Ecoteer

Ecoteer volunteers use their volunteering to start a career

As a small boy Nick Hogervorst(20) from Holland loved to watch wildlife documentaries on the Discovery channel. Especially Africa drew his attention. When he got older he really went for the adventure. A three months trip to south Africa, an amazing experience. Now back in Holland he shakes up the world. Be careful with nature!

“Most of my toys were plastic wild animals or stuffed animals”, is what he remembers. “ and besides my uncle had a dairy farm where I often stayed in the holidays and helped out. I think this is where my passion for animals developed.”

After High school Nick started a study to become a veterinary assistant. the plan was to study further and become a vet. But after a while the study started to bore him so it appeared not to be the right choice. “I needed to get out and do something completely different”

“With my mum I stated to look at travel agencies. I always wanted to experience Africa. After a few weeks we found the perfect organization with amazing projects. After a intensive preparation I went to Hoedspruit, South Africa. Where I had the best 12 weeks of my life! I got the chance to help raising lion cups and rhino baby’s, caring for a cheetah cup. Training vultures and lots more. Also I achieved my FGASA level 1. That is the first level in Field guiding. So now I’m registered as a recognized first level safari guide at the field guide association southern Africa. Witch I’m proud of. I’ve learned, seen and experienced so much. And especially I’ve met incredible people. As a turned just 18 this journey had a big effect on me. I started to get really annoyed by all the things humans where doing to the beautiful nature worldwide. I had to do something, but what could I do?”

After the travel the adventurer started a new study Ecology&Wildlife. While looking for an internship he found the Atlantic whale foundation in Tenerife.

A hit !

Atlantic Whale Foundation
“This organization gives students a chance to observe and study dolphins and whales on the south coast of Tenerife. But the biggest part of the work is spent on problems in the world like whale hunting, poaching in Africa, loss of habitat, marine pollution and many more horrible subjects” Nick says.” The AWF raises awareness thru media and presentations and they also fight these problems where they start. by letting people know who is responsible for these scandals. They are also setting up new projects in counties as Sierra Leone. That is where AWF will help the community after years of war by education and setting up small businesses. They will also make documentaries and provide the opportunity for students to study the fantastic wildlife of Sierra Leone.”

Nick was very impressed by the organization of Ed Bentham, the founder of AWF, a very inspiring man. “I’ve went to Tenerife four times now to help out.”

Volunteer with Cetaceans

AWF Goes Wild
“After this experience I found it very difficult to stay busy with conservation at home. So I decided when I was back in June to set up my own part of AWF. A fundraising mechanism where I can put in all my energy and idea’s. and do completely my own thing an raise money for amazing projects around the world.”

Jake Parsons
Nick: “in the meeting at the house in Tenerife I held a shout out to anyone who would want to help me out with all my idea’s. everyone was enthusiastic and same night we all got together and had a little brainstorm. But there was one person who stood out and stayed up the whole night with me. And that person is Jake Parsons who without I would’ve never been able to do this. After a few days we decided on a name AWF Goes Wild! After that the whole thing took off and we’ve got a beautiful website.” (www.awfgoeswild.com)

Amsterdam Goes Wild
This year Nick and Jake are raising money for Save the rhino trust Namibia. This organization protects the last living wild population of black rhino’s. they raise the money by organizing big party’s around Europe the first party was on the 28^th of Oct in Club Roses Amsterdam and was a big success! And soon they will have a bar crawl in Bournemouth.

Nick is a keen Ecoteer member and is currently helping to promote not only his new ventures but also Ecoteer.com

Volunteer abroad – Ecoteer.com offers volunteer opportunities around the world

Responsible Travel in Asia – Ecoteer Responsible Travel offers green holidays which include an aspect of volunteering in Asia

Volunteerabroadasia.com– directory of low cost volunteer projects in Asia

Turtle conservation – Help Our Penyu a sea turtle conservation project was initiated by Ecoteer

Terengganu Eco and Marine Tourism Conference (TEMCO 2010)

On the 1^st November 2010 Azimi and myself went to the first Terengganu marine and ecotourism conference.  One of the highlights of the conference was listening to Anuar McAfee who told us about the birds of Terengganu. He has seen 8 species of hornbill within a square mile near Tasik Kenyir which is more than the whole of Sarawak or even Borneo has.  I was shocked to hear there were even any species of Hornbill as I thought they only lived on the island Borneo. In fact Terengganu has a large variety of birds due to many types of habitats from montane to island.  We also listened to a talk from my good friend and owner of the world renowned Sukau Rainforest Lodge – Albert Teo.  Ecoteer has volunteer opportunities at Sukau Rainforest Lodge.  He told us about his new venture in the northern part of Sabah in an area near Kudat.  He is doing capacity building and soft skills training with the local communities there with the view to opening a new community based tourism product.  I really like the way Albert is so humble even though his lodge has just been named the best accommodation in Asia at the world tourism awards –you definitely cannot say success has gone to his head.

