Boldly Go Solo

Not all travel has to be about vacationing, in the sense of wining, dining and sightseeing. You could choose, instead, to wade into a culture or a community by serving as a volunteer. 

It’s almost a guarantee that lots of people will arrive solo. Imagine trying to convince a travel buddy to catch, color-band and release migratory songbirds in the Tetons the exact same week you want to catch, color-band and release migratory songbirds in the Tetons. 

Several organizations offer opportunities for "voluntourism." Here are a few:

Earthwatch invites people to work on scientific field research or conservation projects in one of about 50 countries. Volunteers range in age from 10 to 90. Examples of Earthwatch’s activities include banding penguins in South Africa or tagging sea turtles on Pacific beaches.

And who knows when Leo DiCaprio might show up to give you a pat on the back. He’s currently an organization spokesman.

Global Volunteers
offers one- to three-week programs for teaching English, spending time with
at-risk children, landscaping or building playgrounds, in one of 100
communities in 20 countries. The programs are year-round. They say you don’t
need experience.

The International Volunteer Programs Association
can help you find volunteer and internship exchanges.  The "Why Volunteer"
page offers a thoughtful explanation of, well, why to volunteer. It gently explains that you are unlikely to change the world in a week. Communities’ social and political problems are complex. 

"Thus, the volunteer’s most appropriate role
is that of a student. Working abroad can better your understanding of
the world and forces that keep people impoverished, and enhance your
appreciation for the richness of other cultures."

Also check out Action Without Borders, the American Hiking Society, Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village and Volunteer Match.

One more resource for today. Karen Foerstel writes regularly about voluntourism at travelbeat.net. She recently wrote about Keepers of the Wild, a sanctuary for abused and abandoned wildlife in  Arizona.

So, go out there and get ’em tiger. Try volunteering.

Photo: Keepers of the Wild