Top Biological Research Volunteer Opportunities Abroad

My most memorable experience from the Diverse Jungle Animal Experience program in Costa Rica was the multiple diverse animal surveys and being able to see animals such as Tapirs on one of the trails.

Experience was wonderful and unforgettable, specially due to the strong bond that was quickly created among the volunteers. Accommodation was comfortable and homey, however probably can be too crowded with more than 8 volunteers living there at the same time (just 2 toilets ;One shower with low water pressure). In addition, too much junk left from previous cams including clothes, shoes and food. Food that was served in the center was DELICIOUS! Also, permission to use the center's pools and saunas was a real treat. The entire atmosphere made me feel like a guest and not as a volunteer. Regarding work: some assignments were more interesting (harvesting in the greenhouses and outside) some were less. In general work wasn't hard at all but also not so diverse.

First of all, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I never thought I could get trained and dive in Great Barrier Reef. I’ve also learned a lot about coral reefs from the dive instructors and the environmental manager who trained us for the survey. We have met excellent people through this project and I will never forget this 2 week’s experience. However I wish I can do more for this project. I feel that there’s time to squeeze in more activities. There’s only 2 dives per day during the survey, traveling from and back to the city already took up most of the time. A suggestion would be making it an overnight trip, stay at the reef for 3-4 days instead of traveling back and forth, I think this will allow us to do more surveys and therefore contribute more to the program. Other than this the experience is awesome. Thanks for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

i am still younger and i have enough energy for exploring world.i want to meet many people from other countries.and share our volunteer experiences.i would like change world to goodness.the life is wonderful. i think everything will be fine.

It was wonderful working with various people on different sites and learning about the wetlands of Valencia. The staff in Valencia are extremely kind and welcoming, from day one I always felt very secure. I got to experience their culture in a more up close manner because they were always were inviting and I think this kind of learning when going to a new country is very important.

I worked in two coastal towns in the south island of New Zealand. One week was in a house and the other week was in an old school house turned hostel in a small community. Planted trees to improve former wetlands and also helped restore a rainforest in the other town and a few small projects in between.

Working to reforest New Zealand was an amazing experience. In the 3 weeks I was volunteering we planted 1,000 trees! The impact of the work we did will be seen for generations as the natural habitat is restored. I have made lifelong friends and experienced the unique culture of New Zealand. This project has made me develop as a scientist, a humanitarian, and as a global citizen.

Overall I had a wonderful experience. I signed up through GoEco at the last minute, and everyone was very accommodating. The program itself was exactly as promised, and I received much more than I expected from the entire adventure. Through this trip, I was able to learn applicable conservation techniques, make international friends who shared the same interests in conservation, learn more Spanish and enjoy the relaxing and friendly culture of Valencia. Here are my favorite parts of the programs: -Being able to indirectly see the transformation of rice fields and orange groves into successful wetlands through the daily work of NGOs and volunteers like us -Listening to the NGO workers talk to us in Spanish about the science and progress behind their projects -Being able to learn and practice Castilian Spanish among welcoming and patient people -Experiencing a few natural wonders of Spain such as Albufera Park, Chelva and the Mediterranean forest at El Saler beach -Making international friends who share the same interests in conservation

When I flew into Madrid I ultimately decided that I wanted to get a rental car so that I could explore more of what Spain had to offer and really immerse myself in the country. When I got to the farm my mind was blown. Genevieve and Brian have really found a little slice of heaven. I had my own straw bale cabin that immediately felt like home. In fact on one weekend I left the comfort of the farm and ventured to the coast of spain to do some diving (since we are given weekends off) and I remember after a few short hours of being on this beautiful coast line - I started to feel ""home sick"" for my straw bale cabin and couldn't wait to get back to it. Being on a farm and having early sunrises and late sunsets provided a great opportunity to start days early just for myself before starting work on the farm at 10am. I was able to study and enjoy a cup of coffee and some breakfast before starting out on the work that needed to be done. Getting to and from the commonage from the house was a treat in and of itself - as we had to walk through plenty of the beautiful outback and take in the sights. The work itself was rewarding and everything was hands on and new for me so that made it even more exciting. I can truly say i learned something new during every encounter with both my mentors and the animals. I loved being sent out on my own to take care of some of the chores. Like grooming the donkey or learning how to work reigns without a bit. I loved every second I got to spend riding the horses or donkey. That's what really made it for me! I would highly recommend this project - it was a life changing experience and I would do it again instantly.

I had an amazing time in Africa! I felt I grew so much as a person after being thrust into a new environment with strangers and leaving with some of the best friends of my life and a deep appreciation for the country. The staff and facilities were wonderful and the big 5 sightings exceeded my expectations. The overnight camping in Klaserie was by far the most enjoyable part of the project.

