Everyday Should Be World Wildlife Day...

When you were younger we bet that you had a favourite animal. Do you remember what it was? Maybe it was a horse that you imagined running across endless fields? Perhaps it was a majestic elephant - or even a herd of elephants? Was it a sea turtle you once saw tucking itself into corral to find a snack? Maybe it was a beautiful rainbow macaw flying through tropical jungles or a monkey who watched you from its forest home. Remember how they felt so distant, so wild and free?

Well today they need your help to stay that way.  But the good news is, they are no longer distant dreams. Now that you are grown up, you can volunteer with these animals and help conserve their populations world wide. From dolphin conservation in Croatia to wildlife rehabilitation in Guatemala, we have programs for all you animal lovers. Whatever resonated with you when you were younger will benefit from your help now. And we think it's the perfect year for you to live your childhood dreams.

It's not World Wildlife Day (that was March 3rd) but why not make it every day? And what better way to celebrate than to apply to volunteer with your favourite childhood animals!

Summer Break Inspiration

This summer how great would it be to volunteer with the animals you always loved?

When we are younger we have our favourite stuffed animal, we have pictures of horses in our locker and then three wolves howling to the moon on our sweatshirts. Well, why not volunteer with animals?

With no previous experience needed you can volunteer with AEI and help on wild horse programs in Mongolia, dolphin conservation in Croatia, elephants in Thailand, wildlife rescue in Malawi, and a whole lot more!

It's the ethical way to see the animals you have always loved. They aren't in chains, they aren't in aquariums, they aren't in circuses made to perform, you won't be riding them. You will be rescuing, conserving and helping these animals.

This summer why not help protect the animals you always loved in a country you always wanted to visit?

What are you doing for spring break?

It's time to think about your last minute alt spring break plans. While others go to beaches or parties, did you know you could be an animal hero? Animal mission trips are open, available and affordable!

Will it be serious?

You are serious about having a meaningful experience - and we are committed to making that happen. There are so many benefits to partnering with AEI and volunteering with animal organizations overseas. International volunteer work provides opportunities for personal and professional development. These life changing experiences will let you add to your knowledge and skill set, while making an important contribution to the project you are helping. Whether you are a professional, student or an animal lover wanting to make a difference, AEI can help you find the experience you are looking for. AEI Experiences allow you to travel in a meaningful way – you are not just a tourist, you are part of the community,­­ supporting the important work being done by our placement partners. These international placements can provide skills needed for school credit or career development. They can help you make important decisions about your own life direction. And they let you explore a new country, become part of a team, and form lifelong friendships. Use your dedication and passion to help animals, while adding to your own personal knowledge and experience! 

Will it be fun?

Have fun while changing the world for the better! AEI helps you explore the world while doing what you love – helping animals. Volunteering is an amazing way to visit exotic locations and  learn about the culture, customs, and traditions of a new country. Bring along a family member or friend to create lifelong memories. Or make new friends as you join our team of animal lovers who are traveling the world while making a difference. You are passionate about enjoying life while having meaningful experiences. We are here to make that dream happen. Let us take care of the details - so you can have the adventure of a lifetime! 

It doesn't matter what you choose, when you travel with AEI, you'll have a life changing international animal experience!

Connections and lucky meetings

In the autumn of 2017 our co-founder went to Oman, in the Middle East. She went to volunteer her time at a dog rescue. When she was there she thought about what took her there and how interconnected the world was. She wrote a blog post about it that was published on She Sees the World and then republished on Evox. 

It got us thinking about our clients and their stories. What did they do while volunteering that would lead them down a different path? What would their stories look like now that they volunteered?

Also... Who did they meet?

If you watched BBC Earth's #BigCats you saw the Pallas's cats. We just found out that our volunteers who were in Mongolia last year ran into the BBC team! They even got to watch the footage of the 5 little Pallas's cat kittens- in the field! Something that they will remember forever, imagine looking back on your trip and remembering just casually hanging out with people filming things new to science?

Check out a video our volunteers made after they volunteered in Mongolia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CaQcaNq8DA&t=3s

Last week we found out one of our volunteers met Bob Irwin while she was at her placement volunteering at a sea turtle rehabilitation centre in Australia. Imagine how she felt when she met an animal conservation legend and getting a selfie with him?! These are the things that stick with us, that change our lives. 

While writing this we found out our volunteers in Guatemala are going out on an iguana release! Something else that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. 

We don't know where our stories will go and what events will cause other ones, but we do know that for people who volunteer with animals, the future will be extraordinatry! 

Australian Wildlife

Australia Day brings lots of questions and lots of concerns. What does reconciliation look like? What does conservation look like? What does honouring the future look like when we don't want to forget the past? One thing that can bring us all together is the special and endemic species and ecosystems of Australia. They need to be protected- from us humans. 

Australia doesn't just have cute animals, it has important and unique animals that aren't found anywhere else on Earth. It has animals that need to be protected while communities are invested in and protected. Visiting Australia means learning more about their natural and historical contexts to understand better what needs to be protected and how. It means understanding there aren't easy answers.

We all share this planet, the natural world IS where we live. Volunteering can help us share- with each other and the animals, just a little better. 

When you think about visiting Australia consider volunteering with it's remarkable wildlife. They need you and the story when you come back home is a story that needs to be told. 

Are All Volunteer Programs Positive?

Unfortunately: no. 

