What voluntary work is most valuable?

[JALT]

Hi

I'm volunteering for a conservation company in South Africa. It's an internationally recognised corporation and works at policy/NGO level. We are working mainly with small conservation projects that require funding, business advice, marketing advice etc to get them off the ground. They must just have a conservation benefit to apply (this could be wetlands restoration, a business entity or an eco-school). My contract is for six months and I have already done 2 months of it.

I have the chance to switch early mid-May to a wildlife rehabilitation sanctuary (primates) as a staff member here in South Africa (found through GVI) that works with volunteers from around the world. This would pretty much just be driving volunteers around and collecting the animal food etc for 4 months, so miles apart from the first placement, although the sanctuary is also one of the better regarded for it's kind (so it says) and appears to be staffed with former vets, zoologists and animal biology students.

I'm not sure what I want to do yet, but would like to look at Wildlife (animal) Conservation, mammals interest me the most, although I am more interested in learning more about say wildlife populations and their effect on the local environment than being a zoo-keeper.

I am returning back to the UK in October where I have a place with Lancaster University for a Masters in Conservation Science, I don't have a degree so I've been very lucky!

The conservation company I'm with now unfortunately doesn't focus on fauna (at all), just flower, which isn't where my interest is.

But I've always tried to avoid the volunteers having to pay to walk around in wellies cleaning animal cages to be honest (which as a driver I wouldn't have to do of course and no I don't have to pay) as I've always thought it was just naff (especially as I've been to a couple of these places as a visit).

Does anybody have any advice on whether I should stay with the big heavy weight corporation for the full 6 months and work behind a desk and just learn about conservation from hearing about everything or run around a muddy rehabilitation center and drive volunteers around but get hands-on experience with primates, also hopefully getting some education in conservation issues???

I'm pretty new to this but I'm also no spring chicken.

Cheers
Anna-Lize

[Matt Smith]

In terms of "real" work experience, I would say "stay with the big company".

Volunteering at the wildlife sanctuary sound more "fun", but from your description of the duties the amount of transferable, "sellable" experience and skills you will gain sounds to be zero.

With the big company you can at least talk about the projects you worked on and any input you had - handing out bananas to chimps won't score you many points back in the real world of job hunting.

Matt

Freelance Ecological Consultant

[JALT]

Hi Matt

Thanks for taking the time to reply. It's actually kind of what I was thinking to be honest, but I just wasn't sure if people with more experience than me would tell me to do both so that I could compare the two types. Sticking with the 'big' company still won't give me much of a background in any kind of research, animal biology/behavior skills etc, although I'm also inclined to agree with you that rather than chopping and changing I should finish the current placement through. And of course you get out of your placement what you put in so it's down to me to go search for information as well.

I'm just umming and arghing because from what I can see from this forum it's actually quite hard to land a voluntary placement, and must people actually pay to go with GVI, and so I feel guilty turning any kind of opportunity down!!

Thanks again, I do see your point, although handing out bananas to chimps does sound like a pretty cool job if you could actually buy yourself a house on it one day!!!

Anna-Lize

[cleaners]

To work with big company is good and real experience. With the big company you can at least talk about the projects you worked on and any input you had - handing out bananas to chimps won't score you many points back in the real world of job hunting.