Signature Trips: Earthwatch Institute

Discover Earthwatch, a voluntourism experience that gives you access to hands-on field research and allows volunteers to work side-by-side with respected scientists to discover, document, and protect some of this planet's most spectacular places, animals, and cultures. Earthwatch has been working for 40 years to provide citizen science opportunities to people from all walks of life. With your help, field scientists from around the world will continue working to find solutions to the most challenging environmental issues of our time.

Learn more about Earthwatch's South Africa Signature Trip below. The $5,000 Travel for Good voluntourism grant can be used for this trip. Plus, Earthwatch has more than 50 projects in countries worldwide available for purchase.

South Africa's Scavenger Species
Johannesburg, South Africa
$2,950
9 days

Help improve the odds for brown hyenas in wildlife-rich havens and unprotected lands. Your team will explore protected and unprotected lands in search of wildlife, particularly brown hyenas. You'll conduct wildlife surveys looking out for not just the animals themselves but for footprints, droppings, and other signs as well. During your expedition you may also encounter zebras, impalas, white rhinos, elephants, wildebeest, lions, and leopards.

Goals: In 2011, goals include to further reduce human wildlife conflict, to provide a better understanding of the ecology and ecosystem functioning of scavengers, to increase public understanding of the value and function of scavengers within ecosystems, to facilitate human-wildlife coexistence, and to reduce anthropogenic threats to these species.

Learn More: Click here for further details on this expedition, upcoming trip dates, and more. Please note that you do not have to book this trip to apply for the $5,000 grant. Winners may book after receiving the award.

Click here to see Earthwatch's other Signature Trip