The second day the event turned to the sea with talks on the coastal environment of Terengganu, an ecosystem named BRIS.  The dominating species of the BRIS ecosystem are Melaleuca which includes the species nicknamed the Tea Tree.  Prof Jamilah from UMT told us about how the local people use the trees for medical purposes and handicraft – this could be a possibility for community based tours.  You can get the chance to experience the BRIS environment if you join the Terengganu Turtle conservation expedition.  After the BRIS talk, Rahayu from WWF Malaysia spoke of the potential for turtle tourism in the state and Clement Lee of Borneo Divers told us how Sipadan Island and Borneo Divers have benefitted from them removing their resort off the island.  It is a real credit that Borneo Divers did remove their resort from the island and the recovery of the island just shows how much damage resorts do to marine habitats.

The conference was wrapped up by a tour of the Setiu wetlands, PEWANIS and ended up with us all planting mangrove trees.  The ladies of PEWANIS are very inspirational and are developing their own cottage industries and conservation initiatives like the mangrove replanting.  Ecoteer through their Terengganu Turtle Expedition are supporting PEWANIS.  As an expedition volunteer you will not only get to meet and dine with the ladies but also join in a mangrove tree replanting session and help them make Kerepek Pisang (Banana chips) which they are famed.

All in all the conference was very interesting and a great success.  We hope this is not the last Terengganu Eco and Marine tourism Conference but the first of many.

Well done to the organisers.

Agro-ecological farm in Costa Rica

Our agroecological farm is located in San Isidro de El General, Costa Rica, near Dominical Beach. We are an Environmental and Conservation Project, or “School Farm,” with education as our top priority. At our farm, students, volunteers, and visitors can participate, learn and help.

We receive volunteers, students, and environmental interns locally and from abroad. Primarily we work with volunteer group organizations that are interested in environmental education, however all are welcome at our farm, from individuals up to large groups.

We are very interested in welcoming volunteers from your school, organization, or program and would encourage you to visit our Ecoteer page, volunteer farm Costa Rica for more information. There you will find a detailed description of our grass roots campaign and a summary of the numerous projects we are currently working on. Please feel free to share our mission and information with your friends, family, and co-workers to help us continue our environmental education. In addition to working at our farm, we also encourage our guests to visit the local sites including Dominical and Uvita Beach and Hot Springs and we are more than happy to organize guided tours.

We offer ideal opportunities for graduate students and researchers to extend knowledge, pursue specific interests, find field work or extend opportunities for thesis material. Undergraduate students who wish to pursue a career in conservation often need volunteer work and hands-on experience as a prerequisite. This experience is an excellent way to verify an interest in a specific field. We provide excellent opportunities for gaining experience and making contacts at the outset of a professional career in conservation. In addition, students with families are always welcome as we began as a family farm.

Our family believes the best way to preserve our Planet Earth is for everyone to become active and lend a helping hand to Mother Nature. We currently have major challenges, including green house gasses and global warming, ever expanding landfills, pesticides in our fruit, vegetables, and meat, and shortages of suitable drinking water to name a few. No matter what town, country or continent you live on, we must all live together under the same sun during the day and the stars and moon at night. If we all recognized the issues and started to change one bad habit at a time it would have an enormous effect on the planet immediately, but we all must work together. So start today and join us in our mission to change our planets course and educate future generations.

Thank you for your time and consideration from the Villalobos family and we look forward to hearing from you.

Responsible Travel

There are numerous accounts of where tourism has destroyed the original reason why people came to the destination in the first place the opposite of Responsible Tourism. The natural progression for a tourism destination involves one of low impact moving into mass tourism then the demand from tourism destroys the main attraction. Examples include the Pyramids in Egypt which are eroding away due to tourists or the great barrier reef which is dying with a large proportion of the blame being laid at the feet of the tourists themselves.

