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Marie Walbridge
Eng 112- 07
July 5th, 2016
Professor Intawiwat
Wildlife Volunteers: a wild adventure
Henry David Thoreau said, Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and
pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. Thoreau
was a great American philosopher and naturalist. He has written novels such as Civil
Disobedience and Walden. Thoreau spent some time on Lake Walden found in Massachusetts.
Thoreau used this period of isolation to reflect on his life and society. He also used this time to
grow closer to nature. Like Thoreau another young adventurer spent only a few hundred days in
the Alaskan wilderness living off the land connecting with mans basic instincts away from
civilization and society. This man was Chris McCandless even though he lived off the land, the
land proved to be his demise. The quote above from Henry David Thoreau follows my basic
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philosophy on all living things. People who understand that all life has value will be more likely
to protect and preserve all of the life on this planet. Therefore, it is important to become a
wildlife and conservation volunteer, because being a volunteer can have a positive impact on the
human soul and the wildlife.
If becoming a wildlife volunteer is something you want to do in the future, do plenty of
research before hand. You can become a wildlife volunteer in your home country, but if you have
an appetite for adventure then I would recommend going out of your comfort zone and exploring
a new part of the world. A good source for your research is Peter Lynchs book Wildlife &
conservation volunteering: the complete guide. This is a step by step guide for young and old
people who want to be wildlife and conservation volunteers. Lynch explores and investigates
multiple programs to consider when someone is trying to find a credible and desirable program.
Here are some steps he suggest you should take to find a program that you would enjoy and one
that is credible:
Step one: What type of organization should you choose? Lynch lists several types of
opportunities such as, game parks and rainforest conservation to wildlife and botanical surveys.
He also categorizes organizations into: internet directories, placement organizers, privately run
expeditions, and field-based organizations. Placement organizers are the best for
accommodations like arranged airport pick-up, arranged lodging before flights, and a local
coordinator that can help with local orientation and serious issues (Lynch). He also makes an
important point that volunteers should steer clear of projects that commercially exploit animals
under an eco banner (Lynch). The organization you choose can either be based on a specific
country or even a specific species. There is a table in the book that is organized by species and
countries.
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Step two: Choosing a credible program. Lynch gives several criteria that credible
programs should achieve. Some of these criteria are whether or not they were given awards or
that they are endorsed by other organizations. Other criteria he gives for a credible organization
are whether not the project is scientifically based or the organization has had positive media
coverage. The organization should also have responsible travel policies for eco and ethical
tourism.
Now that you have chosen a credible organization and program that you want to take part
in Its time to start fundraising. Overall someone should be positive and honest about what you
are raising money for. You need to be persuasive and prove the credibility of the organization.
One way to fundraise is start by asking your family and close friends to contribute to your
volunteer experience. Once you have done that and you still need more money to fund your
volunteer experience look for organizations or foundations that want to help with wildlife
conservation.
An example of a credible program is the African Conservation Experience. This program
has been used by thousands of wildlife and conservation volunteers over the years. They offer
several projects such as wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife management, field courses, and marine
conservation. There are several project sites a cross the African continent. This is an experience
that can help someone build many skills and it can help them to appreciate the conservation of
the many animals that roam this earth. One person who has been involved in this program said,
It was the most fantastic experience of my life! I learnt so much and the things I did and saw
were once in a lifetime opportunity. I would recommend ACE to anyone and am already
planning my trip for next year (African Conservation Experience).
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Like Lynch has said volunteers bring about change to specific conservation issues.
Additionally, there have been studies conducted that prove that volunteers do have a positive
impact on conservation. There was an article written in the journal of India about the Wildlife
Conservation Society. The article highlights the fact that participation of non-scientists as
volunteers in conservation can have an impact on wildlife conservation efforts around the world.
The article refers to a study conducted by Duke University. This article highlights Duke
Universitys Dr. Erika Weinthal findings. She found that a number of past WCS volunteers have
changed careers to become formally trained ecologists and conservationists. The study
also revealed several important impacts of volunteering with WCS and CWS. Over 80% of the
respondents acknowledged increased knowledge and concern for wildlife rooted in science.
