Operation Wallacea

It was incredible, I was apprehensive booking as I was a mature student. I learnt so much the team were fantastic. Two weeks was not long enough as you feel you've only just found your feet and want to learn and enjoy more. My advice is just to book and enjoy an amazing experience.

There was very little pre trip contact which made me nervous but as soon as I got to the airport there was someone to meet me and the level of care remained the same throughout the 2 weeks I was in Croatia. The scientists were so passionate and inspiring and the sites on both Krka and Mljet were stunning. I would 100% go again and learnt so much

Overall, volunteering with OpWall in Mexico has been one of the greatest things I have done. I would highly recommend going on expedition with them if you are interested in field biology, particularly in the tropics, and want to know whether day-to-day life in the field is for you. And do it early in your university career, don't wait until your last year! This is a fantastic springboard opportunity that allows you to try out working with numerous different groups (bats, birds, large mammals etc.) and find out what you enjoy most. From here, you gain lots of contacts and an idea of what you will want to do more of in the future. You also feel a great sense of value for the work you do, you are not simply a paying voluntourist. The data can not be collected without the students, and you become fully immersed in the daily organisation of this, leaving with a hearty sense of contribution towards very noble causes. OpWall's data achieve real conservation management changes, and though you are important for their data, in my experience in Mexico you were valued as an individual first. Your health is prioritised: if you did not feel up to doing a survey you did not have to Your wants are listened to: you could spend more time doing surveys you enjoy more You are treated fairly: though likely a newbie, your opinions on logistics and scientific organisation are valued (when given appropriately), and the atmosphere with staff was very relaxed Criticisms: Mexico is not the best OpWall site for marine research. The local coral biologist Jenny is incredibly hardworking and I gained so much through working with her, however the management staff at the marine site were a massive letdown. The organisation of the schedule is very poor: routine going up late each night for the next day, often changing through the day. Meals immediately before dives so you couldn''t eat much to avoid cramps, and then there would be massive gaps between meals with no snacks. Food is also unhealthy; burgers, chips, pasta, salad... many of us had to buy our own. Situations improved if we brought it up with them, however they were often not keen to hear criticism. Also I have heard from dissertation students that the lack of any scientific advisers for their studies at the marine site left them feeling unguided. There are lots of opportunities for extra days out, which is great but remember to set aside money for them. Akumal is lovely, but very touristic and you could not easily immerse yourself in the Mexican culture here. As you can see, the marine aspect was not as I had hoped and had many more flaws than the forest, which was incredibly well-run. I believe with the amount of feedback we gave (it was the marine site manager's first year) there will be large improvements and likely you will have a better experience than I. But despite giving all these criticisms, which I did to hopefully help and not scare you, I thoroughly enjoyed both the terrestrial and marine sites. The wildlife you see is surreal, the surveys are incredibly fun and you learn loads! Once you look past the irritating logistical aspects of the marine site, diving every day was so fun, and the day trips on weekends to cenotes, beaches and bars made for a great time. There were also so many turtles! Tips: if you in it for the marine, probably go to another site as they sound more remote and better organised, though as a forest+marine project Mexico is amazing! Bring sturdy water bottles and really good boots for the forest! Also plenty underwear and clothes will make for a more comfortable time, though the washing system was surprisingly good! Go for 6 weeks! Any less and I would have missed out on depth of experience.