Ecoteer

Day 1 – Going to Tenggol island and walking to Rantau Abang

Coral bleaching

Interview with Capt Mok

Walking Tanjong Jara Resort to Rantau Abang

Sea turtles are “ambassadors of the oceans”, for conserving these animals means protecting the seas and coastal areas. The collection of nesting numbers is vital for their conservation but has never been conducted statewide in Terengganu therefore the walk will provide invaluable data which the decision makers wouldnt otherwise have. The Walk for Turtles event is a 10 day walk which will start, annually, on World Sea Turtle Day (16th June), in 2010 from Dungun to Kuala Besut, visiting every beach along the way (mainland and islands). The team will be collecting invaluable sea turtle data during the walk, visit conservation projects and give awareness talks. The data will be used to identify potential new areas for sea turtle nest conservation in Terengganu. The walk will be further extended in 2011 to cover all beaches in the State of Terengganu resulting in a thorough annual monitoring of sea turtle nesting densities. Raising awareness is the second objective of the walk with the team hosting presentations, meeting turtle conservation experts and visiting conservation projects. The event will be broadcast via the worldwide web, television and newspapers raising awareness throughout the world. The third objective of the walk is to raise RM100,000 for sea turtle conservation projects throughout Terengganu. The funds will be used to support sea turtle conservation in Terengganu, Malaysia.

To find out more walk for turtles

15th June – the night before – walk for turtles :-)

Sea turtles are “ambassadors of the oceans”, for conserving these animals means protecting the seas and coastal areas. The collection of nesting numbers is vital for their conservation but has never been conducted statewide in Terengganu therefore the walk will provide invaluable data which the decision makers wouldnt otherwise have. The Walk for Turtles event is a 10 day walk which will start, annually, on World Sea Turtle Day (16th June), in 2010 from Dungun to Kuala Besut, visiting every beach along the way (mainland and islands). The team will be collecting invaluable sea turtle data during the walk, visit conservation projects and give awareness talks. The data will be used to identify potential new areas for sea turtle nest conservation in Terengganu. The walk will be further extended in 2011 to cover all beaches in the State of Terengganu resulting in a thorough annual monitoring of sea turtle nesting densities. Raising awareness is the second objective of the walk with the team hosting presentations, meeting turtle conservation experts and visiting conservation projects. The event will be broadcast via the worldwide web, television and newspapers raising awareness throughout the world. The third objective of the walk is to raise RM100,000 for sea turtle conservation projects throughout Terengganu. The funds will be used to support sea turtle conservation in Terengganu, Malaysia.

To find out more walk for turtles

Volunteer in Asia, it sticks to you

Asia sticks to you. The joss sticks lit for the household shrines in Thailand impart a sweet perfume to the thick air. The heavenly aroma of Indian spices follows you for days.

This is a spiritual place infused with the gods of past and present: the ancient spirits of the land and the family, the deities of Buddhism and Hinduism and the rules of Islam. Architectural wonders and sacred spaces abound from the Great Wall of China and the temples of Angkor to lesser known marvels in Myanmar, Nepal and Afghanistan.

From sublime coastlines to snow capped mountains, rolling landscapes fed by the monsoon rains and frenetic cities fizzling with energy, the diversity of Asia’s landscapes is mind-boggling. As are their highlights from trekking Malaysia’s steamy jungles and wildlife spotting in southern India to riding horses through the Mongolian steppes, skiing Japan’s Alps and dodging falling coconuts on of the continents many remote islands.

Then there’s the food. Tuck into fiery Indian curries, get adventurous with a local dish from a road side stall and gulp down a hearty bowl of Japanese ramen. With its colours, smells, flavours and personalities, you’ll find Asia is deliciously rewarding.

Asia truely is one of the best continents to explore and immerse yourself in culture and thus is a hotspot to volunteer.

Volunteering abroad in Asia

There are numerous opportunities to volunteer in Asia.  Volunteering in Asia can take you from the cold lake of Baikal in Russia to the lush tropical island of Perhentian in Malaysia.  Another added bonus about volunteering in Asia is that it is easy to travel around for individual volunteers.  Combining both volunteering and backpacking all into one trip – which could last a life time.
Volunteer in Malaysia

Help the people and turtles of Perhentian, Malaysia

Be apart of Help Our Penyu’s fledgling community-based turtle conservation and marine awareness program in the most beautiful bay in the Perhentian Islands, off mainland Malaysia. Green turtles are in dire need of our help especially in Terengganu, where 4 species of marine turtle nest but three of them, the hawksbill, Olive Ridley and Leatherbacks are almost locally extinct. The populations of green Turtles in the area have also decreased by 80% in little over 50 years, so we are desparately trying to prevent the Green Turtles going locally extinct as well.

