When it comes to volunteering with endangered species, a lot of people imagine feeding cute baby animals with a bottle. The reality is, that may require special training. But there are other ways you can help endangered animals while you travel.
One of the easiest—and most effective—ways to get involved is to work directly with the scientists themselves.
Utila Iguana Station lets volunteers help conserve an endangered iguana species in Honduras. You can catch and tag iguanas, incubate eggs, and gather data.
Between now and October, hundreds of sea turtles will lay their eggs on the beaches of Dominica, an island in the Caribbean. Rosalie Bay Resort has its own protected beaches, where you’ll see huge leatherback turtles—which can be as big as 800 pounds—lay their eggs right on the sand.
Stay at the resort and you can help in the conservation efforts by doing beach patrol and collecting data.
Earthwatch Institute is a great organization with programs all over the world, and no experience is necessary. You can pick from tracking jaguars in the Amazon to studying koalas in Australia.
It’s a way to give back, and learn from the experts while you’re at it.
For more information, visit the Eco Travel archives.
Keep reading for more travel tips.