Web Exclusive: Turn Over a New Leaf With a Volunteer Vacation Eight trips that offer a way to give back, from digging for dinosaur bones in Texas to planting trees in the Galápagos BY STIRLING KELSO
A volunteer with LEAD Adventures makes a new friend in Ecuador; fun with kids at Hope Community School, met during a Spark Ventures trip in Zambia.
Most volunteer vacations involve some work and some play—but every one is an experience that leaves you with a deep connection to a place. Opportunities exist around the world; the trips cited below are only a tiny sampling. Consult the websites and the Additional Resources at the end of this article to find a trip that’s right for you.
TIOMAN ISLAND, MALAYSIA Biosphere Expeditions Conservation-minded Biosphere Expeditions has a new trip for scuba enthusiasts. Divers survey the 600-plus types of coral around Tioman Island in eastern Malaysia, where marine life has been marred by a boom in population and tourism. Volunteers stay on a 45-foot yacht while diving in seldom-explored waters; they also earn Reef Check EcoDiver certification at the program’s end. 800-407-5761; biosphereexpeditions.org; $2,140 per person; March 18–30 and April 1–13, 2012; prior PADI Open Water Diver scuba certification required