Volunteer with Turtles

Volunteer in India

Organic Yoga farm

We are a farm retreat located in Muthalamada near Chulliar Dam in the Palakkad District of Kerala. The center is set in the ambiance of our organic farm at the base of the Nelliampathy hills falling along the southern edge of the Palakkad gap.

Organic farm originated as an attempt to find ones earthy moorings at the culmination of a period of inner search, replete with inner struggles and wanderings. It was also a phase of dwelling on the teachings of J.Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, Gita and Ramakrishna.’ Sradha’ is intended as a place for physical work and inner inquiry.

volunteers are expected to take part in the activities here and also find time for silence, reading , inner inquiry, yoga etc.

Volunteer at yoga retreat

Volunteer at Tiger lodge

Nestled deep in the picturesque Ramganga valley and surrounded by lush hills, the Lodge lies in total seclusion with the meandering Ramganga virtually cutting it off from human habitation. The lodge is strategically located on the banks of the river, the lifeline of Corbett, before it enters the park at Domunda. We provide a unique wildlife experience for nature lovers and easily ranks as one of the wildest jungle lodges in India. The rustle of the breeze in the adjoining forests, the calls of birds, the rumble of the river as it goes over rapids and sitting around a campfire at night to hear alarm calls of sambar and barking deer, provides an unforgettable dimension to the ambience. What makes it unique is the diversity it offers. The envious location affords long walks into the surrounding forest, something not permitted inside the park. A good mix of riverine, forest and high altitude habitat makes it a birdwatchers haven. With exclusive fishing beats replete with Golden Mahseer, anglers have rated it as the best sportfishing destination in North India. The added attraction of elephant safaris in the wild country makes this an irresistable proposition.

Volunteer with tigers in india

Volunteer in Thailand

Teaching in Thailand

Surin is one of the poorest regions in Thailand and most adults have had no English language education in their lives. Poor workers whether Farmers, Government employees or Tuk Tuk drivers can’t afford to take language lessons and yet they would benefit greatly from even having a fundamental grasp of the English language. English is the ’the’ global language and as the country develops and integrates more with the rest of the world, it is important that it’s poorest citizens don’t get left behind. LemonGrass aims to help some of the poorer adults in society by providing courses run by western volunteers. The interaction, the experience and the early steps of learning English can give disadvantaged people in Thailand a real start and help them in their lives and careers. Whilst Surin is far from the tourist trail, offering volunteers a taste of the real Thailand, more and more adventurous travellers and businesses are appearing in the region, making this an ideal opportunity to help poor communities grow. Working with adults is a great way for western people to make some lifelong friends with people from a very different culture.

Volunteer teaching in Thailand

Volunteer with elephants

Elephant Nature Park is a unique project set in Northern Thailand. Established in the 1990″s our aim has always been to provide a sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants. The park is set in Chiang Mai province, some 60km from the city, and has provided a sanctuary for over 34 distressed elephants from all over Thailand. Set in a natural valley, bordered by a river, and surrounded by forested mountains the area offers a timeless glimpse of rural life.

Elephant volunteer jobs are varied, from bathing elephants to basic health care. Traveling around the country in a variety of modes, from 4 wheel truck to bamboo raft volunteers will experience local and tribal lifestyles, culture and hospitality

Volunteer with elephants in Thailand

Volunteer in Laos

Help the northern communities of Laos

The GreenHeart Foundation is dedicated to Lao cultural preservation through the promotion of Lao textile arts. It is our goal to economically and socially benefit Lao rural mountain artisans and thereby contribute to the wider community especially to women.  The project was initiated in 2007 and now needs helpers for a new strategy progress.

The aim is to re-start the foundations work within the target villages by end of this year. At the moment the project needs planning, development of back office, management and creative computer work, PR work…

Volunteer with Laos community

Volunteer in Sri Lanka

Medicinal plants are disappearing fast

We are a grassroot NGO involved in conservation of fast disappearing native plant species and documentation of indigenous knowledge or ethno botanical values associated with native plants. We possess a wonderful arboretum with rare medicinal and wild fruit plants with plenty of valuable traditional knowledge and all volunteers are placed in our arboretum in eco friendly architecture. Our main objective is to propagate these rare plants amongst Sunday schools in rural church parishes and Buddhist monasteries with hands on experience.

