Do you have a passion for protecting the environment? When you see garbage on the side of the road, do you pull over and take out your trusty trash-poker? Is plogging always on your to-do list of weekend activities? If you answered (or heartily shouted) “yes!” to any of the above, then chances are you’ve already heard about the Trashtag Challenge. However, we’ll assume that you haven’t, because we adore this trend taking the internet by storm and we want to talk all about it.
It’s time to get out there and do Captain Planet proud!
The Trashtag Challenge (#trashtag) went viral in March, and it’s been inspiring people all over the world to get outside and clean up their beaches, parks, and communities ever since (and it’s also produced some pretty dramatic before-and-after clickbait). In an age when many of us are feeling powerless against irresponsible governments and corporations, Trashtag is empowering people to get outdoors and do what they can, where they are.
Wait—what’s that, you say? You’ve already cleaned up every corner of your own community? You have an insatiable passion for both the environment and travel abroad? Well, you’re in luck. Beach clean up programs abroad are a thing too, and there are plenty of opportunities to take your #trashtag ambitions on the road. Many of these opportunities fall under marine conservation volunteer abroad, so you’ll not only get the chance to take a stand against pollution in our oceans, you’ll also have some unforgettable experiences with turtles, dolphins, coral reefs, and more!
These are the best marine conservation volunteer programs to get you involved with #trashtag:
- Costa Rica - Sea Turtle Conservation with GoEco
- Beach Conservation Volunteering in Hawaii with IVHQ
- Australian Wildlife Rescue, Care and Rehabilitation with Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers
- Thailand Coastal Conservation Expedition with GVI
- Turtle and Wildlife Conservation in Guatemala with Love Volunteers
- GoBeyond - Galapagos/Ecuador
- Tenerife Whale & Dolphin Conservation with Frontier
- Southern Leyte Reef Conservation Project with Coral Cay Conservation
- New Zealand & Fiji Summer Program with Pacific Discovery
The best environment volunteer programs abroad for taking #trashtag on the road
Editor’s note: This information on marine conservation volunteer programs was accurate at the time of publishing. Please refer to each individual program for current data.
1. Costa Rica - Sea Turtle Conservation with GoEco—9.27
Costa Rica stuns millions of visitors each year, and offers the kind of unspoilt wilderness and beauty that should remain just that. The country now has a reputation for revolutionary green initiatives and sustainability, but heavy ecotourism and disposable plastics still pose a threat to Costa Rica’s coastlines and other natural wonders. If you especially have a special place in your heart for the plight of sea turtles being affected by single-use plastics, get yourself over to Sea Turtle Conservation with GoEco. Did you know that sea turtles can’t tell the difference between a plastic bag and a tasty jellyfish? That means that those (literal) tons of plastic bags floating in our oceans and littering our beaches pose a constant, inescapable threat to sea turtles all over the planet. Take the Trashtag Challenge with GoEco, and use your service to help protect endangered sea turtles firsthand. Duuuuude.
- Where? Talamanca
- When? Year-round for 1-4 weeks
- More info on GoEco
2. Beach Conservation Volunteering in Hawaii with IVHQ—be the first to review!
When you hear the phrase “heaven on Earth,” there’s a good chance that Hawaii springs to mind first. The pursuit of epic honeymoons and Instagram photos has been creating a trash problem along Hawaii’s tranquil beaches for years though, which may not be immediately apparent to those limited by stays on resorts. Beach Conservation Volunteering in Hawaii with IVHQ is a full-on trashtag experience, and one of the best marine conservation volunteer opportunities you’ll find, with a focus on beach clean-ups and debris collection on Oahu. However, they take it one step further with debris analysis in order to help identify and rectify driving factors of pollution in the area. The program only lasts two weeks, but that’s plenty of time to make a noticeable dent in litter control.
- Where? Oahu
- When? Year-round for 1-2 weeks
- More info on IVHQ
3. Australian Wildlife Rescue, Care and Rehabilitation with Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers—9.38
Australia is world-renowned for its natural beauty (and deadly animals, if we’re being honest). Its Great Barrier Reef and legendary surf spots are a driving factor in its tourism industry, attracting millions of visitors each year. More tourists always mean more trash left behind by those who are irresponsible or just plain lazy, and additional environmental factors are contributing to the destruction to the Great Barrier Reef. While you may not be able to single-handedly save the reef from climate change, you can surely do your part through beach clean ups and marine conservation volunteer programs. Australin Wildlife Rescue, Care and Rehabilitation with Oceans 2 Earth will not only provide great #trashtag opportunities through beach clean ups, but also give you the opportunity to get up close with koalas, kangaroos, wombats, and more. If you love animals (and a litter-free world), this is the program for you.
