Conservation Volunteer Programs

I had so much fun on this trip, it was the perfect balance of volunteer work and traveling. We had guided tours as well as alone time to explore with friends and the staff were so amazing. I have recommended this experience to so many people.

My time on the Okavango Wilderness Project was incredible. This conservation experience was rustic yet comfortable. With no electricity (although Wi-Fi was available), this was not a luxury safari camp, and that's just the way I like it. The Okavango and Botswana in general are world-class wildlife destinations, and that means a considerable economic incentive for conservation that is provided by wildlife and volunteering. During the day, we recorded data regarding target wildlife species on established transects or searched for interesting wildlife. This data will establish some baseline population numbers for species of interest to the Botswanan government. I am a zookeeper by profession and a birder. The profuse and gorgeous bird life was as interesting to me as the more famous charismatic mammals. While I enjoy working with zoo animals, there is a different and very special excitement involved in seeing such a vast diversity of species in the wild. I encourage all participating as volunteers to think beyond an interest only in the Big Five: elephants, lions, leopards, African buffalo, and rhino. We did see all of them except for rhinos, but the full array of fascinating wildlife should be embraced. We slept in a tented camp and, as a safety precaution, stayed in our tents until dawn. This was not a fenced camp, and all of the wildlife was free to come and go, especially after dark. This was part of the excitement and the charm. During the night, we heard lions roaring in the distance and hyenas vocalising in what sometimes seemed to be inside our camp. This is the real deal. All of the animals are completely wild and should be treated with due respect. One particularly outstanding wildlife sighting was seeing the endangered African Wild Dog. Botswana is a core country for the less than 6,600 total population of Wild Dogs left in the world, as the Okavango has the largest Wild Dog population of anywhere in Africa. We saw the Alpha female waiting outside the den, her pups below ground and out of view, while the pack was out on a hunt. One of the pack members returned as we watched while they fed the Alpha part of the kill they had made. Our three Okavango staff members who accompanied us were skilled and knowledgeable, and we all became friends during our experience. I was one of two volunteers during each of my two-week stays and enjoyed the friendship formed with the other volunteers. All in all, it was a real plus that we had a three staff to two volunteer participant ratio. I appreciated the obvious commitment of the Botswana team and ACE to wildlife conservation. All in all, an amazing experience. I want to do it again!

My overall experience with African Conservation Experience (ACE) was smooth and straightforward, with clear and friendly communication right from the start of the trip-planning process. After sending my original interest email, I was contacted by an ACE consultant almost immediately afterwards. My detailed talk with my consultant was informative and, overall, was just a fun, enjoyable conversation with someone else who also enjoys wildlife. Once everything was planned and my trip was ready to go, I couldn’t speak highly enough about ACE. The information provided to me about the project I had chosen was really straightforward and accurate. In no way did I feel like the wool was being pulled over my eyes. ACE handle pretty much everything for you! The only things you have to manage yourself are packing your own bag and getting yourself to Johannesburg, South Africa. The major thing that I want to mention is that during my stay at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, I had a medical emergency (unrelated to the volunteer work). The volunteer coordinator for Moholoholo had to take me to the emergency room, where I stayed for two nights and had minor surgery. While I was staying in the hospital, the communication between ACE and Moholoholo made my life endlessly easier. The in-country ACE team were in touch with me throughout my hospital stay, going over the potential future options I had, as well as keeping Moholoholo's team in the loop. One staff member from Moholoholo was back the next morning after dropping me off, and he had returned with a full bag of my stuff so I could be comfortable with my belongings (phone charger/headphones, etc.) while I was in hospital. I had nothing to worry about regarding my trip. I was able to focus completely on my health while the doctors handled my medical issue. It’s also worth saying that the hospital near Moholoholo is amazing. It's a brand new private hospital, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about if something happens and you need to visit. Despite my medical emergency, I ended up going back to the conservation project to complete my incredible trip, which was only possible because of the support I received in-country. The only advice I would have for future volunteers is to take out some South African Rand at the international airport when you arrive so you always have enough cash to do the fun excursions available on Sundays.

Going to Sri Lanka was an experience I’ll never forget. During my time there I got to meet the most wonderful people and experience so much culture I never knew had existed. From the moment I got there till the day I left I felt very safe within my accommodation as well and the staff members who would help me with anything I needed. I would recommend.

I came to IPBio hoping to make a positive impact on local biodiversity and the surrounding community, but my expectations were exceeded in every possible way. It truly was a 10/10 experience! The work is easy enough to pick up quickly, but varied and interesting enough that it doesn't become repetitive or boring. Most importantly, you genuinely feel like you are making a difference, which sets it apart from other volunteer programs. Getting the opportunity to see amazing wildlife up close, including sloths, monkeys and caimans, while on the job makes the experience even more special. The volunteer house is lovely as well, especially the pool, and Alter do Chão and Santarém have so much to offer, meaning there is always something to explore during free time and weekends. The beach was my favorite place to be! On top of all that, the other volunteers were incredibly nice, the staff were always helpful, welcoming and supportive and best of all there is a cat. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better experience and would wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone looking for a meaningful, fun and rewarding time volunteering!

From working with kids in a nursery, to seeing beautiful tours, and spending 2 weeks in the Amazon jungle!.. i've learned so much about my self, and the people of Peru. By far my favorite project was the Panthera sanctuary. Aldo and Cristobal are amazing people who made me embrace ALL... Of the jungle, but i've never felt more energetic and driven. the location is beautiful and rustic, with a scenic view of the river. We were able to help reforest, monitor and document animals, as well as do other activities like play volley ball, go fishing, and night animal monitoring. Oh and dont get me started on how delicous the food was, we got breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Amazing. Im reminicing as i type this. 100% recommend doing this project as well as looking into the other incredible projects Maximo has to offer. You wont regret it!!!