Volunteer in Sri Lanka

Volunteer abroad with Ecoteer

Ecoteer is a community of volunteer and volunteer projects abroad.  Ecoteer members can contact the volunteer projects directly eliminating the middleman or agents costs which inflate volunteer fees.  Ecoteer has volunteer opportunities, teach abroad placements, and internships abroad in many industries including ecotourism, conservation, community work and teaching.

To find how you can volunteer abroad visit www.Ecoteer.com today.

Worst coral bleaching event on record!

I’m volunteering at a Thai University, and have been studying corals for several months now. Naturally, when the opportunity came to go to the Andaman Sea for field work, I jumped at the chance. We were going to survey the extent of what we initially thought to be a local coral bleaching event, and although I knew it would not be pretty, I had seen a few bleached corals before, and wasn’t expecting a shock. My expectations could not have been further from the harsh, stark white reality. Looking from the boat into the crystal clear waters around Ko Adang, it was obvious from the surface that the corals, usually rich tapestry of mixed purple, green, browns, yellows and blues, were all startlingly pale. Closer inspection on SCUBA revealed that almost 100% of corals were affected. Some were bleached only partially, with pale hints of their previous colour or small patches that were less severely affected, but most were all over a brilliant glaring white. Giant clams, anemones, soft corals and zooanthids were all also affected.

Alarmed at what we had seen, we contacted people over a wider area and my fields at Ecoteer informed me that Malaysia has also suffered severe bleaching. It seems that the entire Indian Ocean has been affected, from Mauritius right across South East Asia to Papua new Guinea. There are even predictions that this event, caused by an extended spell of calm, warm weather conditions, may be even worse than the widespread mass coral bleaching of 1998 which is the worst on record. Both 1998 and 2010 are El ninio year’s, where prolonged hot weather creates stressful conditions for marine life. In response to the stress, corals eject their symbiotic algae, known as zooxanthellae, which give them their bright colours. They then appear ‘bleached’ and have transparent tissues, leaving the white skeleton clearly visible. However the zooxanthellae give corals part of the energy they require to survive, and without them the corals soon die.

We do not expect our bleached reefs to be able to survive much longer. Unless the temperature cools quickly, all that we can do is monitor any recovery. But perhaps we can give the reefs a helping hand… by working with local communities as a ‘coral dating service’ to help enable the few surviving colonies connect with one another when they are able to spawn again! Re-growing coral reefs is a slow process though, and ultimately reducing our carbon emissions to stop the trend of increasingly severe and frequent El nino event is the only hope for recovery of our precious coral reefs.

If you have bleaching reports, or would like more information on what can be done please contact Cat Wilding at Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. cat.wilding@hotmail.co.uk

volunteer abroad

Walk for Turtles

Sea turtles are “ambassadors of the oceans”, for conserving these animals means protecting the seas and coastal areas. The collection of nesting numbers is vital for their conservation but has never been conducted statewide in Terengganu therefore the walk will provide invaluable data which the decision makers wouldnt otherwise have.
The Walk for Turtles event (organised by Ecoteer and Help Our Penyu) is a 10 day walk which will start, annually, on World Sea Turtle Day (16th June), in 2010 from Dungun to Kuala Besut, visiting every beach along the way (mainland and islands). The team will be collecting invaluable sea turtle track and body pit data during the walk, visit conservation projects and give awareness talks. The data will be used to identify potential new areas for sea turtle nest conservation in Terengganu. The walk will be further extended in 2011 to cover all beaches in the State of Terengganu resulting in a thorough annual monitoring of sea turtle nesting densities. Raising awareness is the second objective of the walk with the team hosting presentations, meeting turtle conservation experts and visiting conservation projects. The event will be broadcast via the worldwide web, television and newspapers raising awareness throughout the world. The third objective of the walk is to raise RM100,000 for sea turtle conservation projects throughout Terengganu. The funds will be used to support sea turtle conservation in Terengganu, Malaysia.

Please follow us via our facebook group and twitter to get latest video blogs and tweets.

You may donate to the turtles of Terengganu through Ecoteer

Conservation politics

I hope the title to this blog makes people think why?? Why conservation politics??

The truth is that the more you get involved in conservation the less it has to do with biology. Yes the biological fundamentals are important however without the backing of politics and economics the biological side of conservation will not go anywhere. This is something many learn on the job.  I was the same as most biology students at university, hoping that I would pursue a future career in conservation and dreaming up many ways to conserve ecosystems. Good old David Attenborough was chiefly responsible for this.
But in fact if I went back to study I wouldn’t actually study biology or conservation. I would study either economics or politics. The reason being that without humans, conservation is no longer needed and if species went extinct it would be due to a change in climate and natural selection. You see, I am a strong believer that the only thing conservationists should do, is take out the human factor and the animals or ecosystem will right itself – the world was doing this far before we landed upon this planet so why do we think we can do it better. But to do this you do not need a background in biology but politics or economics.

