The height of hope
Wildlife Research and Conservation in Thailand
Explore the lush forests of Chiang Mai, Thailand and contribute to vital elephant conservation efforts.
10 - 20 hrs of fieldwork per week
1:12 staff to participant ratio
Program information
Join World of Difference on a trek deep into the lush forests of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Here our team of experts work alongside the local Karen community to help integrate Asian elephants back into the wild. Students will have the unique opportunity to contribute to elephant conservation efforts and environmental awareness projects. This immersive program will also allow students to form deep connections with the local community, learning about their rich history, culture and customs.
Itinerary
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Support & Safety
We won’t sugarcoat it — traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.
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Your Impact
All of our programs have short-, mid- and long-term objectives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Prior to your arrival on base, you will be educated about the UN SDGs. Then once you arrive on base, you’ll learn about the specific goals we have in this particular location, our various objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to be an active global citizen after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
World of Difference Chiang Mai’s programs work in collaboration with the local Karen hill tribe community and village of Huay Pakoot. We work with the local government school – with both teachers and students. Our school-based teaching involves English language, health and wellness workshops, environmental education workshops and sports activities. Our community-based lessons involve adult and child learners in the community. These are often informal evening sessions, based around what the learners want to learn. Upskilling in English helps facilitate a self-sustainable ecotourism industry.
To promote sustainable ecotourism, we work with the elephant-keeping community to assist monitor the introduction of elephants into their natural habitat after their previous lives in tourist camps. Your contribution will assist in keeping these elephants in protected forests, continuing the conservation of these beautiful animals and what remains of their fragmented forest habitats, as well as providing funding to keep the project running. The goal of this project is to have semi-wild herds of elephants living, socialising and foraging in their natural habitat – supervised by their mahouts (elephant keepers) from the local village.
Adult English classes
Teach English classes to the wider community to boost skills and improve ecotourism opportunities.
School classes
Deliver workshops on English, environmental and conservation issues, or sports activities to schools.
Community project work
Depending on community needs, engage in additional project work, which may include delivering workshops.
Learn about traditional health practices
Experience community health activities and events while learning historic medicinal practices. Activities may include cultural and medicinal hikes and promoting sustainable farming and good nutrition.
Elephant surveys
Hike through nearby forests and hills to collect data on elephants. Participate in health checks and record information about their health and behaviour.
Biodiversity surveys
Survey various taxa around the local community, including birds, mammals, insects and reptiles. Conduct biodiversity surveys of bats in remote hillsides and caves.
Gibbon surveys
Help protect critically endangered white-handed gibbons by recording observations on their behaviour, sounds and feeding habits.
Citizen science data
Input data from conservation surveys into local and global citizen science databases, such as eBird and iNaturalist.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals
All of our programs have short-, mid- and long-term objectives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). We want to be able to measure our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, so all our staff and volunteers know which UN SDGs they’re making a substantial contribution to. This also helps our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Prior to your arrival on base, you’ll be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. Then, once on base you’ll learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also insight into how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
Project objectives
World of Difference Chiang Mai long-term objectives:
1. To provide quality English education and support for community development of the Huay Pakoot village.
2. To create a viable self sustaining ecotourism program for Huay Pakoot village.
3. To improve standards of living and job opportunities for the community in the Huay Pakoot village.
4. To improve sustainable natural resource management in the Huay Pakoot area.
5. To increase and promote ethical elephant treatment and a thriving population of wild White-handed gibbons in the Huay Pakoot area.
Speak to alumni
If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a World of Difference project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.
We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.
Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to World of Difference Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.
Get a first-hand perspective
