Affordable Environment & Conservation Volunteering with IVHQ

For three weeks in July, I went to Nosy Komba, Madagascar, and for those 3 weeks I didn't think about being anywhere else and had the most amazing time of my life. From waking up at 5am to the sound of roosters competing for the loudest crow, to falling asleep at 8pm/1am to the mesmerizing sound of crickets in the near distance - the day was filled with new experiences. I did things I thought that I would never do; questing through the forests in search of lemurs - captivated by wild hog nose snakes and orb weaver spiders as we did so; quad biking around Nosy Be - invigorated by the landscape and the odd Panther Chameleon; hikes that continue into the night and end with sleeping on the floor of a village church. I went to Madagascar nervous about how I would cope with such a change in lifestyle, but soon felt myself (cliche coming) falling in love with the place and its people. So much has been learnt in my time away: Latin names and identification techniques for various animals, how to snorkel, and that there is (no matter how deep you have to search) a pun for every occasion. I journeyed to Madagascar to gain experience in conservation work. However, I returned home with a whole lot more to be thankful for. If you're thinking about volunteering in Madagascar, then all I can say is: take on the challenge, the least you will take away are memories that will never be forgotten and friends that you will not want to leave (or at least not without adding them on Facebook).

Even working in forest conservation you get a chance to get to know the locals. They walk past as you sit there bird watching, and will always stop to say hello and have a conversation with you. It gives you the chance to practise the local language, even if you are not in the village every day, like the teachers are.

The first week was orientation which consisted of learning about the country & culture. My program lasted 3 hours/weekday. We spent time in the school teaching kids about the environment. We also picked up garbage around the school to teach them the importance of recycling and why throwing away garbage on the streets is bad.

The camp was amazing. Was much more wild than I expected, wooden huts with no windows or doors, but it was perfect. I liked a lot that it was completely integrated in the environment.
Another important aspect is that they were improving the camp, many little details that were not optimal or broken were replaced during the two weeks I was there.

The food could be improved, a little bit in terms of quantity, but mainly in terms of variety. For me was perfect, but as said, I stayed there just 2 weeks. Maybe for people who stay longer periods would be nice to have some more varied food. However, I am sure they will improve that.

The programm was nice, but of course can be also improved. The point is that, to be a very recent programm was good.

I felt completely safe both, at camp and in the all island.

In April and May of this year I volunteered in both the forest program and the marine program (four weeks each). I adored my time in both programs. It was great to be contributing to field research in two important areas of conservation. It was really wonderful to be part of the research design and preliminary data collection in the forest program. I really enjoyed seeing the volunteer camp grow and evolve so much in just eight weeks. Because I could see the daily changes and growth in the camp and the programs, I really felt that I was making a contribution. The lovely staff welcomed us like family and the camp instantly felt like home. We were also lucky enough to be able to do day trips to the nearby marine national park and a weekend trip to a national park on mainland Madagascar. The location of the camp is stunning and I never got tired of the amazing sunsets from our bungalow. It was also really rewarding seeing the ties form between the camp and the local village. I'm so pleased that I decided to come to Madagascar and would definitely recommend it.

I was involved in the jungle conservation program in Manu National Park, Peru. Firstly it was just great being in the jungle and in this environment and having the opportunity to live there with a conscious effort of conservation. There was never a dull moment as the volunteering work was challenging and fulfilling, while spare time involved exciting explorations through the amazon with all the wildlife and great people! The hospitality was great and it was amazing to be so isolated but still function so well without electricity or technology. However, there was also a lot of opportunities to engage with the local communities and learn Spanish!
Definitely a great program for someone who enjoys the environment and a challenge or to experience something completely different!