Summer volunteering, a different kind of vacation

A different kind of vacation based on sustainability is possible, and we'll tell you how and where to find it. Practicing sustainable tourism can include different activities in which we take an active role to help conserve the environment, help groups at risk of social exclusion and learn about the land.

Access different options to leave mass tourism by the wayside and participate in responsible tourism.

What types of volunteering will you find?

Participate in organic farms

This work is an experience for the volunteer since, in addition to helping with production, they will learn first-hand the techniques and materials necessary for this popular method for growing food.
Their work method consists in offering lodging and food, in exchange for working on the farmland, and the training this involves, 4 to 6 hours daily.
 
Advantages? You can meet people from all over the world, practice languages, and learn how to make an ecological farm. Additionally, its network covers the entire world, so you can choose between a far away Asian country or the heart of Africa, South America, Europe...

Get to know this volunteer network at: http://www.wwoof.net/ ¡Become a woofer!

Volunteer at Natural Parks

This type of volunteering generally focuses on work related to the conservation and development of parks, although we can also find areas that are unprotected.

Tasks can be very diverse, such as maintenance, planting, studying fauna and the land... You will be in direct contact with nature and it is organized by various NGO's dedicated to caring for and protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Learn more at: http://www.wwf.es/

Volunteering in developing countries

This is the most well-known type of volunteering, where you work on the land helping to develop local communities that lack minimal services like: sanitation, healthcare, infrastructure, transportation... even food and water.

Generally, the most requested individuals for this type of volunteering are doctors, nurses, architects... who can contribute their professional experience to accelerate development of areas in need, although other individuals are accepted for different tasks.
You can find various options at, for example, http://www.hacesfalta.org

All of these volunteering opportunities have in common that they are not one-time actions, they are mid or long-term, and involve travel that is almost always paid by the volunteer. They do not include compensation (generally), but they do include lodging and meals during the stay of the volunteer.

Volunteering in the European Union

Within the European Volunteer Service (EVS) you can enjoy environmental experiences, for example at farms, environmental associations, and social experiences, working with groups in need like the handicapped, older people, and other groups at risk of social exclusion. These cover practically all of the transportation and daily expenses; and can be done within the European Union and in other countries.

Some examples of where these opportunities are published, which include programs from 2 to 12 months: https://www.salto-youth.net/ and http://oportunidadeuropa.com/

What do they offer?

A different kind of "vacation", in which we become more caring, we get to know people with the same concerns and we learn about the land. But, above all, we will know that we are helping to build a more sustainable world (environmentally, socially and economically) through our work.