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Volunteer Abroad USA: Florida Wildlife Protection

USA 2 weeks From 1,500 €

Discover the unusual natural landscape of Florida and join this animal conservation project to help wild animals in need. The animal conservation centre cares for domestic as well as exotic animals, rescued by authorities, and gives them a safe environment to recover. Furthermore, visitors sometimes come to the centre to find out more about how to handle different species appropriately and the danger which the animals are in. Play an active role in local animal conservation and have an unforgettable time in Florida.

Your trip at a glance

Highlights

Live and work in an animal shelter located in sunny Florida
Actively contribute to protecting wild animals in need
Dedicate yourself to caring for bears, wild cats, wolves, primates and bats
Become part of international team of volunteers
Discover Florida, one of the most multifaceted states in the USA

Locations

Florida

Animal welfare in the USA: A serval in in our wildlife rescue project in Florida

Volunteers at work in our animal rescue project in Florida, dedicated to protecting wild animals in need

A group of waterfowls sitting on the banks of inshore waters in Florida

Lemurs in their enclosure on our animal welfare project's grounds in Florida

Volunteering in the USA: Looking at a lake in Florida through tall grass

A volunteer is preparing food for the animals in our wildlife rescue project in Florida

Volunteering in animal welfare in Florida

As a volunteer you get to know the "Sunshine State" of the United States and become part of an exciting animal welfare project surrounded by Florida’s manifold nature.

Arrival and orientation in North America

Your adventure begins, depending on the starting date, with your arrival (on a Monday) at Orlando International Airport. You can arrange your transfer yourself by hiring a car. We will be pleased to help you with this. Otherwise you can be picked up at Orlando Airport by center staff for a surcharge of $100. After your arrival at the project site you get to know your team and receive an overview of the project and your tasks

Two cuddling tigers in our animal welfare project in the USA

Volunteer activities in the United States

The sanctuary is a rescue centre for wild animals which are unable to survive in the wild due to ill-treatment, neglect or abandonment. During your stay in Florida, you will work up to 8 hours a day. Minor chores are carried out on Sundays. The diverse tasks include preparing the food and feeding the animals, cleaning and maintaining the enclosures and the grounds, as well as assisting with veterinary care. You might also gain insights in administrative tasks and become familiar with the daily business of an animal shelter. During your time as a volunteer you will learn a lot about how to properly keep and care for wild animals and receive valuable hands-on training.

Accommodation during the animal welfare project

In Florida, you will be based near the wildlife sanctuary in Ocala National Forest. You will lodge in furnished accommodation together with other volunteers. Men and women live in separate buildings. Please note that the quality of the accommodation varies significantly, so you should keep your expectations in check. The kitchen and washing facilities are available at all times. In the accommodation you will find a toilet, hot shower, electricity, air-conditioning, television and DVD player, as well as a WLAN connection which you can use for your laptop or other WLAN-enabled devices. The accommodation is also equipped with a telephone. Calls in the USA are free but for overseas calls you will need a prepaid card. Food will be provided but you will have to prepare it.

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Leisure time as a volunteer in the USA

On account of the remote location and lack of infrastructure, the opportunities for leisure activities are relatively limited. If you have a driving license and are 21 years old (25 years old for some companies), you can hire a car. We strongly recommend that you plan some extra time either before or after your project, so you can explore all that the Sunshine State has to offer.

Arrival

Arrival in Orlando

Depending on the starting date, you will arrive at Orlando International Airport. After your arrival you will either get to the centre by a transfer that you have organized yourself or you get picked up at Orlando Airport by a team member of our partner for a surcharge of $100. At the animal centre you get to know your team and can learn more about the project, its tasks and its goals.
Project

Your stay in the wildlife project: A typical volunteer day

After breakfast, project work begins. During your stay in Florida, you will work up to 8 hours a day. Minor chores are carried out on Sundays. As a volunteer you will be involved with all tasks concerning the care and feeding of the animals – food preparation, feeding, cleaning paddocks and cages as well as supporting smaller maintenance tasks. Around noon you will have a one-hour break for lunch. After this little "siesta" you will continue your tasks until the late afternoon/early evening. You can use the evening hours for a communal dinner or your own leisure activities.
Departure