Learnt a lot on this trip and made a lot of memories.working in the marine center caring for the turtles was a unique experince which cannot be foung everywhere. Working in the marine center and snorkeling was awesome. Thank you GoEco for making this possible

Great experience. Only wish there was a prorate option since the team asked me to leave a day early in order to catch a flight. One night I paid for but did not stay on site! Renaldo and Mila were sweethearts and went out of their way to make our trip memorable and fun. A million thanks to them. Would recommend this program to anyone seeking an authentic and dynamic experience in Cuba. Wish i got their contact info!

I loved seeing the sharks and learning a lot about them. It was an amazing time. We got to go out on the boat almost every day and experience the sharks one on one. I thought we would have a tough time finding them but they came up to the boat as soon as we anchored. There were many people on the boat to insure we were safe and an onboard biologist kept us educated about the animals throughout the trip. It didn't stop with sharks. We also had the opportunity to work with penguins and got a beautiful view of thousands of cape fur seals. Back at the lodge we got to hangout with our leaders and volunteers. There we would make dinner for each other and be visited by educators in the industry. There I made life long friendships and got to do many positive things for the world. It was the best experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

I enjoyed my stay. The things that I enjoyed most during my stay in New Zealand were being outside all the time and working to better the environment. I also made great friends and got to see a little of the country on the weekends.

I worked in two coastal towns in the south island of New Zealand. One week was in a house and the other week was in an old school house turned hostel in a small community. Planted trees to improve former wetlands and also helped restore a rainforest in the other town and a few small projects in between. My most memorable part of the experience was the variety of projects, locations were nice.

Working to reforest New Zealand was an amazing experience. In the 3 weeks I was volunteering we planted 1,000 trees! The impact of the work we did will be seen for generations as the natural habitat is restored. My favorite experience was planting endemic plants, traveling, socializing with other volunteers. I have made lifelong friends and experienced the unique culture of New Zealand. This project has made me develop as a scientist, a humanitarian, and as a global citizen.

It was amazing! I got to work and see lots of wildlife. It was the best experience of my life. Also the friendships I made and people I met added to the experience. It was remote but it just added to the adventure. I would definitely do this again! My favorite part of the experience was the work and the friendships I made!

Overall, the experience was really great. It really made a different type of holiday for my husband and I. An opportunity to meet new people, understand that culture, further my scuba diving skills and walk away with a better appreciation for our corals reefs. GoEco did a great job organizing and we plan to do another trip next year with them. Now the problem is deciding which one....

I recently returned from a trip abroad where I spent a fantastic week with an international group of researchers and volunteers living aboard a beautiful, historic sailboat on the island of Ischia. The research project studies cetaceans living in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Naples, Italy. Prior to booking this trip, I had spent a long time researching volunteer projects and found there were a lot of shady organizations out there willing to take people's money and time, and others that were essentially expensive vacations with a sampling of research work. With the Ischia Dolphin Project, I found just the right combination of science, adventure, education, and camaraderie. I booked my trip through GoEco, which was extremely helpful with information, insurance, and general preparedness. And the trip itself, was a winner. Because we were fewer then a dozen people on board, it was important that we all got along - and that indeed was the case. We all became great friends from across the globe. Our captain, and researchers were locals who not only educated us in the ways of the sea, but were terrific storytellers and excellent cooks! We ate local food, drank local wine, enjoyed the company of friends from the island. We learned about the different dolphins living in the local waters, we learned about the behavior of the whales, and we counted shearwater birds for a sister organization. There was always something to do - whether it was standing watch on the foredeck, helping prepare a meal, or if you needed, catching a snooze in the sun. Our trip was beset by some bad weather which prohibited us from sailing every day, but not from having fun or learning more about the amazing animals we were all there to see. Every day was an adventure and full of laughs. Although we went nearly the entire week without a sighting, we heard plenty of dolphin whistles and whale clicks from the hydrophones and finally on the last day, we were rewarded with a treasure trove of striped dolphins. They swam and jumped all around the ship for over an hour. Finally, I cannot say enough about our hosts - our captain and two researchers - who always found ways to educate us and to teach us about life on Ischia. We had plenty of free time to explore the town but everyone was pretty intent of staying together and just enjoying time on the boat. The Jean Gab is just beautiful. She's an older boat, but gave us all we needed. Sleeping quarters were a little tight, but several volunteers slept on deck and everyone was attentive to the needs of others so there was never a problem. The bathroom in the harbor was also just a few steps from the boat and although the plumbing was sometimes a challenge, it was easy to adapt and it usually provided some good laughs. If you're looking for a little adventure and a taste of Ischia-life, if you don't mind living in close quarters with others and pitching in wherever needed, this project is for you.

I have been thinking about going to South Africa for a while now and when I saw this program it really pushed me to do so. I had the most amazing time, and my only regret was I didn't go for long enough. The interaction with the magnificent animals was more than I could have dreamed for and the leaders and manager made the experience so much more enjoyable. Everyone was so knowledgeable and welcoming from the moment I arrived. Highly recommend and I hope to return very soon!