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Conservation Volunteer For Endangered Animals

Gladstone, Australia

Conservation Volunteer For Endangered Animals

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Trip Highlights

A chance to take care of native animals like the Bridled Nailtail Wallaby and Northern and Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats
Provide medical care for injured, sick and orphaned wildlife through its rescue and rehabilitation program
Learn about the importance of maintaining a healthy natural environment to ensure the well-being of Australian native species
Meet new friends from around the world and create an enriching experience for yourself
Gain first-hand work experience while working with a professional wildlife carer who consults to the government

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Overview Program Requirements Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities Volunteer Work Schedule Living Costs Dates Reviews

Overview

The Program in Australia is meant for all those animal-loving souls who are keen to volunteer abroad for a meaningful cause and contribute effectively towards the wellbeing of the native animals. The project is situated near Mount Larcom, a rural town in northern Australia. Being a volunteer, you'll get to work at a rescue center and shelter home, which has an abundance of animals in temporary or permanent care at any given time. Apart from the Bridled Nailtail Wallaby and Northern and Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats, you may care for wildlife such as sugar gliders, lizards, non-venomous snakes, koalas, and native birds.

It’ll be a great opportunity for you to work closely with professional conservationists. The program provides medical care for injured, sick and orphaned wildlife through its rescue and rehabilitation program. Animals are nursed back to health with the goal of being well enough to be released back into the wild. The wildlife carer also delivers a range of wildlife education programs that highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy natural environment to ensure the well-being of Australian native species.

Program Requirements

Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project. You need to have an open mind and a flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference. Participants must be fit and healthy at the time of joining the program. Every volunteer is required to show proof of Tetanus vaccination prior to joining the program. The program is suitable for those with a keen interest in animal and wildlife conservation. However, the program is open to all and you do not need the necessary qualifications to join the program. Participants should be prepared to work outdoors and should be fit and healthy.

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

As a volunteer for this program, your daily activities may consist of:

Preparing food for the animals
Feeding the animals
Cleaning the animal enclosures
Providing enrichment for the animals
Laundry duties
Keeping the project grounds clean and tidy

Other activities may include:

Maintenance activities, including building enclosures
Harvesting/collecting food for the animals
Planting trees
Attending animal rescues
Attending animal releases
Catching Nailtail Wallabies for the 3 monthly health check
Fundraising activities e.g. stalls or handing out leaflets
Involvement in community education event

Volunteers must note that this is a hands-off the project and you are not allowed to touch animals unless given specific permission and shown how.

Volunteer Work Schedule

It is important that volunteers must be willing to work and show initiative as there are specific tasks that need to be completed each day prior to all of the volunteers leaving for the day.

The majority of your time is spent cleaning and feeding animals and their enclosures.

5.15 AM - Breakfast
5.30 AM - Cleaning enclosures/feeding animals
10.30 AM – 10.45 AM - Morning tea
10.45 AM-12.00 PM - Cleaning enclosures/feeding animals
12 PM – 2.00 PM - Lunch and Rest
2.00 PM onwards - Afternoon feeding
Evenings are mostly free, and dinner is served.
Note: This routine is provided as a guide only. The routine can depend on which season you visit.

Living

Arrival Info

Volunteers need to book their flights to arrive at Gladstone Airport (Airport Code: GLT) after taking a connecting flight from Brisbane. Make sure you book your flights to arrive at Gladstone between 9 am to 4 pm. Alternatively, you also take a bus or train from Brisbane to Gladstone. Volunteers may be picked up from Gladstone Airport or they can take a train or bus to the local town for pick up. The project is located near Mount Larcom (35 km west of Gladstone).in Queensland. Volunteers can be picked up from Gladstone or can come directly to Mount Larcom by train or bus. Upon arrival, volunteers are collected and transported to the project site.

Orientation

Volunteers will be oriented and guided about the work to do. The first week involves lots of on the job training as each volunteer learns the different tasks involved in caring for the animals and the different jobs that need to be carried out to support the animals and the maintenance of the project.

Accommodation

Volunteers stay on-site at the project in single rooms with shared bathroom facilities. There are laundry facilities located on-site.

Meals

Main meals and morning/afternoon tea are supplied at the project; vegetarian and vegan meals are available upon request. Volunteers should bring their own supply of snacks and there is a weekly trip into Gladstone to stock up on supplies. Volunteers have access to a communal kitchen and are expected to prepare their own meals and snacks.

During Your Free Time

Volunteers will not get any free time during their stay, however, they may choose to spend time in Gladstone or embark upon some of the interesting things to do in the surrounding areas, either before or after the project. The Great Barrier Reef is on your doorstep so take a tour to explore, do a dive course or a liveaboard. Only minutes from the project location is Gladstone's most prominent natural landmark – Mount Larcom. Mount Larcom is commonly referred to as the ‘lion mountain’ because it resembles a lion and lioness facing each other. At the heart of the city is Goondoon Street, perfect for shoppers and tourists. You can explore the Library Square, the site of the city’s monthly produce and arts and crafts market.

Dates

2024

2025

January

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July

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December

Past Date

Available

Unavailable

Filling Fast

Costs

2 Weeks $1156

3 Weeks $1734

4 Weeks $2210

5 Weeks $2686

6 Weeks $3162

Please Note: -An application fee of $249 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment. (A 5% international banking fee is charged at the time of payment)

What are you Paying for?