So what is Responsible Tourism???

Responsible tourism is tourism that strives to minimize its impact on the environment, to respect local people and cultures, to offer economic benefit to local businesses and communities, and to provide a memorable experience for travellers and protects destinations for future generations. Using small-scale lodging, local transportation, supporting locally-owned businesses, and incorporating community-based ecotourism projects into tours are some ways travel can work towards sustainability.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provides a conceptual guide for the sustainable development of all tourism:

Responsible tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.

The UNWTO provides further guidelines at unwto.org.

Ecoteer Responsible Travel endorses the Global Responsible Tourism Criteria, an international initiative to create a common understanding of responsible tourism. Four main themes drive the criteria: effective sustainability planning; maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community; enhancing cultural heritage; and reducing negative impacts to the environment. To learn more or download the criteria go to the Global Responsible Tourism Criteria website.

How is Ecoteer Responsible Travel practising Responsible tourism?

The Global Responsible Tourism criteria can be segmented into fours easy to answer questions. All Ecoteer Responsible Travel packages must adequately answer the following questions:-

1. Does the project have a clear aim?

Without a clear and concise aim a project will not be focused and ultimately fail to fulfill its intended purpose therefore making efforts by the project largely obsolete;

2. Does the package have a low tourist impact?

Small tourist numbers ensures minimized negative social and environmental impacts. The small group sizes ensures greater involvement and connection time per tourists with the local community and/or environment maximizing enjoyable, meaningful holiday experiences;

3. Does the tour package contribute to the local community?

With each tour locally owned accommodation and restaurants will be sought and a stated proportion of your fee will go towards the local economy ensuring your dollar goes to the hands of the people and animals who need it most;

4. Is there an element of environmental and/or cultural conservation?

On each tour you will be introduced, and where possible, asked to embrace the local culture of the people you visit, building an understanding and respect between the tourist and the host community. On many of the tours, particularly the voluntours, you will actively partake in social or environmental projects helping to conserve the culture and environment which ultimately are often the purpose of your travel in first place.

It is important to know that the projects associated with Ecoteer Responsible Travel are run 100% independently and Ecoteer Responsible Travel are providing them with the opportunity to be able to achieve their aim more efficiently.

Teach English in Thailand

Ecoteer have been superb at helping us locate excellent volunteers to come on English teaching projects this summer in Surin, Thailand, but our work is never done. We are continually looking for volunteers for the year ahead to come out on one of our three English teaching projects. As well as teaching English to children and adults and our childcare project we are particularly keen on finding volunteers to spend a week on our English camp project. We have schools waiting for us to run these camps, but to do so we must find at least 3 volunteers willing to come on the same week. The English camps are a lot of fun and ideal for people who only have a short amount of time to spare. If you are planning to come to Thailand for a holiday, then why not do something different whilst you are here and get a friend or 2 to join you on an English camp? We guarantee you will have an unforgettable experience and get to see the real Thailand. For more information on this and all our projects, check out our listings on Ecoteer

For our English camps go to English education work camps in Thailand

Also check out our other projects

Teach English to children in Thailand

Teach english to adults in Thailand

Help orphans in Thailand

Voluntourism – the benefits and pitfalls

A huge proportion of people who experience volunteering while on vacation are inspired to volunteer long-term, passionate advocates or donors for their own community.  This is a huge benefit of the booming voluntourism industry, one that is so often overlooked.  A voluntourism experience offers a bit of volunteering within a normal holiday, and that’s why there is a cost involved — because people are paying for a holiday, but there is also a donation to a project involved too.

The industry is growing because more and more people are seeking meaning, fulfilment and a sense of purpose in life. If this is not met in their careers and daily lives, volunteering whilst traveling is a powerful way to meet this desire.

It is important to remember voluntourism and aid work are two distinct markets, appealing to two completely different groups.  Aid programs perform an essential role, but people involved with it are long-term participants, volunteers or otherwise. Voluntourism is for people who are going on vacation who do not have the time to be involved with traditional aid programs.

Benefits of voluntourism to the host communities depend on the skills of the volunteer.  For example, doctors provide a specific need within a community while volunteers can help build libraries, schools or houses that the community could not otherwise afford.

There also need to be benefits to the individual to ensure they have a well-rounded travel experience. A responsible voluntourism provider needs to identify the best available accommodation, which has strong environmental and social responsibility credentials and guides who are trained in responsible travel principles.

