The Standard ISV Australia Program

Australia Volunteer Programs & Adventure Travel Tours

Travel to Australia to volunteer and participate in one of many conservation programs such as:

• Habitat Restoration
• Wildlife Sanctuary Maintenance & Development
• Scientific Research
• Outdoor Education

Your adventure continues with activities like:

• Snorkelling on the world famous Great Barrier Reef.
• White water rafting on the Tully River.
• Discovering Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.
• Visiting a traditional Aboriginal cultural center.
• Surfing in Byron Bay.
• Ocean rafting to the famous Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday Islands
• Rappelling down sandstone cliffs in the Blue Mountains
• Sunset cruise in Sydney Harbor
• Experience the Aussie night life of Sydney and Cairns

Don't forget about the great optional extras such as a trip to Fiji, scuba diving excursions and extreme skydiving experiences!

The ISV Australia Program is four weeks long and consists of a two week Volunteer Project and a two week Adventure Tour within Australia. 

You can travel to Australia also choose a Customized ISV Program and select an additional Volunteer Project within Australia, extending your Program to a total of six weeks.

The Customized ISV Program also gives you the option to travel to a second or third country for additional Volunteer Projects and/or Adventure Tours as outlined in the Customized Program Options under “Terms and Conditions”.  Please click on the Terms and Conditions link on this website for specific dates, costs and policies.

Programs run between May 15 and Sept 19, 2008

Conservation Volunteer Projects:

Each project runs for two weeks and is operated in partnership with well-established local conservation organizations including, not-for-profits. government and non-government organisations (NGOs), private industries, and local grassroots groups. Projects are based in various locations throughout Australia, from the remote outback in the Red Centre to the cool temperate areas of Tasmania, to coastal areas along Australia’s south and east coast. Each volunteer team will be supervised and directed by professional staff from the host organization and an ISV project leader. The volunteer team will consist of around 8 - 10 like-minded people. *Please note that certain projects only operate on specific program dates.*

No prior experience or expertise in environmental areas is needed in order to participate! ISV will send you a Project Overview prior to departing to Australia, and you’ll gain all the skills and training you need to participate fully in all aspects of the program. Prepare to be challenged in a safe, and comfortable and fun environment where you will learn so much about the environment and culture down under!  Accommodations vary with projects, ranging from volunteer houses, dormitory style accommodations to research stations.  All your meals (3 per day) will be provided during the volunteer project.

Conservation Host Organizations:

• Australian Ecosystems Foundation Inc
• Australian Landscape Trust (ALT)
• Australian Tropical Research Foundation (AUSTROP)
• Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC)
• Banrock Station
• Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA)
• The Crossing Land Educational Center
• Department of Sustainability & Environment (DSE)
• Phillip Island Nature Park
• Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC)
• University of Adelaide (School of Earth & Environmental Science, Koonamore Research Station)
• Walkabout Wildlife Park
• Wild Mountains Trust
• Wimmera Catchment Management Authority (WCMA)
• Mt Tomah Botanic Garden

Project Locations:

Projects: (the following list of projects are updated regularly)

Each project can be broadly classified based on the goals of the host organization, the project location, and the primary work task:

• Habitat Restoration projects encompass a huge variety of locations both on public and privately owned land. The goal of these projects is to improve local habitats through native revegetation and sometimes recreational facilities improvement including trail building. The primary task on these projects is weeding and native species planting. (ALT, CVA, Phillip Island, TLC, WCMA, Mt Tomah)

• Wildlife Sanctuary projects include any project located in a designated wildlife or nature sanctuary. The goal of these projects is to conserve native animals in a relatively natural setting. Primary tasks vary across projects and can include fencing, weeding, planting, surveying, and animal husbandry. All of these tasks are directly related to the establishment or maintenance of the sanctuary and habitat, and animals within it. (AEF, AWC, Banrock, Walkabout)

• Scientific Research projects take place in a variety of locations, but the primary goal of the project is to undertake tasks related to a designated research study. Primary tasks may be directly related to the study and include animal & plant surveys, monitoring, experimental set-up, and other data collection. Tasks may also be indirectly related to the research goals of the organization and include weeding, planting, and operation of educational facilities. (DSE, AUSTROP, Koonamore)
  
  
• Outdoor Education projects are located on privately-owned land which has been designated as an outdoor education facility. The goal of these projects is to foster in visitors an understanding and appreciation of nature and conservation. Primary tasks vary and can include weeding, planting, building, trail maintenance, and property maintenance. (Wild Mountains, The Crossing, YET)

Please note: Projects are available on specific dates only. Hence, depending on your assigned departure date, only certain projects will be available. Please be flexible in your project preferences; these are ALL great projects with significant conservation and educational value in phenomenal locations.

ISV’s Two Week Adventure Tour