Turtle conservation holiday in Vanuatu
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 Turtle conservation holiday in Vanuatu makes a difference
Environment
The last 50 to 100 years have seen a marked increase in the killing of all age classes of turtles for their eggs, shells, and meat. Hawksbill turtle populations have been severely depleted and as a result have been listed as a critically endangered species by the IUCN.
In Vanuatu a grassroots effort to stop this decline has sprouted up in rural communities across the country. The Vanua-Tai (meaning of land and sea) Natural Resource Monitors is a national network of community members that are working within their communities to institute bans on the harvest of turtles and their eggs.
As a volunteer with this project you will have the opportunity to work side by side with community members as they begin the first year of a long-term nesting survey. This first year will be a real learning experience for the community as they learn just how many turtles use this nesting beach and how to manage the survey for themselves.
Community
Our volunteers support this program by providing extra funds and labour to develop the conservation of sea turtles in Vanuatu. Volunteers provide valuable assistance in data collection, while also funding local project managers, turtle guides and staff who manage the food and accommodation.
We therefore not only support local communities through providing employment, but have also increased community awareness of sea turtle conservation, meaning they are now working to co-exist with these sea turtle populations, and develop ecotourism initiatives.
Turtle conservation holiday in Vanuatu
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