Voluntourists should look for an organization that consults with the local community, and assurance that the needs of the project has been sourced by the community rather than imposed on it externally.  Their skills should be matched to a project and be put in touch with previous clients who have volunteered there before. Voluntourism can and does make a huge difference.

For example, five years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is a growing destination for people who want to help out in a variety of areas: environmental conservation, wildlife preservation, and assisting people affected by this calamity.  There is still much to be done to help renovate houses damaged by that storm or help with skills training of long-term unemployed. This is an excellent example of all the good things voluntourism can do.

But it’s almost impossible for the discerning volunteer to figure out which volunteering organizations are doing good work and which are not.

They can cost a fortune, but local communities see little of the benefits — and all volunteers are left with is a dose of cynicism. It’s a minefield out there.

The small organizations genuinely doing good on the ground are overlooked because they can’t afford to engage in mass marketing.  This is what Ecoteer seeks to rectify by giving the smaller organisations a chance to reach the masses.  However a lot of big travel companies now create volunteering opportunities, but it just doesn’t fit with what’s really needed overseas.

There are key questions that individuals need to ask before they choose a volunteering project: Are the projects needed? Are you a charity or a profit-making company? Can I see a copy of your accounts to see where the money actually goes?

There needs to be a regulatory body that assesses the validity of different organizations and keeps the industry honest. But the large travel organizations that dominate the industry are powerful and going to be dead against the idea of a regulatory body because it will make them look as ridiculous as they are behind the gloss.  But that’s what is needed — easy access to information so individuals know their time and money will be put to good use.

Voluntourism can make tangible differences but as voluntourists its our duty to research about the projects as much as possible and go with an open mind.  Bad experiences are almost always due to high expectations after glossy brochures make it seem you will save the world. When in reality the world is a cruel place.  Go with an open heart and mind and you will have a life changing experience as well as playing a small part in helping this world. Voluntourism is the way to travel.

Ecoteer Team

Volunteer abroad

Top 5 Ecotourism destinations

Since the last few years, there has been growing awareness about the environment and sustainability, thanks to massive campaigns against global warming. This is slowly changing the trends in choice of destinations for holidaying too. There is a growing demand among travelers for destinations that are eco-friendly. You may feel that there are limited options for you to choose from. But fact is, there are countless such destinations all over the globe that are worth visiting.

Top 5 eco-tourism destinations for 2010
Here, we have listed out some of the top destinations that you can visit if you are a green warrior. These destinations are for you if you are keen on protecting the environment while traveling and having fun.

Costa Rica:
This country has been identified as the greenest country in the world. It is actively eco-friendly in every way possible. This country strives to be green, right from conserving wildlife to promoting eco-tourism. It is possibly the best example of an environment-friendly nation.

Costa Rica has beautiful black sand beaches, misty and lush green rain-forests, gushing rivers, along with a number of wildlife reserves housing some rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. There are also a large number of resorts and hotels that are nature-friendly. This is one green destination to look out for if you wish to be sensitive to the environment and have loads of fun at the same time.

Kerala, India:
This is a small state nested in the southwestern corner of India. Many call it “God’s Own Country”, a name that couldn’t be any closer to describing this heavenly destination. It is one of the most pristine locations in India, well preserved and protected.

Kerala has lush green forests and unspoiled sandy beaches. Along with this, it houses a very wide range of flora, many of them endangered. The Lake Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is home to animals like wild boar, elephants and bison. The Rajamala National Park is home to the nilgiri tahr, which is an extremely endangered species of mountain goat. This is the place for you if you like being amidst nature and take in all its sights, smells and sounds.

Brazil (also spelled Brasil):
You may not think of Brazil when it comes to green destinations, as it is known mostly for its beach holidays. But it now slowly emerging as a hot destination for eco-travelers, with the government and the people adopting many environment-friendly measures.

Brazil is home to the Amazon basin, which has been recognized as having the highest concentration of biodiversity in the world. Many species in this region are yet to be documented, and many others are rare and endangered species. To go along with this, there are a number of resorts and hotels that use eco-friendly resources. Almost as much as eighty five percent of the electricity used in homes comes from renewable sources. So if you are an environment and wildlife enthusiast, this is the place to be.

Kenya:
Kenya is a place that you would imagine as vast Savannah with zebras, lions and elephants all around. Well, you will surely find these in Kenya. But there is a lot more to explore in this country than the wildlife. It is a destination with some exciting adventures on offer.