Last day in the animal welfare project and departure

FAQ – Learn more about this trip

Prior to arrival in Florida

To participate at the project, you need to be 21 years or older and have sufficient English skills. You should be fit enough to be able to perform hard work during extreme climate conditions. For the application, you need to show proof of a negative tuberculosis test (not older than 12 months) or a vaccination. A vaccination against tetanus is also required.
Travelling to the USA does not require a specific vaccination. In general, you should check before travelling if you are vaccinated against Morbilli, Mumps and Rubella. A vaccination against tetanus is obligatory to be prepared in case of an injury. Furthermore, we recommend getting vaccinated against tuberculosis. Before your departure you should talk to you doctor about this topic. For updated travel and security advices you can check the foreign travel advice website of the government of your home country.
You will spend most time outdoors, so you should bring comfortable, light clothing, which you can also wear during the hot noon hours. Furthermore, we advise you to pack a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottle and mosquito repellent. In general, you should pack a sturdy pair of boots and long-sleeved shirts, as well as a pair of long pants. Please keep in mind that your working clothes will get dirty.

Arrival in Florida

We will support you during your planning process and can help you choosing a flight, but you will have to book your flight to Orlando airport (MCO) on your own. The transfer from the airport to the project is not included in the project fee, but we can book the transfer for you for 100$. In this case you will be picked up by a coworker at the airport and you will also be brought back to the airport at the end of your stay. As an alternative, you could rent a car for the whole period of your stay.

During the project in Florida

During your time in the project you will help to take care of the animals on a daily basis. You will prepare the food and help feeding the animals. Cleaning of the cages and general organizational tasks belong to your work fields as well as construction and maintenance of the cages. Please note: When you prepare food for the animals you will handle raw meat. During the project, the volunteers will gain knowledge about keeping and handling the animals, which will enable them to work more and more independently.

Life on site in Florida

During the project you will stay in a furnished accommodation together with the other volunteers and share a room with one other team member. There is one volunteer house for the male volunteers and one house for the female volunteers. You can use the kitchen to prepare your meal together with the other volunteers. Laundry facilities, electricity, air conditioning and a TV with a DVD player are provided.
The coworkers of the project go shopping for groceries on a regular basis. You can use the groceries together with the other volunteers to cook for yourself. Some of the groceries are donations of local supermarkets. Therefore, it can occur that the due date is expired (only for dry food such as pasta or rice). There is also the possibility to accompany the coworkers to the supermarket to buy things which you need besides from the usual groceries.
Due to the isolated location of the project site the free time activities are limited. If you have a driver’s license and are 21 years or older you can rent a car to explore the area. In case you would like to rent a car, we would be happy to help you out to find a rental company at the airport or close to Ocala.

Learn what others say about their Natucate adventure.

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Review Volunteering USA Florida Animal Welfare – Kim 1

“I am sure I will miss this place, the work, the nature, the animals, the people and the knowledge to work for a good cause.”

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Review Volunteering USA Florida Animal Welfare – Maria

“I can highly recommend taking part in this project as a volunteer.”

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Review Volunteering USA Florida Animal Welfare – Margaux

“This project is great for people who want to dedicate themselves to taking care of animals’ well-being. The project works with utmost dedication; I could definitely feel the passion of owners and employees there.”

1. Florida

Florida is a state in the southeast of the United States of America. The "Sunshine State" of the USA has a tropical to subtropical climate that has formed a landscape of unique flora and fauna with over 300 sunny days a year.

White sandy beaches, vibrant metropolises, fascinating natural landscapes and endless leisure activities attract countless visitors year after year to the 27th state of the USA. Kayaking in the Florida Keys, a Miami city trip or an exploration tour through the Everglades – the possibilities to discover Florida are limitless.

Learn more

Florida is a state in the southeast of the United States of America. The "Sunshine State" of the USA has a tropical to subtropical climate that has formed a landscape of unique flora and fauna with over 300 sunny days a year.

White sandy beaches, vibrant metropolises, fascinating natural landscapes and endless leisure activities attract countless visitors year after year to the 27th state of the USA. Kayaking in the Florida Keys, a Miami city trip or an exploration tour through the Everglades – the possibilities to discover Florida are limitless.

Learn more

Purpose of the animal welfare project in Florida

Florida is one of the most interesting states in the USA. It is a popular destination for day trippers and tourists looking for adventure because of its subtropical and tropical climate and the resulting variety of animal and plant species. However, tourism and conservation frequently don’t see eye to eye. Because of this, the only way to keep the largely untouched natural landscape as it is, is to regulate tourism and set up protected areas. A variety of species conservation projects are also attempting to protect animal species which are particularly at risk and nurse injured wild animals back to health.