signed up to save the penguins only to get a selfie with an iceberg, chances are you’re not going to get much more out of the experience — and you won’t leave much more behind.
But if you have genuine interest, a little bit of time, personal goals, and active involvement, then the impacts of volunteering abroad in conservation can leave a mark, both upon you and the world, long after the glaciers melt.
Among climate change, plastic pollution, environmental dramas, and diminishing wildlife, the opportunities to get involved to combat waste, weather, and extinction are endless. Volunteering to make a portion of the world better is one of the best ways to make an impact on yourself and others.
So throw on a safety vest, embrace your inner philanthropist, and go back to saving Mother Nature!
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