This post was written by Heather Alford (Volunteer, LIFE Program).
***
As a person who loves to support wildlife conservation and participate in volunteer opportunities abroad, I have more recently begun to realize how important it is to choose the right program and contribute my time and resources to the cause in a meaningful way. In the past it was easy for me to get overly excited about an opportunity and jump on a chance before carefully considering the details of the organization, its mission or what conservation impact it has, if any. When choosing a program, I would simply look for an opportunity that appeared fun, often based on photographs. Some of these abroad experiences have gone very smoothly and were incredibly enjoyable, but others were quite disappointing because I felt my participation and money did not make a difference in what the organizations purported to do.
So, how to choose the right volunteer abroad program? First, do some background research. After living and learning, my new priorities are to support an organization that is doing REAL wildlife conservation. Through the years I have learned that REAL wildlife conservation involves not just helping the wildlife but also reaching out and helping the local people. It is very important for an organization to do both as it is challenging to succeed in saving wildlife if you do not help the local people.
Some suggestions I would give when choosing a volunteer abroad program and deciding if it will be a good match for you would be…
- Does the organization have a good reputation and is it mission driven?
- Is the program conducted by scientific and/or conservation experts?
- What are the options for the length of program?
- What type of support will you be receiving before and during the trip? In particular, once you arrive in country, will you have someone to help you with the logistics of where you are going? (For me this is important to help me feel comfortable and confident when traveling alone).
- What types of participants is the program geared towards? For example, in the past I participated in a program that was geared towards gap year students; for someone who is more mature, it was not a good match for me. Now I look for programs that include people of varying ages, and more importantly, like-minded people.
- Lastly, is the organization doing REAL conservation work like I discussed above.
When I learned about LVDI International a couple of years ago I was so excited to learn that they truly are that total package of REAL conservation work. LVDI International is doing wildlife research and conservation around the world while combining activities that improve the lives of people in these developing countries.
The opportunity arose in October 2017 for me to volunteer with LVDI International in Madagascar. It was truly the best experience I could have hoped for. I went for the wildlife experience and ended up loving the immersion into the Malagasy culture and participating in the community outreach projects. I loved it so much that I decided to volunteer again six months later in April 2018. Before my trips with LVDI International I had spent two months in Madagascar volunteering with a different organization, and though I enjoyed seeing the wildlife, I did not feel a connection with the Malagasy people or culture. Sadly, I also did not feel that my money or my time went into giving back to the community.
Volunteering with LVDI International has shown me the complete package that is true wildlife conservation combines community outreach with saving species. I would highly recommend volunteering with LVDI International. By supporting its many on-the-ground projects I can assure you that your time and funds will contribute towards REAL wildlife conservation.
