Thailand Coastal Conservation Short-Term Internship

Being able to work with local partners like the Phang Nga turtle conservation centres and orphanages was nice. These experiences helped us learn more about the community and understand how our work contributes to SDGs.

Being able to volunteer with GVI for their short-term coastal conservation internship in Thailand was nothing short of amazing. I knew I wanted to do something that had to do with environmental/wildlife conservation and travel at the same time, and GVI Phang Nga was able to hit every criteria I could've had. Even before I left, they made sure to get in contact and made sure I was set up to go. My documents in hand, I left to Thailand with a great feeling of what was to come. When I arrived I was actually surprised by the site amenities and quality, though arguably I had no previous volunteer experience to compare it to. The dormitories were basic, with room for 6 and an adequate bathroom. The common room was spacious enough, with a bookshelf and a site laptop we used to watch the occasional movie on the projector. We always had food leftover in the fridge if you were looking for something to munch on. Surprisingly each week differed in their own ways, but typically we always had a few activities that were consistent. These included sea turtle care at the Thai Navy Base, village and beach cleanups, bird surveys, and teaching a class of Thai kids at the local school. Other activities like hikes, the monthly conservation trip to Koh Ra, and different community activities were scattered each week, to keep it from getting too repetitive. What really made the trip so amazing was our location. Locally, we were within walking distance from two convenience shops where you could buy snacks, drinks, and toiletries if you ran out. We were 10 minutes away from both beach sides and it was usually empty (great hideout to workout!). We were also quite close to Khao Lak, where we went occasionally for a night out. However, country-wide is where our location really shined. Our spot placed us within reach of almost every major city, island, and hotspot you could want to go. And if you had the money, airports were also pretty close as well, to further extend your reach. We would all gather up on weekends (which we had free!!!) and travel to different places all around Thailand for some awesome experiences. You make friends pretty quick, everyone here including the staff are great friendly people and its a blast traveling to places none of you have any knowledge of. Take advantage of those, it certainly made my trip complete. That's a review of my time! I also wrote a blog post about it on their website, please take the time to check it out if you're interested! Look for Kevin as the short-term coastal conservationist!

The program was overall very rewarding. I feel I not only helped make a difference and contributed to the work on base but also drastically improved as a person in both professional aspects and overall character. I feel much more confident going out into the world and talking to people about conservation.