Anyone Can Help Animals

We have a lot of people asking if only vets can volunteer. And we always say: *NO*, in fact most of our volunteers are not veterinary medical professionals and we like it that way. Why? Because there are so many ways to help animals! And by encouraging people from all walks of life to volunteer, we ensure that local professionals stay employed by good and trustworthy conservation programs. We aren't taking jobs from members of the community and this means the professionals that helped animals before we were there will continue to help them once we leave. 

What kinds of volunteering could you possibly do with animals that isn't high level medical volunteering? Actually some of the most important volunteering opportunities are the things that take the pressure off vets, freeing up their time so that they can provide the more specialized care. Making enrichment for animals who are in temporary enclosures before they are released into the wild, socializing dogs who have been rescued from the street, making breakfasts for elephants in sanctuaries. All of these are things you can do right now - and if you do them you are helping these animals AND the team members who have been there throughout, and even before, this pandemic! 

If you want to help animals the best way to help are the easy but time intensive tasks: cutting up mangoes for orphaned howler monkeys, sweeping out elephant paddocks, scrubbing (empty) bear pools, handing out dishes of kibbles to hungry dogs - YOU can do this and you should! Giving back while you go on vacation isn't just a nice thing to do for the animals, it can be life changing for you. Volunteering changes how you feel about yourself, the world and your place in it. 

Travelers have a massive role to play in stopping the trafficking and exploitation of animals. We have been thinking a lot recently about imposter syndrome and how it can show up in conservation. Travelers, recreational adventurers, and volunteers can be just as big proponents for conservation as biologists. Travelers spend their whole lives learning (when they travel with their eyes open) and through this experiential education they can be witnesses to the very best and very worst of humanity. If you don’t have formal training in conservation, you may discount yourself and pass at the opportunity to be an advocate. But you don’t have to be an animal professional to recognize that animals in cages and on tethers aren’t happy. Oftentimes it’s the traveler who is limiting their own voice, not speaking up because of feeling like an “imposter”. People don’t think they know enough, or feel that it’s not for them to say anything – but violence is violence and we don’t need a degree to recognize it and speak up against it. In fact we need all the stakeholders to come together so that we can conserve our natural world!

We encourage every traveler this year to think about the voice they have and how they use it. You do not need to have a formal education to change the world, you just need to speak out about injustices you see and throw your support behind organizations that are doing positive things. There are no imposters – everyone has their lived experiences and we should speak up for what we believe in. Do you need to be a vet to help animals? No. Do you need to be a professor of animal behavior to help animals? No. Both of these professions WILL help animals but so will you if you are willing to volunteer, observe and share what you learn with the world. 

I want to apply right now!!

Travel is once again within your reach – you will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, then we will help you with the rest! You can safely travel to Costa Rica or Guatemala starting this month, and to more countries in 2022 (Mongolia, Malawi, Costa Rica, Thailand...) – many of them with us leading the trip! We look forward to helping you plan your animal experiences as travel starts to open up again.

Volunteering in Australia.

We have three volunteer partners in Australia. Sea turtles in Cairns, flying foxes on the Atherton Tablelands and wildlife rehabilitation in Perth. We are in constant contact with all our partners around the world, getting updates on volunteers, the weather, new animals in treatment and fundraising campaigns they are rolling out. Our Australia partners have kept us up to date about these issues and of course the fires that we have all seen with tears in our eyes.

Our partners have been incredibly lucky and currently are not in immediate danger. Our volunteers on the ground are safe and the animals continue to get the very best of care.

Over the past week we have gotten an unprecedented 50 new applications a day from people who want to go to Australia immediately and help. Of course we did, who doesn’t want to help these amazing heroes who are on the front line of animal rescue? It has been wonderfully overwhelming to see how many people want to help these animals, how many people see these pictures and videos and instead of getting swallowed up by sadness are inspired to action.

Our message to everyone is thank you, thank you, thank you for your heart and for your compassion. This is a dire situation and it helps all of us to know we are not alone. In order to understand our commitment to Australia now and in the future we would ask everyone read the message we are sending those interested in volunteering in Australia.

Thank you so much for your application to volunteer with us in Australia.

We have been absolutely devastated by the wild fires in Australia and are very privileged to be able to send international volunteers to our wildlife rehab centre in Perth. Currently, the centre cannot accept anymore volunteers until August. 

Many wildlife centres are at capacity with volunteers at the moment and won't accept any who haven't had extensive experience with marsupials and burn victims. Hands on the ground are important but they have been telling me that donations for things like fruit, milk and medical supplies are needed urgently and of course through the whole recovery process.

Knowing how many animals have been affected and how much land has been completely destroyed, the road to recovery will be long and the volunteers coming to Australia later in the year will be as welcome as the ones arriving currently. 

We have two more programs in Australia, one with flying foxes up in the Atherton tablelands and one in Cairns with sea turtles. If you are interested in going to Australia to help animals, they are both wonderful groups who really do need volunteers throughout the year, including now. Australia’s economy will also benefit from your visit.

Let me also say, that wildlife around the world needs our help. There is no wrong answer when you help animals at wildlife rehab centres. Perhaps they have not been acutely affected by wildfires but many of the animals at our wildlife centres around the world do need immediate and on going help after their rescue from traffickers, loss of habitat and natural disasters in their area. If you want to help wildlife but can't get to Australia, there are animals who need your help in all our wildlife centres.

Thank you so much for your interest in helping. This is a dire and terrifying situation ecologically yet I have been inspired by the amount of people who want to help from all over the world. 

A note about fees: Unfortunately, we cannot help with the costs for volunteer fees or ticket. The fees exist to offset the cost of hosting volunteers- from electricity to water, training to materials, volunteers provide an important helping role at the centre but they can also cost the community. We make sure that struggling communities don't personally pay for what the volunteers consume and all the donations that raised for the centre are used directly to help the animals. 

This is one of the reasons we visit all the placements before we partner with them. Not only do we make sure they are safe for travelers, ethically run, community lead/supported and authentically helping the animals in the area; we make sure that the fees correctly and ethically reflect the cost of hosting volunteers. Everything from the petrol used to pick volunteers up from the airport to the training that each volunteer must receive is thought of because when it comes down to it, we know no one going to help these communities and these animals wants to be a burden- financial or otherwise. 

Just as we don't barter for medical supplies and rent at home, we don't in the places that host volunteers so, as you can understand fees are very important to pay your way and the things you consume while on the program. 

Thank you so much for your heart, your compassion and your readiness to help. We will all need to come together in the next months and years to help all the animals and people affected by this devastating climate disaster. We are committed to Australia’s wildlife and we hope you are, too.

Nora