"Volunteering" doesn't automatically mean you will be helping. Which is why before we send any volunteers anywhere we make sure the work isn't just safe and ethical. It's real.  

Before partnering with a program we ask to see their release rates; their animal handling protocols; check if they are accredited, registered, certified or part of any in-country or worldwide animal alliances, charities, colleges or trusts. We also visit them as the final step into making sure our clients are taking part in the best programs in the world. 

But why is this necessary:

Unfortunately there are a lot of groups out there that are taking advantage of volunteers, animals and people. People want to travel and give back and their good intentions and motivations shouldn't be taken advantage of.

Never volunteer on short term programs that have you with children or marginalised community members. In Cambodia regions 72% of children in 'orphanages' still have one or both parents (research conducted by UNICEF Cambodia). Some parents use their children as pawns on the street- begging for money instead of sending them to schools. Begging is seen to make more money immediately than the investment of school. When we give money to children begging on the street we lock them into a cycle of unsustainability, lower education and poverty. We strongly encourage you visit sites like ChildSafe International to learn more about child exploitation and how you can travel fairly. There are more than 215 million child laborers worldwide. If you see a child who you suspect is being forced to work please contact ChildSafe International or Interpol.

What about animals?

Unfortunately, while researching conservation and animal programs we are starting to see the same startling trends being noted with 'orphanage volunteering'. People are stealing animals from the wild, running fake sanctuaries and charging volunteers to 'help'. Volunteers are going, spending a lot of money and thinking they are helping but not actually doing anything but harming these individual animals and sometimes whole populations. Without the proper care these animals live terrible lives languishing in enclosures not suitable for them and eventually die of malnutrition or other very much preventable deaths. There are some programs that have volunteers working hands on with lions just to have those lions released into game hunting reserves. These blood lions are being raised not for conservation but for killing.

We all want to be hands and feet for programs helping the world around us. But, we have the responsibly to who we are helping to make good and educated choices so we are benefiting not hindering the cause.

Introducing Our Newest Experience...

Malawi!

We are so excited to introduce to you the newest wildlife rehabilitation centre AEI has partnered with. This is a partnership years in the making. It takes us 2-3 years of research, correspondence, site visits and planning for each program. We need to make sure it's safe (for solo women travellers, young adventures, senior volunteers and everything in between), their ethics line up with ours (both in the humane welfare/treatment of animals and the ethical treatment of employees), and the placements are real (they are accredited and have partnerships with conservation groups, sanctuary alliances and of course keep and share their release records).

In November Nora went down to Malawi to visit the wildlife rehab centre and after two weeks of volunteering she gave it the final thumbs up. We have been working since then on details to make this experience a reality for you! 

Malawi is the principle hub for wildlife trafficking in Southern Africa. Wild animals in the region are threatened by this illegal wildlife activity as well as the bushmeat trade, deforestation and other conflicts with people. This organization aims to protect wildlife, provide care for rescued wild animals and empower the guardians of the wild. More than 200 animals are in care at this wildlife centre, with the goal of returning as many as possible back to the wild each year.

What will you do when you volunteer? 

Volunteers provide care for all the animals at the centre. Volunteers help by preparing meals for the animals, feeding the animals, creating environmental and behavioural enrichments for the animals and helping with cleaning tasks. Working hours are completely dependent on the animals currently at the centre and on the level of care they need. Ideally shifts are from 8am to 5pm with a break for lunch. But during orphan season, baby feedings can take place late at night or early in the morning. These feedings are split up between volunteers, but please be aware that there may be some long days or even some night shifts.

Basically you will be an animal hero to baboons, monkeys, servals, owls, antelope, hyenas, alligators and more!

So what are you waiting for? Apply today to take part in the wildlife rehabilitation of some of the most iconic animals in southern Africa.  

2017 in review.. what a year!

Why We Will Never Volunteer With Kids.

When we started AEI we wanted to help people like you make the very best decisions while volunteering with animals. We visit all the programs, we look at release records, humane welfare standards must be high and we show preference to programs that have home stays- so you can live IN the community you are volunteering in.  We make sure the footprint you leave is as beneficial as possible- in the community and the environment. This is also the reason we don't have programs that have our volunteers working with kids. But why? Don't kids need help, too?

Did you know certain forms of volunteering can be harmful to the very people you’re trying to help? Did you know that 80% of children living in orphanages are not orphans and that volunteering at or giving to such places may be supporting the exploitation of children?
 

Working with children in institutions, such as orphanages or schools, is a job for local experts, not for volunteers who are just passing through. Children deserve more than good intentions, they need experienced, skilled and supervised caretakers and teachers  who know the local culture and language.

If you would like to support children, speak with a local child protection organization to see how you can help (we have a list of contacts for you). There are many ways you can support children without directly caring for them. Look for opportunities that involve empowering and transferring your skills to local staff to have a long-term  positive impacts, such as marketing or communications, website development, graphic design or fundraising (again, we can put you in touch with great organizations that would love for you to help).
 

We want to make sure we were always making a beneficial difference to the communities. We want to make sure that we do right by you, the community and the youngest and most vulnerable members of the community. For those reasons we decided to become a ChildSafe Supporter. We want to help protect children from abuse and exploitation and help our volunteers better protect children while abroad.

Do you have questions about ChildSafe or about how you can help the community without harming children? Just ask! That's why we are here!

Nora and Heather

PS: Are you a Floridian looking to volunteer locally? Check out All The Rooms for their blog about the best places to volunteer in Florida.