I did the Archaeology and Jungle Conservation programs around Cusco. They were all very well organized and Maximo made it very easy to learn how to get from place to place. I think similar programs would require much longer stays or affiliations with university programs. My feedback to future volunteers is to take whatever amount of bug spray and sunblock you think you need and triple it. If it is the rainy season, bring water proof clothes and boots.

The cultural information shared by host families was amazing. We came to celebrate our 25th anniversary and the archaeology dig was great with a wonderful host family. We will be strongly recommending this program to all our family and friends. We cannot wait to come again. Muy bueno!

I have had great experiences working with IVHQ for four straight years. The representatives are always friendly, professional and easy to work with. They have helped me to not just enjoy my time in other countries, but feel like I've made a valuable contribution. The variety of experiences that they offer and contribute to makes it easy for me to continue working with them year after to eat, and if it wasn't for IVHQ I might not be volunteering year after year like I have been. Looking forward to many more years of working with them.

I had a really good time teaching English to the Ticos here. While I was teaching them English, they were also teaching me Spanish which I loved. I’d love to do it again one day if possible. I think many people should consider this if they want to be immersed in culture, give back, and learn.

Hi, my name is Valery, I'm from Russia. In September 2026, I participated as a volunteer in a turtle conservation program on Cape Verde's Sal Island. I am very glad that I became a member of this program. We spent 3 weeks on night duty on the beaches of the island. During this time, I studied and practiced tracking and registering turtle nesting sites and learned a lot to preserve their population. I also had the opportunity to observe the process of small turtles hatching from eggs and releasing them into the ocean. It was a pleasure to meet the guys from all over the world who are united and interested in preserving turtle populations. Thanks to the organization “Project Biodiversity" for significant work.

I wasn’t sure I can really visit this place when I started. But now I’m really glad I’ve done it. It’s so important part of nature which we can see very rarely and more rarely we can help it or to do something for it. But here you doing incredible things, sleeping in incredible places and see incredible animals with their babies. I have just good memories and feelings after this volunteering program. It was really interesting and now I added some great new items to my resume. Thank to all team of this project for nice time! I want to back again:)

My time volunteering in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, was an incredible experience. I spent my time teaching English in a community project. The program is well organised and provides meaningful opportunities to contribute to the local community. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a rewarding and impactful experience. The staff at Maximo are also lovely - Anika made me feel welcome from the moment i stepped in. I would recomend to many!

This was the experience of a lifetime. IvHQ made it so easy to plan a volunteer vacation to a foreign location. Staff was always very supportive which made the entire process so easy and also made me feel very safe.

I had a really good time! It was very interesting to learn about the culture in Costa Rica. The mariposario was beautiful. The institute is great, it has a pool!! Maximo Nivel is #Awesome I would absolutely recommend any of their projects.

This was the best trip i've ever been on! I got to travel to countries that i've never been to before and experience new cultures! I made so many new friends, many of which i still keep in touch with today. My favorite part had to have been going to the beaches and swimming in the ocean with my friends! All the hotels and restaurants we went to were so nice. Also the staff are excellent and make sure that you have a good experience.

Program was very organized and well coordinated. Felt very prepared prior to leaving for Thailand. Felt very safe and comfortable once we arrived. Always felt that we had a contact to reach out to with any concerns.

My week at the animal sanctuary was unbelievable. I had the chance to spend time with animals I've never seen before, Capybaras or howler monkeys. The mission of the sanctuary tough is not being zoo, but recovering those animals for letting them go to the wild again after their treatment. The biggest impact is probably for the birds and especially parrots. As they are kept in many households in Colombia as pets, cutting their wings, the sanctuary is saving and recovering them, helping them to learn how to fly again. It really stole my heart. Once the parrots are ready to be released to the wild again, they still occasionally come by to the sanctuary, so there are always dozens of beautiful parrots around. More than that, I was able to give treatment to young baby ocelots and different species of monkeys. I worked closely with biologist, all the work is really impressive and meaningful. Not to forget the other week at the dog sanctuary in Bucaramanga, which is also impressive. They host around 100 rescued street dogs, caring them and giving them treatment. They live on a big farm in the nature, the project is led by a vet. Very professional and heartwarming. 100% recommended.

First of all, I am definitely coming back:) I really really enjoyed everything. Honestly, at the beginning my legs and body needed to get used to walking all night, in the dark with no lights (especially that i arrived at new moon) and in sandy or rocky circumstances. But it made me realised how adaptable my body is. I get used to the walks in 2-3days. Then it became so much fun. As a freelancer and a traveler of 7years, the last time I had a routine I was in highschool.. and even though we had different shifts, I really enjoyed having some type of routine. So I will apply it to my day to day life from now on. I loved working with the turtles. They are definitely teachers of patience. I am definitely coming back.

First of all, I am definitely coming back:) I really really enjoyed everything. Honestly, at the beginning my legs and body needed to get used to walking all night, in the dark with no lights (especially that i arrived at new moon) and in sandy or rocky circumstances. But it made me realised how adaptable my body is. I get used to the walks in 2-3days. Then it became so much fun. As a freelancer and a traveler of 7years, the last time I had a routine I was in highschool.. and even though we had different shifts, I really enjoyed having some type of routine. So I will apply it to my day to day life from now on. I loved working with the turtles. They are definitely teachers of patience. I am definitely coming back.