Volunteering

Thinking of Volunteering?

One of the best ways you can really get closer to the endangered animals you love is by volunteering.  Your hard work, donations and passion are all important, but the best outcome is the unique, often life changing experience.  However, you must first work out your goals and make sure to find a company or charity that offers meaningful volunteer projects.

REACT Recommendations

Some companies are better than others.  Trying to avoid the bad ones and finding the good ones is not always easy.  So REACT is here to give you some more information on the good ones.

Determine your goals?

This is a fundamental step in making the right choice.  What animal or animals do you want to work with?  What country or area do you want to visit?  What is your budget?  How long can you spend on your trip?  Are you more interested in animal welfare or conservation?  What do want to get from your trip - work experience to a life experience?

These are questions you should answer before you start looking.  When you are reading about a project, you will have a better idea of whether it suits you or not.

Do your research

Many people do not look around or read the information.  Even fewer ask other people about their experiences.  Of course, it takes time to research different projects, but it is well worth putting the effort in early so you get the best experience possible. 

Be sure to check out online resources.  There are websites like Responsible Travel that only accept companies that have met basic criteria, and Gap Advice that has thorough resources on planning your entire trip. 

Word of mouth

Speak to friends or family that have been on a similar holiday.  Another great way to find out more is to join a Facebook group and ask people what they thought of their trip (most companies are on Facebook nowadays).  You can also check out online chat forums where people will tell you what they think of particular companies such as Gapyear.com.

Look for industry standards and awards

The best companies will go out of their way to protect you.  Look for certain logos like the ABTA to ensure that you are protected in case the company collapses for instance.  And check out companies that have won awards.  It sounds obvious but this is a sure sign that a company is good.

But whatever happens, remember that there are many great small companies that do not have the time, money or experience to get these standards and awards so be open-minded.

Providers

Responsible Gap	Ecoteer	GVI

Online Resources

Gap Year	Responsible Travel	Gap Advice

If you provide volunteer projects or resources and would like to be included on this page, please email us on contactus@reactproject.org.