Volunteer Abroad Canada: Alberta Horse Protec­tion

To be able to join our animal welfare project in Canada you need to be 18 years old and have a good level of English. You should be physically fit, and we also need a certificate from your doctor stating your current health status as you will be involved in physical work on the farm. It is important that you are highly motivated to be part of a dedicated animal welfare project which requires the commitment of all people involved in the project. You should enjoy living and working with a team, but also be able to work independently. Depending on your nationality and your duration of stay you may need to apply for a visa or you can simply travel to Canada with an ETA. Please inform yourself via the foreign department’s website for the visa standards or ask the Natucate team directly.
The application process includes an application form and an interview.

For your stay in the project, you need a work permit. You will receive further information from us after your booking.

Before you start your journey to Canada, we will support you in organizing your volunteer stay and help you arrange flights as well as the ETA/visa application. During your time in the project you will be accommodated in a guesthouse with a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen. There are project staff members in Canada who will support you, and you can also contact Natucate 24/7 if you have any questions. Moreover, our partner’s staff will take care of your airport transfer. Flights, visa fees and meals are not included in the project fee.

You need to get travel health insurance before starting your volunteer work. Due to the physical work during the project it is important that you are fit and healthy. People who suffer from allergies against animals or certain cleaning detergents which cannot be treated with medication should consider joining another volunteer project. Tetanus vaccination is a must. Furthermore, we recommend you being vaccinated against Hepatitis A/B, Diphtheria, Morbilli, Mumps and Rubella, whooping cough, influenza, polio and pneumococcus. You should bring a small first-aid kit with you, containing plasters, painkillers, electrolytes, medication against allergies and diarrhea and other specific medication which you might need. We advise you to talk with a doctor about your travel plans and ask for their advice. You also should inform yourself via the website of the foreign department about the current travel and security situation in Canada.

You can volunteer for 4 to 12 weeks.

For your time in the project you should pack long, robust pants as well as sturdy and waterproof boots. Winter and fall can be very wet and cold, so you should bring warm and waterproof clothing. In general, but especially in the summer months, clothing in layers is recommended. You will be spending most of your time outdoors, which means you should pack clothes that can get dirty. We also recommend you bring sneakers, a cap or hat for sun protection, sunscreen, sunglasses, a head lamp, a lunch box, water bottle and insect repellant. You should not forget to pack your passport, driver’s license (if you have one, also an international one), alarm clock, mobile phone/laptop and other items which you want to bring for your leisure time.

We can support you searching for flights. You need to fly to Calgary International Airport (YYC) which is a 1.5-hour drive north of the project location – depending on the weather and road conditions. After your arrival at the airport you will be picked up and driven to the ranch. During your drive to the farm you will stop at a supermarket where you can buy some groceries for the first days of your stay. After your stay in the project you will be driven back to the airport.

Depending on your knowledge and experience your volunteer tasks can vary. People who have experience with horses will primarily help with feeding, handling and grooming of the horses. Less experienced volunteers will be involved in taking care of the smaller animals, cleaning and construction work as well as administrative tasks.

We ask you to understand that this project requires commitment and effort and therefore should not be seen as a kind of "farm vacation". Furthermore, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to join any rides.

There can be up to 4 volunteers.

Together with the other volunteers you will be living on the horse ranch in a small guesthouse. You will share the sleeping room, bathroom and kitchen with the others. There is also a small library which you can use.

The volunteers are responsible for their own meals and grocery shopping. A staff member of the ranch will drive you to the supermarket in a nearby town on a regular basis. You can use the fully equipped kitchen to prepare your daily meals by yourself or with the other volunteers.

You will normally work full-time from Monday to Friday, with flexible working hours and frequent breaks. During the week, your working hours will adapt to the needs of the animals and the availability of external professionals.

Weekends are generally free, but many volunteers like to spend their time on the farm and with the animals as the farm is quite remote. If transport is available, you can organise excursions and activities to explore the stunning surroundings.

You will find that there is always a job to be done on the farm. Your days will be full taking care of the animals and farm tasks. Small trips to town or the occasional trip even further away depends on the needs of the farm, amount of volunteers working, and weather. With more volunteers to share the load, there might be more options for free time, but we ask volunteers to be flexible and make supporting the farm and the animals their number one focus. If you are volunteering during Canadian winter, heavy snow and fewer volunteers may mean that free time is even more limited.

Keeping the above in mind, it is possible to organize day or weekend trips to explore Canada a bit further, in agreement with the staff on the ranch. The ranch is not far from first class ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains, and the city of Calgary is always worth a visit. The area that surrounds the ranch is a beautiful place as well – just walking and hiking in the area is quite lovely.

Yes, there is a contact person on site while you are volunteering on the farm. You can also contact the Natucate team 24/7.

Volunteers should plan enough money for the trip to buy groceries as you are responsible for your own meals. Depending on the free time activities which you have planned you need to calculate accordingly.
The official currency in Canada is the Canadian dollar. A couple of weeks before your departure you can ask your bank to order you a certain amount in Canadian dollars which you can take with you. You also have the possibility to withdraw money at the airport in Calgary. We recommend you bring a credit card so that you can withdraw money at the airport or in a nearby town.

There is mobile phone reception on the farm but very limited. You can use the internet with a smartphone and a Canadian SIM Card, but this connection is also limited. The house of the project owners has a phone which you can use if you need to make an urgent call to your family.

The region in Alberta where the project is located has a cool and moderate climate. The winter months are especially cold, and the amount of rainfall is rather high, even in November, which is the driest month of the year. Regarding your clothes, you should be prepared for all weather.

The closest town is approximately a 20 min drive away. In case of an emergency the participant will be picked up by an ambulance and brought to the hospital. Before your journey starts, please check with your travel health insurance if they also cover ambulance rides.

Smoking in the barns or buildings is not permitted. The moderate consumption of alcohol is allowed, but only in your free time. If you drink alcohol during your working hours or consume other drugs you will be immediately suspended from the project – with no refund.