Protect endangered wallabies and restore a beautiful island in the Great Barrier Reef
Program Overview
On this once in a lifetime trip you’ll travel to North Queensland, and spend time in both the stunning Great Barrier Reef and the Australian outback. For the first two weeks you’ll work with rare wallabies in Avocet Nature Reserve, followed by two weeks restoring Brampton island, a subtropical island surrounded by coral reef. During your time, you’ll have the opportunity to see native Australian wildlife, such as koalas, kangaroos and goannas.
Your work with the Flashjack wallaby will involve working on a recovery plan for them and supporting a variety of reserve management activities. In addition, your conservation work on Brampton Island will provide a lasting benefit for local animals and plants, in particular sea turtles, which are often injured or killed from being tangled in the garbage in the water and on shore.
Life on the Program
At Avocet Reserve, you’ll get up early to check sand traps to check the level of feral animal activity, which will help ecologists develop animal management plans. On Brampton Island you’ll remove invasive species in the morning and afternoons are usually spent monitoring the coral reef during low tide, with evenings free to hike, swim, and watch the amazing sunset.
A catamaran will take you to Brampton Island where you’ll set up camp with other volunteers in a secluded bay. You’ll stay in shared tents and can enjoy camping next to the ocean, listening to the waves crash against the shore. There’s a BBQ and camp area where you will help out with cooking and cleaning duties. You should expect a more basic form of living, with no access to electricity or internet, although stops will be made in between project sites where you’ll be able to check email and do laundry.
Program Details
On the first phase of your placement, help protect the population of wallabies by;
- Flashjack trapping and monitoring
- Helping with prerelease feeding and the release itself (if available)
- Setting and monitoring sand plots, sensor cameras and trapping stations
- Collecting data to assess population densities, and assist with campsite maintenance
On Brampton Island, you’ll contribute to restoring the island to its natural state by:
- Helping us with the process of removing invasive weeds on the island
- Cleaning the trash on beaches, classifying it into different groups and recording the information. This data is sent to a scientific researcher who investigates the dangerous effects of plastic and other litter on sea turtles.
- Monitoring the water and coral quality. Fertilizers and pesticides are negatively affecting the Great Barrier Reef and pose a significant threat to the coral reef.
Volunteer Testimonials
Camping on a beautiful tropical island seemed too good to be true even if we had to ‘earn our keep’ by pulling out a few weeds. The outstanding things for me were the sheer beauty of the place, the warm water (very handy for a moonlight swim), and the sense of achievement from leaving the island in better shape than when we arrived.
Spending a week on the beach of a remote island, meeting new people and enjoying plenty of free time to explore, all while helping with conservation work...what's not to like? My recent trip on Brampton Island was a great experience and one that I'd recommend to nearly anyone I know.
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Program Details
Build Your Program
What's Included
- Pre-departure support and discounted services
- 24-hour emergency phone
- Airport pick-up (unless otherwise stated)
- Arrival orientation
- Long term experienced staff
- Safe and basic accommodations (usually shared)
- All meals (unless otherwise stated in field manuals)
- Welcome meeting
- Location orientation
- All necessary project training by experienced staff
- All necessary project equipment and materials
- 24-hour in-country support
- Transfer to and from Brampton Island by catamaran
- All equipment required for the work
- An introduction to a practical environmental and conservation education
- Night safari - giving you a chance to spot nocturnal wildlife
What's Not Included
- Flights
- Medical and travel insurance
- Visa costs
- Personal kit
- Additional drinks and gratuities
- Extra local excursions
- International and domestic airport taxes
- Meals during your two days off in Mackay
