Posted 24 December 2023

Volunteering working holiday - any suggestions?

Can anyone please share any experiences they may have of working holidays abroad. I am in my 50s and looking at maybe going on a volunteering trip (1 or 2 weeks long) doing wildlife conservation, or helping to build homes or facilities in third world countries.

Are there any you have taken or suggestions of organisations I should look at?

Thanks.
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  1. Pájaro's avatar
    Do you have skills and experience in either of the areas? If not, you're likely to struggle, especially if you're only looking to put in a week in. Maybe look local instead - here in Scotland, we have various charities and organisations which require volunteer labour for things like planting woodlands, maintaining or laying paths through hills or reserves, ripping out invasive species, general maintenence, etc. You could maybe bodge your own foreign equivalent by checking out the websites of charities or park / reserve websites in countries you'd like to work in, and see what they've got going on.
    randomdeal's avatar
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    Thank you for your reply.

    I have a qualification and experience in horticulture and in my job as a gardener am involved in tree planting and various grounds maintenance, so those opportunities you suggested could be a good match. Ideally I would like to work overseas but am also open to anything in the UK.

    This morning I had a look online and came across the GVI organisation, which offers volunteer opportunities for 1-2 weeks in habitat and wildlife conservation in places like Costa Rice and Thailand. They offer training and as far as I can see do not require any previous experience. But this is something I need to check.

    I am looking around to see if there are any other organisations that I could also consider.

    Thanks again for your helpful suggestions.