Pre-departure support
Project Information Pack
Transfers from the local town to the project (depending upon availability)
On the job training
Accommodation
Meals
24-hour in-country support

Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)

What's NOT included?

Flights
Snacks
Travel insurance
Personal spending
Visas

Reviews

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Frequently asked questions

: As we have limited spots available in our programs and we facilitate on ‘first come first serve’ basis, it is recommended that potential volunteers book their programs well in advance to get confirmed placements. You can book your slot by filling out the application form online and pay the application fee of $250 + bank charges. You can pay your program fee later and also, in installments, however, the complete payment should be made 45 days prior to the starting date of the program. If you are volunteering in a group, you can also fill a group application form.
: After you complete your application, your personalized ‘My Account’ will be activated. You will need to upload your CV/Resume along with your photo in the same. Our backend team and the placement site takes around 10-12 days to review your application. After we review your CV and documents, your booking is confirmed and booking confirmation is updated in your ‘My Account’. Some projects need a mandatory criminal background check and the same is mentioned in the project info of your program. Approval of your application depends on your qualification and eligibility criteria for each project.
: Are there any necessary requirements to participate in the Australian volunteer programs?
Below are the necessary requirements to participate in the Australian volunteer projects :
– The minimum age requirement for the volunteers is 18 years and above.
– Need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment.
– The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference.
– Participant must be in good health.
: We encourage our participants to volunteer in a group. We take special care in providing you a placement and also customize your itinerary to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Also, we can design special group programs for groups of 5 or more. Our programs are designed to be safe, affordable and offer a great group volunteering experience to the volunteers.
In our experience of more than 12+ years, we have enabled and facilitated volunteer program placements for student groups- college groups, university groups, high school groups, group of families, group of couples as well as a group of colleagues.

Visit Group Volunteering page for more information.
: Volunteering Solutions provides placement to volunteers in different cities of Australia. The preference of the city should be specified in the application form. The available program locations are:

Cairns

Rural Gladstone

Yackandandah
: Yes – many volunteers choose to make bookings from two or more starting locations. If you choose this option, you’ll need to arrange and pay for your own travel between starting locations. You should either leave a week in between your bookings, or arrange to rejoin at your new starting location on Monday morning as we cannot accommodate volunteers arriving on weekends.
: The amount of contact volunteers have with the animals is dependent upon the project. Some are very hands on and others have limited contact.
: All volunteers are required to arrive at the nearest airports at their preferred location in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney. The Australian programs are located near Melbourne, Sydney, Gladstone and Cairns Airports.
: If you are planning to come for multiple programs in your trip, you will have to pay the application fees just once. Your application fees is valid for a year's time (from the date of application). You will not have to pay the application fees again if you come within the mentioned time frame. If you decide to volunteer in separate programs in multiple countries, you will need to fill separate applications.
: Yes, we will provide you with the Certificate after successful completion of your program. The certificate is provided on request.
: Volunteers traveling to Australia need to have a valid visa. We provide with the necessary supporting documents for your VISA application processing.
More information shall be provided after you become a Volunteering Solutions enrolled participant.
: All the major cities in Australia have connectivity with all major airlines around the world. The recommended airlines are :
QANTAS Airways
British Airways
Thai Airways
Emirates
Malaysian Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Air Asia
: Australia is a tourist friendly destination. The country welcomes you with open arms. However, you have to use your prudence to stay out of the harm’s way. For example, stay in a group or with the fellow volunteers, especially when you want to hit the bar or go grab a drink. Inform your coordinator if you have plans to explore the city alone, keep your emergency contact details always with you. Your pre-departure booklet is a good source of information for you and you must read that diligently.
: We recommend you consult your physician or travel doctor before travelling to Australia.
Generally the following vaccinations are recommended for travellers going to Australia :
– Yellow Fever (Required if travelling from a YFV infected country)
– Hepatitis A and B
– Typhoid
: Yes, for all participants it is mandatory to have a travel medical insurance.Volunteers have the option to purchase Travel and Medical Insurance at a nominal extra cost from Volunteering Solutions. To provide the best option to our participants, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage in collaboration with a leading insurance provider.
: We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions Australia program participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook Group to connect with other participants.

To read alumni interviews from past participants, visit the Meet a Volunteer section on our website.
: Accommodation will vary according to each project location. Typical accommodation includes volunteer houses, caravans, hostels, and bunkhouses. Volunteers are allotted accommodation on a sharing basis.
: Yes, however you must inform us in advance and also mention about any dietary requirement in your application form.
: Your program fee covers your Accommodation, Food and In country Support. You will need to cover your personal expenses, such as local transport, telephone, internet, shopping, weekend trips etc.
However, you should carry around $70-80 per week for your basic personal expenses. This amount can vary and you would need a higher amount if you go on weekend sightseeing tours.
: Plenty of money exchange counters and ATMs are available in Australia. at the airport as well in most Australian cities.
: Volunteers work for 3 to 8 hours a day depending on their program. However, volunteers need to be flexible, open-minded and understand that work requirements can change as well on certain occasions.