Kenya has more than fifty national parks and wildlife reserves, with a huge variety of animals and birds along with lush rain-forests. In addition, there are lakes, sandy beaches, coral reefs, deserts, mountains and even snow-capped peaks, each with their own unique flora and fauna to boast. You will find all this in a superbly diverse ecosystem, most of which has been well-maintained and preserved. This destination is for you if you love variety and would like to take frequent safaris in thick jungles.

Norwegian Fjords:
This is a destination that not many may know of. It is extremely remote and hidden away safely by its location as well as government regulations preserving it. Norway is a world leader in environmental policy, and this is reflected in the way its ecology is preserved.

The Norwegian Fjords offer waters that are crystal clear and pristine, snow-capped mountains and cascading waterfalls. There is a lot of wildlife here to go with this scenic and beautiful surroundings. If you are looking for some fun and adventure, this place also offers you a chance to go biking and hiking across the rugged terrain if the fjord. You can also get a glimpse of age-old traditions in small fishing villages that are scattered all over the region.

These are some of the top destinations that you could look at when planning your holiday if you are looking at having a good time while keeping up your role as an eco-warrior. Happy Holidaying!!!

Ecoteer ecotourism and responsible travel

Volunteer during the World Cup

As we all know the World Cup is being held in South Africa this month.  But football is not the only thing in South Africa this year.  Read on to find out more about the volunteer opportunities Ecoteer offers in South Africa.

Humanitarian work in Tzaneen

The project is a humanitarian organization serving vulnerable, poor and orphaned children and their families in a holistic way. Volunteers will have the opportunity to work in all five main human need areas and experience the fulfilling and content feeling of changing someones destiny.

GBP150 per week

http://www.ecoteer.com/placements/placements.php?func=view&placementid=398&orgID=4930

Monkey around near the Kruger national park

This Centre has rescued primates from all over the world and currently cares for over 70 Common Marmosets, Black eared Marmosets, Common Squirrel Monkeys, Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys, Tamarins and Mona Monkeys at our South African monkey sanctuary. Based in South Africa, we have enjoyed the company of volunteer workers from the USA, UK, The Netherlands, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand.

Just GBP150 per week.

http://www.ecoteer.com/placements/placements.php?func=view&placementid=251&orgID=1084

Volunteer at this eco-camp in South Africa

We are a small, (2.5ha), fledgling, tourist resort, situated alongside near pristine sub-tropical riverine forest in Morgan Bay a small coastal resort just north of East London and immediately south of the transkei, South Africa. Our main asset is the riverine forest, trees, plants, birdlife and tranquility.

They offer free accommodation – just pay for your food!

http://www.ecoteer.com/placements/placements.php?func=view&placementid=171&orgID=761

Help in the rural areas of South Africa

This is a rural South African Non Profitable Organization based in Tsweleni, in the heart of the Wild Coast. We are dedicated to the youngest, aged between 3 to 7 years old pre-school students, and the elders living in the rural former Transkei.  Our aim is to improve health, living and learning conditions in our poverty stricken rural areas, through creative awareness, education and local empowerment.

GBP130 per week

http://www.ecoteer.com/placements/placements.php?func=view&placementid=186&orgID=776

Daniel

Volunteer abroad in ecotourism

What is sustainable tourism?

Many people have told me they are just so confused with all the different names for tourism.  One of the most common is what is sustainable tourism?

Sustainable tourism is simply tourism which has minimal impact on the location you visit.  Sustainable tourism could be in a city just as it much as in a pristine environment.  The best way to describe it is to look at the financial meltdown of Europe.  People, banks and now governments have borrowed more money than they can pay back – is that sustainable?  Could that last forever?  As we have seen the answer is no.  Linking this to tourism if you exploited the environment or mistreated people would that last forever?? The answer is no.

So how to make sure your holiday is sustainable?

1)      Ask about the facilities environmental and social policy;

2)      Pay money direct to the facilities rather than buying through an agent;

3)      Ensure you visit the local villagers and if you like their products buy direct from them;

These are just three ways to ensure your holiday is more sustainable, for more information the best website we have found is http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org/

Ecoteer has just got their licence to sell tour packages and will start to sell only true sustainable holidays.  The website is www.ecoteerresponsibletravel.com

Daniel

Volunteer Abroad

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