400,000 sea turtle eggs were eaten in 2007 in Terengganu, Malaysia



The world is full of examples where we know the biology but without a change in law or human mentality then nothing will happen. The best example would be the consumption of turtle eggs in Terengganu, Malaysia. Over double the number of eggs which are laid, are eaten each year in the State of Terengganu so not only are the turtle populations in the state being eaten to extinction but also the surrounding states and countries. The issue is not biological, its political and economical. It is currently legal to consume turtle eggs however three out of the four species of turtles (Leatherback, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley) which nest in the state do so in numbers of less than 20 per year. The Green turtles are also on the same path with a population decline of more than 80% in the last 4o years. The Green turtles would be virtually saved in Terengganu if one thing happened – if there was the political will to make it illegal to eat all turtle eggs. Now you see the issue is not biological, and in fact, the biology is common sense if you eat more eggs that are laid the species population will decline until local extinction occurs.

These are the issues conservationists are facing all around the world in every ecosystem in the 21st century.

The true understanding of conservation can only be learnt on the job and that is why jobs in conservation normally go to people which have already been connected to the project in some way. This is the reason why volunteering at conservation projects is the best way to start a career in conservation.
For more information about volunteering in conservation go to www.ecoteer.com

If you would like to find out more about sea turtles in Malaysia please go to www.helpourpenyu.com

Daniel
Volunteer abroad

Ecoteer Photo Contest

Win RM500 off volunteering with Help Our Penyu in Malaysia by submitting your best volunteering photos! Enter your best photo and then get your friends to vote for you.

Contest Starts: April 01, 2010 @ 07:00 am (PDT)

Contest Ends: April 23, 2010 @ 07:00 am (PDT)

Voting Ends: April 30, 2010 @ 15:00 (GMT)

HURRY! Hop over here to join!

Help Our Penyu – week 1

Ecoteer‘s fledgling project Help Our Penyu has had its first set of volunteers. They arrived on 5th and 6th April. Fresh and upto the challenge Fiona, Bethan, Tom, Jack, Melda and Hannah took to island life in the resort. To be honest it was touch and go as to whether we had rooms for them. The resort where the Help Our Penyu project is based was being redeveloped over the monsoon period. Jimmy and I turned up a week before to a quarter built resort but after a week of late nights the builders and staff managed to get the staff block finished so the volunteers could stay in new rooms.

The week got off to a good start with a very successful Turtles Need Trees Club session – even though the village had a blackout half way through Jimmy’s presentation to the kids. This is why he looks a little tense in the video below. He recovered like a seasoned professional and managed to get the kids naming fauna and flora in English. One of the objectives of the club is to help improve the children’s confidence in English. Bethan was really getting stuck into talking to the children as they wanted to teach her Malaysian. I think there could be a future teacher in her! The kids then started to make craft of animals either origami with Melda or plasticine with Jack. The first session went as well as could be expected as we were lambs to the slaughter sometimes with a wild bunch of 50+ 8-10 year olds. But hey we all enjoyed it including the kids and we got them to start thinking about the wildlife around the islands.

Help Our Penyu is currently being registered as an independent Malaysian society which is the equivalent of a charity in the UK. However this process takes over 18 months in Malaysia due to all the red tape but we have to start the ball rolling. So fingers crossed by this time next year we will be a fully registered society.

One of the campaigns of Help Our Penyu is the walk for turtles event. The four species of sea turtle in the State of Terengganu (where Help Our Penyu works) are virtually extinct with nesting numbers per year in single numbers. The turtles are in dire straits and the green turtles are not far behind. The issue is that many of the local communities depend on turtles for tourism but they also eat the turtles eggs so they are eating their livelihoods away! This is something that Help Our Penyu will tackle in Perhentian with assistance for alternative livelihoods like homestays, direct conservation jobs and craft making with rubbish. However the walk tackles a problem which is hard to overcome – an accurate survey of nesting activity on all beaches of the beaches in Terengganu. This data is much needed and is not cost effective to be done other than by sponsored events like the Walk for Turtles. We are also seeking to raise money for sea turtle projects in Terengganu. Help Our Penyu will use the money to establish a second turtle hatchery in Perhentian and to develop infrastructure in the village to develop homestays for volunteers to stay at.

To find out more about volunteering with Help Our Penyu and the Walk for Turtles please visit help our penyu and join our facebook group – and follow Help our Penyu on twitter.