Panda Volunteer Programs
Ah, pandas. Few animals are more iconic, especially when you consider that their main discerning feature is being adorable. Of course, there is plenty to love about pandas beyond their cuteness, not least the fact that they spend most of their time sleeping, eating, and minding their own business.
The panda’s status was downgraded from endangered to vulnerable in 2016, but there are still significant threats. Their natural habitat is being increasingly destroyed for human development, while their slow reproduction cycle makes it very difficult to increase the population. At the moment, there are an estimated 1,800 pandas in the wild, and they need all the help and attention we can give them.
This is where you come in. As a volunteer at a panda conservation center, you can contribute to the preservation of this wonderful species and work to protect their environment. The fact you will get to spend your days hanging out with pandas is, of course, a bonus.
Most panda volunteering programs are similar in nature. You arrive in Chengdu, where you are taken to the Chengdu Research Base and introduced to panda conservation work. You are then taken to accommodation in the mountains and volunteer with one of the research bases for most of the day. Most of these programs are based in Bifengxia, as it is the largest.
Both Gengda and Dujiangyan offer day-long volunteer experiences for visitors. These are ideal for people who are traveling within Sichuan province, but are not a good option if you specifically want to go to China to volunteer with pandas.
Pandas are native to China. There are several panda conservation projects throughout the country, most of which are in the Sichuan province. The largest panda research center in the country is the Chengdu Research Base, located in the province’s capital. However, only three panda bases in China accept volunteers.
Bifengxia
The Bifengxia Panda Base is located in Sichuan province. It covers almost 400 hectares of mountain space, divided into 58 enclosures, and cared for by 144 permanent staff. Volunteers help out with day-to-day tasks such as feeding, cleaning, and research activities. Most multi-day volunteering opportunities are based in Bifengxia.
Gengda
The Wolong Panda Center at Gengda is based in the Wolong Nature Reserve, which contains 60% of the world’s pandas. In 2008, an earthquake devastated this region of Sichuan and destroyed the original Wolong Panda Center. A new one has been rebuilt in Gengda. It is the largest panda breeding center in the world.
Dujiangyan
The Dujiangyan Panda Base and Center for Disease Control is based near Chengdu. It covers 126 hectares and focuses primarily on rehabilitation for diseased, injured and aging pandas.
Your chosen volunteer organization will arrange most of the details, including housing, food, and internal transport. However, you will probably need to arrange your own travel to and from Chengdu.
The actual volunteering portion of most programs is very similar, with most of them taking place in the same reserve, so you should look at other criteria. Check online reviews of various programs, keeping an eye out for comments on housing, food, or general support and organization.
Panda volunteering programs cost on average $100 a day, but some can be considerably more expensive than this. These usually offer something extra, such as nice restaurant meals in Chengdu or private accommodation.
Most programs are based in hostels in the mountains. These housing facilities are usually very simple, with shared rooms and squat toilets. Some of these will have WiFi, but most of them will not. Food is usually Chinese, served by the hostel you will be staying in.