- Where? Brisbane, Cairns, Geelong, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Rural Areas
- When? Year-round for 1-12 weeks
- More info on Oceans 2 Earth
[4 Marine Biology Volunteer Opportunities to Clean Our Oceans]
4. Thailand Coastal Conservation Expedition with GVI—9.6
Thailand, along with the rest of Southeast Asia, is struggling to address the issue of plastic pollution left in their oceans due to tourism and cultural norms, and marine conservation volunteer abroad is a growing cause in Thailand as a result. With Thailand Coastal Conservation Expedition with GVI, you’ll have a chance to go straight to the source in addition to cool opportunities to take part in the Trashtag Challenge. A huge component of this program is community outreach and educating locals on the importance of conservation and sustainability. After all, if we don’t educate people on waste management and how simple changes to daily routines can make a huge impact, then #trashtag will always be an uphill battle. Thailand Coastal Conservation Expedition helps ensure that there’s a solution in sight to our pollution woes.
- Where? Rural Areas
- When? Year-round for 2-12 weeks
- More info on GVI
5. Turtle and Wildlife Conservation in Guatemala with Love Volunteers—be the first to review!
Turtles in Costa Rica aren’t the only ones that need help—they need someone to speak up for them pretty much everywhere they live, including Guatemala. Turtle and Wildlife Conservation in Guatemala with Love Volunteers focuses more on hatching turtles and helping them on their journey to the ocean, rather than solely on beach clean ups. However, in your free time, you can take the opportunity to freestyle your marine conservation volunteer abroad experience and take the Trashtag Challenge to local beaches (those baby turtles deserve a clean pathway down to their new home!). Be sure to keep in mind that turtle season is from June to December, so if you travel to Guatemala outside of that timeframe, put tiny turtles out of your mind. Instead, you would be working with iguanas and small alligators (yes, alligators). Still pretty cool, right?
- Where? Monterrico
- When? Year-round for 1-12 weeks
- More info on Love Volunteers
6. GoBeyond - Galapagos/Ecuador—be the first to review!
What kind of unsavory charlatans litter in the Galapagos Islands? We’re not sure, but their moms deserve to know. This program through GoBeyond focuses on service work in Ecuador and education on the environmental issues currently facing the Galapagos and other parts of the country. In order to keep preserving this impeccable slice of Earth, help is needed to clean up litter left behind by ecotourists in one of the most diverse and iconic ecosystems in the world. A major perk of this program is the chance to get up close and personal with the famous Galapagos tortoise, plus numerous other adventures on the coasts and in the jungles. At the end of this program, you’ll have 100 service hours under your belt, plus a super rare Trashtag Challenge story that Darwin himself would deeply appreciate.
- Where? Galapagos Islands
- When? Year-round for 2-4 weeks
- More info on GoBeyond
[The Need for More Marine Conservation Volunteers in Australia]
7. New Zealand & Fiji Summer Program with Pacific Discovery—9.91
We’ll be honest—you might be hard-pressed to find any significant kind of litter around New Zealand (Kiwis are serious about environmental conservation and have a deep respect for their countryside). However, that doesn’t mean debris from elsewhere in the world isn’t floating in and washing up on their shores, lying in wait for a cool trashtag challenger like you. Your days will be split between learning about conservation (hands-on!) in New Zealand and Fiji, and pinching yourself to make sure the beauty before you isn’t all a dream. You will also have the chance to learn about the environmental and ecological histories of both countries, which will shed light on how and why these places are killing it at the conservation game. Don’t forget to take a few lessons home with you!
- Where? New Zealand: Auckland, Nelson, Rotorua, South Island, Taupo, Wellington; Fiji: Rural Areas
- When? Year-round for 2-12 weeks
- More info on Pacific Discovery
[Browse ALL Marine Conservation Volunteer Opportunities!]
You’re ready to take #trashtag on the road with marine conservation volunteer abroad!
Hint: Trashtag has a lot to do with eliminating situations like this.
The Trashtag Challenge has the potential to reach and benefit every corner of the world as long as dedicated, travel-savvy volunteers (like you!) keep the trend going. In the span of just an afternoon, you could make a serious difference in a community, and potentially save a sea creature’s life—so imagine what you could do with two weeks or more during marine conservation volunteer programs.
Of course, you don’t have to go overseas to clean up beaches. There’s plenty to do at home, whether you’re near water or not. Maybe you could take a reusable bag to the grocery store with you and skip the plastic, or consider plogging on the weekends—another trendy, environmentally-friendly past time that everyone’s talking about. Trash hikes are gaining steam, so no need to save trashtag for the beach; take it to the mountains as well!
You can help prevent the need for another movement like the Trashtag Challenge by avoiding single-use plastics when possible, and taking the necessary steps to properly dispose of your trash and recyclables. After all, a good excuse to go abroad and get outside is cool, but we think that a healthy planet is even cooler.
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