Hi Friends,
It’s the update that we never want to write, some of our programs are no longer available starting August 2026. Yes, right now. Two that we have to take off our list are wildlife rehab in Australia and shark conservation in South Africa. Why the changes? Many things really: avian flu making biosecurity complicated, declining volunteer numbers, lack of funding, anxiety about travel, and more.
Ethical travel and ethical volunteer travel are not stable markets, you can’t bet on them forever because if you are going to do something ethical, you aren’t going to cut corners, you ARE going to listen to your partners and follow their wishes. Both our partners in Australia and South Africa are deeply heartbroken by the changes in the programs but they said this was the only way to survive as a centre (in Australia they are only having local volunteers) and survive without incurring mountains of personal debt (in South Africa, the research project will be in indefinite hiatus).
What does this mean for you? It means, and this sounds harsh, if you were waiting to go to South Africa for shark or Australia for wildlife volunteering- this is no longer an option through AEI. We don’t have any projects lined up to replace them and we are just as devastated as our partners. We have been partnered with both programs for more than 10 years. If you are looking for a sign to book a trip, as corny as it sounds, here it is. Placements run off donations and volunteer help, if those change or if safety concerns change then we lose our chance to send volunteers.
We are devastated, we are grieving but we are resolute in our hope for the future. We have many other programs you can volunteer with right now and we hope you take this as a motivator. Change is possible but only if we take action.
See you soon friends,
Nora
