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Conservation volunteering in the UK

COUNTRY:
UK
DEPARTURES:
2012: 16 Aug
PRICE:
From £250 (7 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:
From £250 (7 days) excluding flights.
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can not be used with this holiday
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Conservation volunteering in the UK

Conservation volunteering in the UK

Volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world.
Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.

How this holiday makes a difference

Conservation variety holidays give volunteers a chance to undertake a variety of conservation projects, which will help to conserve valuable wildlife habitats and protect special landscapes. Whatever the activity you choose, you can be sure that your hard work will be contributing to a sustainable future for our planet.

Our conservation holidays often take place on land owned or managed by other countryside conservation organisations such as the National Trust, National Park Authorities and Wildlife Trusts, and our volunteers' work thus contributes to their management objectives for these sites.

Our UK Conservation Holidays offer you a unique opportunity to take part in activities which improve the environment and protect the beautiful landscapes of the UK and their associated wildlife habitats and natural heritage and also leave a worthwhile legacy for future generations. Working with like-minded people in small groups (max: 12) you will share a common goal of ‘getting the job done’ and have fun in the process. Our trained leaders are there to ensure you have a good time, but also to make sure that health and safety rules are followed. In the evenings talks are sometimes held about the site and its importance to the flora and fauna of the area or you could visit a local pub and mix with the locals. If there is a day off, you can visit local attractions thus making sure that local people are benefitting from your visit.

We encourage the use of public transport to get to the pick-up point (usually a train station) where a minibus is waiting to take you to the accommodation. Our accommodation is where possible locally owned and run and can vary from a local village hall to youth hostels or barn conversions on working farms. Working closely with local partners and other countryside organisations our work contributes to both local and national objectives for these sites.

We work to create a more sustainable future by inspiring people to improve places. We were established in 1959, and have a successful history of environmental conservation volunteering throughout the UK. Through our goals and values we aim to enhance and enrich people’s lives, the communities in which they live and the quality of their environment.

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Conservation volunteering in the UK

Reviewed 12 Sep 2007 by Nicola Scott4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The bonfire! And enjoying the company of other volunteers

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Make sure you take something long-sleeved to wear! And don't worry about food - there was plenty to eat...

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes - particularly local environment. Perhaps volunteers could be persuaded to use public transport more to get to UK holidays, to reduce the impact on the environment.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Really enjoyed it - it was a great escape from 'real life' and I would definitely do it again.

Reviewed 18 Aug 2007 by Adam Robinson4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Building dry stone bridges.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Make sure you have steel toe capped boots (I did).

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Benefited school children who used the centre.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Excellent, I enjoyed it.

Reviewed 04 Aug 2006 by Jenny Dawkins4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Getting caked head to foot in mud at Nell Bank, Ilkley’s ‘Mud Trail’; hurling mud at people who were complete strangers 5 days before and receiving it in the face in return, and then jumping, fully clothed and Wellington boot-ed into the river to clean off. And loving it. Totally rediscovered my inner tomboy, and had a huge laugh.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Be prepared to just go for it – you’re only there for a week, so get stuck in with the conservation work, and the running around having fun, sooner rather than later. Don’t let shyness or hesitation stop you! I’d also encourage solo travellers in particular to go for it – it’s a really easy and fun way of holidaying somewhere different with a great variety of people who you’d never normally encounter in ‘normal life’.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Well, we arrived at the beginning of the week and were told we needed to build a path in order to increase access to the field centre where we were working, for wheelchair users. At the beginning of the week, there was no path. At the end of the week, there was. So there was a clear achievement which will make the woodland more accessible for a wider variety of people. Most of us took the train to get there too – extra green points.

4. Any other comments?


I had loads of fun – enjoyed myself much more than I ever expected, and, as an extra bonus, came away with muscles I never had (even after a week of almost constant cake-eating) I’ve already recommended it to lots of friends.
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Holiday Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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