Program Reviews

I am a 26 year old female from the UK. The GVI Marine Conservation programme in Mexico was a lifechanging experience and I loved every second. It was a challenge and I was thrown completely out of my comfort zone, in the best possible way. I achieved my EFR certification and my PADI Advanced Open Water certification in the short time I was on the programme and made friends for life. The staff inspired me with their passion and enthusiasm for conserving the ocean and I cannot wait to get another opportunity to participate in another programme. The biodiveristy of the Mesoamerican reef and the diving opportunities were outstanding and I miss waking up to get on the boat more than anything. Thank you for an amazing two weeks!

I am so glad I did the Wildlife Conservation Virtual Internship with GVI. I received constant support from my supervisor and had the opportunity to meet a lot of people and work with amazing partners from Seychelles and South Africa.
By working on 2 different projects, I truly felt that I was being useful to the partners and that my work would help make an impact on conservation.
I have definitely learnt a lot from this experience and I can not wait to join a volunteer programme with GVI soon !

I really enjoyed my 4 week virtual internship in Wildlife Conservation. I am currently off work and wanted to get involved with some hands on volunteering during my time off. Unfortunately due to Covid I could not travel, so I opted for the virtual internship instead.

The program really did exceed expectations! I got involved with two really interesting projects with two different charities. It was great to meet first hand (via zoom!) with the owners and staff working for these charities and my intern supervisor was always on hand to provide strong support throughout. The projects were really rewarding, knowing that the work that you were doing was helping to support the charities.

Aside from the projects I also completed two online courses that were provided with the internship, these were very interesting and had a good mix of reading, videos, quizzes and activities. Another highlight for me were the masterclasses provided every two weeks, where an industry expert would give a talk on their subject area. These were extremely interesting and it was great be able to ask them questions!

Other benefits of the program included networking events where you had an opportunity to meet with other volunteers and discuss current world topics. And last but not least, the careers workshops which provided useful information on how to find your ideal career and were also ran interactively.

As you can see the internship isn't simply just doing some work for a charity, it includes a lot of resources and the majority of it is ran interactively which is a huge benefit as it is more personalised to you! Not only is what your doing rewarding because you are contributing to the greater good, but you will also gain a lot of personal development from the program!

I've spent two month in Jalova scientific base in Costa Rica. It is located in Tortuguero National Park, in the middle of the rainforest just next to the Caribbean sea. It's been a wonderful experience, both social and scientifically enriching. I've loved my trip here and it taught me a lot about local species, biodiversity conservation and more specifically about jaguars, especially jaguar behavioring here in TNC, sea turtles and also birds. Everyday, we could learn something new or see species that we've never seen before as, around base, biodiversity is incredible and really unique.
Moreover, life on base was very basic. For example, we took water from a well and at night we were using torches; nevertheless it was such a good experience to live like this and we didn't feel like missing something, just adapting to live in the middle of the jungle without a lot of electricity and mosquitos instead.
People around here are really nice and friendly as well, and most of all very open minded which helps making your trip even better and enriching.
Finally, it was worth the trip to see all these different species of animals such as amphibians, reptiles, mammals, bugs and a lot of birds. I was impressed by the staff's knowledge about that and learned a lot in the field.
Finally, we could enjoy our free time by relaxing on the beach, reading a book, cooking for everybody, gardening, going birding in the coco plantation next to base or even building a new ping pong area at the time I was on base which was a really good experience too.
All volunteers feel involved in the conservation programs on base and all of our activities were important for the data, so I would say that volunteering in Jalova is really worth it.

Enjoying my education and passionate about international development but unsure of where it could all take me in a career, I decided to take on a summer of interning with GVI. As a degree-level student of foreign languages, I knew I wanted to travel but my experience with GVI has given me the opportunity to realise where my passion in supporting remote communities lies. I completed an amazing virtual internship collaborating with two organisations in Peru and Nepal who do incredibly important work for their target communities, supporting them while allowing them to not only maintain their independence but to develop it further by strengthening their current skills. I found that through every part of the GVI internship I found myself learning more about myself and the world and I could really see the difference I was making to the lives of the individuals I worked on projects supporting. I’m really looking forward to travelling to Mexico to complete an in-field community development internship and making a noticeable difference!

I had an amazing time learning about bad working with sea turtles and their nests in Greece. The program was 2 weeks long; and throughout the experience I learned so much about how much good people can do for the environment and local animals. While I was there, I helped protect nests from predators, observe the tagging of mother sea turtles, and meet some amazing volunteers from around the world that I intend to keep in touch with. Overall, I had a great time and I highly recommend this GVI program.

Going to Ghana I signed for the teaching programme and I am so unbelievably grateful that I did, i stayed with my class for 13 weeks and I got to watch them improve and grow and it was the most rewarding feeling I’ve ever had. I have fallen in love with everything about this place- the people , the food and the country. And on top of all that I have made some best friends for life. I enjoyed my time here so much that I am planning to come again over Christmas 😊. My perspective on life and values have changed so much.

I've travelled all over the world, but I have never lived in a place quite like this. There is nothing more immersive than waking up in the middle of a rainforest; Frogs croaking, Birds singing & Monkeys howling. What a way to wake up.
From taking surveys along the river, through the rainforest & on the beach there is no better way to feel so connected to nature & knowing that you are playing a part in looking after it.
The wildlife is amazing to watch & see, with their diverse colors, hypnotic melodies & intriguing footprints. There is also something to see around every corner.
If you really want to feel connected to nature & feel like you are making a difference; GVI Jalova is a trip worth taking. Whether you are there for two weeks or two months, you will feel a sense of serenity whilst make life-long friends.

I volunteered with GVI as part of the U18s program in Greece for two weeks. During the weekdays, we would have morning surveys where we would find and protect turtle nests, and night surveys where we would assist in tagging mother turtles. All the staff were amazing and so kind! I also made such great friends with the other participants. We all especially enjoyed the cultural trips at the weekend where we visited the local cities of Kalamata and Olympia. I would 100% recommend this trip to Greece with GVI!

GVI is an incredible company! From start to finish you are supported by the wonderful team and as soon as you touch down on location you are treated as though you are extended family. In terms of the volunteer and intern programmes, there is an amazing variety of programmes to choose from whatever you interests and focuses are and not only do you get the most incredible experiences and memories but you are also making a positive impact to the local community so it’s a win win all round.

My first experience with GVI was backed in 2014 when I was a free 18 year old looking for a new experience with a great impact on the local community. The moment I booked the programme I was giving all the details and information needed to make sure I felt happy and organised before I departed. On touch down I was greeted and picked up by a member of the GVI staff, he was friendly and welcoming and made me feel at ease within seconds. During my time at the base we became on big family, we shared so many amazing experiences together from being together in schools, meeting incredible teachers and children and participating in school events (we did a dance performance together and helped each class create their dances as well). Outside of volunteering we had ample time to explore all that Costa Rica has to offer. I think I came back with over 3000 photos and videos of my time away and so many memories that still make my tummy hurt from laughing at them. My one recommendation when going away is to throw yourself into everything and anything, I promise you won't regret it! I was so sad when the time came for me to leave, and if I didn't have other plans set in motion I was of 100% asked to extend my time.

I am fortunate enough to be going away again with GVI again as an intern this time around and I look forward to many more trips and seeing what happens in the future as well.

So….what are you waiting for?! Go book now you won’t regret it!!