GoEco - Top Rated & Award Winning Volunteer Programs Abroad

Originally, I was placed in the Wild Animal Rescue to take place in Port Stephens. Closer to the time of my trip a storm took on Port Stephens which caused my project to be relocated. The new project would take place at Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park. Walkabout is an animal sanctuary in Gosford, NSW a couple hours north of Sydney. Upon arrival to the Sydney airport I was escorted by a Green Lion representative (the organization who coordinated this excursion) and taken to our hostel for the next couple of days. The first three days of the program took place in Sydney, as our coordinator showed the volunteers around Sydney and filled us in on history and customs in Australia. On the fourth morning the volunteers were taken by train to Gosford station where we met the owner of the sanctuary and made our first visit. The fourth day included an orientation on the park and animals we would be taking care of. The next morning started our volunteering work. Throughout the next two and a half weeks I spent I helped on both a ranger team and a work team. The ranger team meant that a volunteer would help one of the rangers with the daily activities to service animals. The activities ranged from cleaning enclosures, feeding animals, doing health checks, preparing food for later feeds and any extra care the animals may need (for instance, some of the snakes needed to be bathed to assist with shedding or help with mites). On the work teams the volunteers helped assist with any labor that needed to be done in the park. We did work including clearing the woods, building fences and changing animal enclosures. The experience at Walkabout was a great experience. I learned just how much effort goes into taking care of injured and free roaming wildlife.

Lots of interaction with local people, great living quarters and well situated for a weekend getaway to the beach. The work was interesting and educational. I found the trip very fulfilling and learned a great deal about myself.

I enjoyed learning about nature and wild life from our team lead Luke. He is full of knowledge and so nice. I enjoyed meeting and working alongside people of different ages and nationalities. I like how we made meals together, ate and cleaned together. Made us feel like family. Everyone was so friendly. I made some solid friends on this project and am looking forward to my next Conservation Volunteer project in Sydney starting next week. Thank you for the wonderful experience, my time in the rainforest was special and I'll never forget it!!