As the weather gets warmer, getting outside is a must on vacation. So why not make your next summer trip even more meaningful by volunteering in the great outdoors?
Now, you may have heard of sea turtle rescue programs in Costa Rica. But there’s also a program right here in the U.S., in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. These guys especially need help in the summer when the sea turtles come to lay their eggs, with volunteers patrolling the beaches from May to mid-August.
Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care in California is a wildlife rehab center. In one year, they saved almost 6,000 local birds, mammals and reptiles—and volunteers are always welcome.
And on the East Coast, the New York Restoration Project has evolved into a huge movement to create and maintain community gardens in all five boroughs. Only have a day to get involved? You can still help by removing trash, planting flowers, and removing invasive species from the gardens.
Bottom line—volunteering on your vacation is as much or as little as you make of it, and the opportunities may be as close as your own backyard.
For more information, visit the voluntourism archives.
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