More than 60% said that they were able to use the knowledge learned during volunteering with
WCS-India in other aspects of their lives. Several also indicated greater spiritual understanding
about life in general (Wildlife Conservation Society; Study: Volunteering can Help Save
Wildlife). This study may only show a small scale impact, but the more people get involved with
wildlife and conservation volunteering the impact will grow. Not only does wildlife volunteering
help conservation it helps with the human soul. Lynch has said, conservation volunteering
establishes a two-way beneficial process: while volunteers bring about change by contributing
money and hands-on help to a specific conservation issues, the engagement in their project can
also bring about personal development in the volunteers life (Lynch). Nature benefited two
adventures that were called to the wild by their wild souls.
Henry David Thoreau and Chris McCandless sought out nature and lived in nature. They
gained a better view and understanding of society. Thoreau used this experience to build better
philosophies for society. Chris McCandless sadly did not make it out of the wilderness alive, but
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I believe he gained a new perspective on society. There has was a study conducted in the UK by
Liz OBrien. She and several other researchers found that people who volunteered or worked in
nature could have a better chance to integrate or reintegrate into society. They did conducted
studies: Study 1 was based on general environmental volunteering primarily in northern England
and southern Scotland; and Study 2 focused on mental health participants at Meanwhile Wildlife
Garden in London. These studies concluded that Volunteering in nature may be particularly
effective for those who would like to be outdoors and have more contact with nature yet need
specific encouragement and supported/led activities to participate (OBrien et al.).
Another study was conducted by Clem Tisdell and Clevo Wilson, both are Australian
economist specializing in ecological economics. This paper researches the impacts of ecotourism
on environmental conservation and learning. It highlights a case study involving sea turtle
watching in Queensland, Australia at Mon Repos Conservation Park. In this study they gave
questionnaires to the visitors of Mon Repos Conservation Park. These questionnaires were given
before and after the visitors had seen the turtles. Part 2 of the questionnaire highlighted the idea
that Ecotourism can effect the conservation of animals (Tisdell). The visitors said they learned
about the sea turtles behavior and how humans and other predators pose a threat to their
survival. The results of this study showed that there were positive and statistically significant
impacts on the visitors desire to protect sea turtles (Tisdell).
I have personally been a wildlife volunteer, although it was not abroad in some exotic
country the experience pushed me out of comfort zone. I had speak to people on a daily bases to
relay the data back to the people in charge of the organization. I learned valuable skills in data
collection and conservation skills. The experience had positive impact on me and hopefully the s
sea turtles I helped to conserve. I made life long memories that have fueled my passion for
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wildlife conservation and animals. I will never forget holding a baby turtle knowing that its life
was in my hands. I could help save this vulnerable life. I think we forget how fragile life truly is
and how much of an impact one person can have on the wildlife and conservation. We have the
power to change the future of many species. So please step up and make a change! Cleanse your
soul with natures power and beauty, just like Henry David Thoreau, Chris McCandless, and
Peter Lynch have before you! Be an adventure and explore a world outside of our own and feed
your soul with wildlife and nature.
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Works Cited
African Conservation Experience. "African Conservation Experience." African Conservation
Experience. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2016.
"Henry David Thoreau Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 05 July 2016.
Lynch, Peter. Wildlife & conservation volunteering: the complete guide. Bradt Travel Guides,
2009.
"MPOCs Response to Wildlife Conservation and Statement from Sabah NGOs against Nature
Alert and Sean Whyte Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) : Official Website
Europe." Malaysian Palm Oil Council MPOC Official Website Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 05
July 2016.
O'Brien, Liz, et al. "Volunteering in Nature as a Way of Enabling People to Reintegrate into
Society." Perspectives in Public Health 131.2 (2011): 71-81. ProQuest. Web. 15 June
2016.
Tisdell, Clem, and Clevo Wilson. "Perceived Impacts of Ecotourism on Environmental Learning
and Conservation: Turtle Watching as a Case Study." Environment, Development and
Sustainability 7.3 (2005): 291-302. ProQuest. Web. 20 June 2016.
"Wildlife Conservation Society; Study: Volunteering can Help Save Wildlife." Journal of India
(2014): 34. ProQuest. Web. 15 June 2016
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