University Group Volunteering Abroad

Universities offer a wealth of knowledge and experience in lecture theatres, on sports pitches and through endless society options. However, some types of knowledge and experience cannot be confined to a university campus. That’s where WorkingAbroad comes in. We often have student groups on our projects and work with universities to supplement a degree education with experiences beyond the classroom.

The huge array of projects we run allows for flexibility and applicability to various degree subjects. We recently had biology students from Michigan University join three of our WorkingAbroad projects: Playa Tortuga conservation in Costa Rica, Sea forest conservation in South Africa and Cloud forest conservation in Ecuador. These volunteers worked in slightly different domains but all gained valuable insight into the world of sustainability, exposing them to difficulties the industry faces while allowing them to positively impact local communities through their work.

Getting work experience in the real world

Our projects not only offer unparalleled work experience in the field but also work experience that reflects the real world. Students gain technical, hands-on experience through our projects, from cultivating vegetables and medicinal plants and collecting data across marine and wildlife samples to understanding research methodologies necessary for conducting scientific research and scuba diving to track the changes and dynamics of different ecosystems.

These types of tasks are representative of real-life marine biologists, conservationists or researchers in these fields. As such, joining our projects allows students to put into practice the theories they learn on campus, to gain work experience essential for CV-building and offers insights into what a full-time job in these areas may look like.

Recently we have had students from Michigan University join three of our programmes across the world all of whom loved our programmes:

Playa Tortuga Conservation Volunteer Project, Costa Rica

Students who joined our Playa Tortuga conservation project in Costa Rica gained a particularly diverse set of skills and experience. Living on a tropical rainforest reserve on the Pacific coast, students researched and released baby sea turtles, monitored crocodiles, cleared beaches to minimise risks to sea life, surveyed monkeys and other local mammals and learnt about the importance of conservation in areas like this.

The diversity of tasks in this project not only supplements a degree (biology) by giving students a practical input into the science and research involved in monitoring ecosystems, but it also exposes them to the reality of a job like this. Reading about dying coral reefs or declining turtle populations in a textbook from the safety of a university library is one thing. But to be “on the front line”, witnessing the dangers that wildlife and rainforests are facing and having the opportunity to change this, is something else entirely.

Our volunteers from this Michigan uni group raved about their experience:

“Everything about the trip was absolutely amazing. We spent our time releasing baby turtles, going on walks to search for macaws, crocodiles, and monkeys, and tending to the butterfly garden. Everything we did felt extremely impactful for the precious Costa Rican ecosystems and the surrounding communities. Everyone on our trip had a great time and I’m sure we would all love to return to Playa Tortuga in the future”. 

You can see the video they made of their trip here.

The Great African Seaforest Marine Volunteer Programme, South Africa

Our sea forest conservation project in South Africa is the perfect adventure for any uni student pursuing or considering a career in marine biology or conservation. The group of volunteers from Michigan University stayed at Cape Radd in Cape Town, joining a team of marine biologists and conservationists to assist with scientific monitoring projects, citizen science initiatives, surveying fish and shark populations, taking measurements, collecting data, diving and exploring kelp forests.

This project gives volunteers active roles in researching and protecting marine ecosystems, offering them invaluable insight into problems and solutions surrounding sea forests. It is such a fantastic opportunity for university students to supplement their knowledge of these environments and to be exposed to helping research first-hand.

The Michigan University volunteers said:

“Our trip to South Africa was incredible! We had a great week and have only positive things to say about the program, the communication throughout and our experience while there.

We got the opportunity to understand and participate in many different projects that people at Cape Radd are currently working on. We all felt like we left the week having learned so much, whether it was through workshops, field work or talking to the staff at Cape Radd. We also thought the structure of the week and the activities that were planned aligned very well to our goals we had coming in and the work we wanted to accomplish.”

You can see the video they made of their trip here.

Cloud Forest Conservation & Sustainability Volunteer Project, Ecuador

The Michigan University students on our Ecuador cloud forest project spent their time conducting valuable research and tasks that demonstrated what a job in reforestation may entail. This included taking charge of reforestation on the reserve, researching local wildlife, maintaining trails, cutting bamboo posts, planting saplings to offer a shaded habitat for local insects and animals, removing invasive plant species to allow the natural ecosystem to thrive and collecting macroinvertebrates to help inform the reserve about which species occupy the ecosystem.

The roles the volunteers adopted were not only vital for helping the team collect data, advance their knowledge of the local environment and boost the numbers of trees in the area, but they also demonstrated what a job in this field may entail, allowing the biology students to determine if this is a career they wish to pursue.

You can read the blog and vlog the volunteers made about their trip.

WorkingAbroad projects are incredible opportunities for anyone looking for an adventure, to broaden their horizons, help the environment or supplement their studies. This is particularly true for anyone studying a degree in biology/conservation/geography, as our projects are a great way to integrate practical, real-world work experience into education , deepen knowledge, build CV-relevant skills and guide career decisions/development. See if you can persuade your university to join us!

Written by WorkingAbroad blogger Gemma Howard-Vyse