Voluntourism

By Aimée Dowl

Posted Oct. 2, 2008, at 1 p.m.

Voluntourism is a new breed of travel that transforms time off into opportunities to do good by others. Millions of Americans are funneling their unused leave days into time spent in their favorite travel destinations, such as national forests and beaches, and helping others while they're there. Whether one's soft spot is for people, animals or the land, voluntourism offer visitors a chance to learn a new skill, understand a region better or connect with locals. Many voluntourist activities are free or require that the volunteer only cover travel and accommodation expenses, so these vacations can turn out to be meaningful and inexpensive. Instead of being a tourist who takes away only snapshots and souvenirs, the voluntourist also gets to leave a little love behind.

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) - Florida Keys, Florida
© Lee Foster Lonely Planet Images.

Helping Endangered Species

For ocean and animal lovers, an excursion to the beaches along the Atlantic and gulf coasts can be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to save endangered sea turtles by "nest-sitting" eggs and hatchlings. Volunteers are needed to patrol beaches looking for and releasing the baby turtles into the open ocean. Bird watchers can combine their passion for feathered creatures by joining up with local Audubon Society chapters to count migratory birds and restore avian habitats. Earthwatch specializes in pairing eco-volunteers with scientists for two-week trips to explore and study such things as wildlife in New York City, horse harems on North Carolina's uninhabited Shackleford Island, or moose and wolves in Isle Royale National Park, Mich.

Rebuilding New Orleans

The state of Louisiana is working hard to link volunteers with opportunities to participate in the reconstruction of New Orleans and neighboring communities affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Volunteers are in great demand in N'awlins, and contributions can involve just about any skills, from gutting homes to spending time with the elderly. Donating time and maybe a little sweat to organizations, such as Acorn and Hands on New Orleans, is a great way to see the Big Easy and leave something good behind. Earthwatch also offers a trip that puts volunteers to work rebuilding caterpillar populations in New Orleans and studying the impact of the hurricanes on the gulf coast's ecosystem.

Looting by casual and professional collectors prompted calls for protection of the ruins and the Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906, Colorado
© Kraig Lieb Lonely Planet Images.

Archaeology and Restoration

Be an archaeologist for a day ... or a week or a month. Many organizations need people with little or even no experience to assist with digs in Native American settlements, investigations of colonial-era forts and restorations of 19th-century buildings. These programs teach participants how to survey and excavate archaeological sites and artefacts and generally do not charge a fee (although you might have to pay for transportation and/or accommodations). The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Passport in Time program trains volunteers in archaeological, archival and oral history practices and allows them to choose from sites all over the country. The Arizona State Museum seeks volunteers to do fieldwork primarily on 14th-century Hopi villages, and the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colo., combines training in lab analysis with excavation on the 14th-century pueblos of the Mesa Verde peoples. The Archaeological Institute of America also maintains a listing of fieldwork opportunities.

Restoring Public Lands

Every September, Americans participate in Public Lands Day, a national event to spruce up public spaces and raise awareness about maintaining them. Individuals and groups can restore trails, pick up litter, plant native trees, and much more in some of the country's most beautiful outdoor areas. Keep America Beautiful mobilizes more than seven million volunteers annually to pick up litter and plant trees in urban areas, wetlands and parks in locations across the country, and the Arbor Day Foundation can also link up voluntourists with service opportunities in just about any part of the country. The United States National Park Service has a Volunteers-in-Parks program that takes nature-lovers on longer wilderness service trips, and local clubs, such as the Adirondack Mountain Club, organize trail maintenance vacations.

Biking for Charities

Sporty voluntourists can turn their vacation into a fund-raising event by pedaling out big dollars for good causes. Whether you're up for multiple days of cycling 30 or 40 miles, or want to charge into your first "century" (100 miles in one day), bike charity rides offer fresh air, sightseeing and camaraderie with other bikers. The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge is a week-long biking event raising money for cancer research and treatment. Hoofing through western Massachusetts on one- or multi-day rides, Pan-Mass riders have so far sweated out more than 200 million dollars in donations. Bike and Build organizes long-distance tours across several states for beginner and long-time riders to raise money for low-income housing. Cyclists can search out more charity rides at Bicycling World, an organization that lists national biking events.

Bio: Aimée Dowl is a freelance writer and editor living in Quito, Ecuador. From her home at 9,200 feet above sea level, she has written for "Ms.," "Bust," "The New York Times" Lonely Planet Publications and various anthologies.

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