Are you wondering how you can be a local hero and volunteer in Australia? Since international and regional travel bans are likely to continue for some time, now is a great opportunity to take a look at some of the Australian based programs with Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers and volunteer locally.

Volunteering Organisation Needs Australian Volunteers

Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers is an Australian run non-for-profit organisation focusing on animal welfare and wildlife habitat conservation volunteer programs in Australia and abroad. Being Australians ourselves, we specialise in our Oceans 2 Earth volunteer projects based in Australia and we are especially keen to welcome all animal and environment lovers residing locally and within regional borders. Australia has had a tough start to the year. Starting with the catastrophic Australian Summer Bushfires, the covid-19 pandemic impacting the world, to the severe mass bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef. Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers has a variety of projects that locals can sign up to today and participate in later, once it is deemed safe to do so. Why not show your support and care for your country during these challenging times. Sadly, a lot of the momentum for change related to the climate crisis that was built up from the damaging Australian 2019/2020 Summer Bushfires has diminished amidst the coronavirus sweeping the globe, yet the impacts still last. Thirty-three people lost their lives, 3000 homes were destroyed, millions of hectares of bushland, forests and National Parks were burned, and over one billion animals perished. Many animal shelters and refuges including our own had an influx of animal patients and continue to struggle now with little to no volunteers to give a helping hand given the travel and physical distancing restrictions related to the coronavirus. In Country Victoria, Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers has two projects including the Wildlife Emergency Response and Wombat Refuge in Corryong and the Australian Forest Wildlife in Yackandandah. Both Australian projects focus on rehabilitating Australian native wildlife in wildlife shelters. The Wildlife Emergency Response and Wombat Refuge project was developed specifically in response to the Australian Bushfire Crisis and still has a number of wombats and other Australian native species that were affected by the fires at the onsite refuge. In the wild there are many species struggling to forage for food and water and volunteers are needed to help maintain and replenish the food and water stations around the area set up by carers of the project. A helping hand from locals is also desperately needed at both animal shelters to continue to rehabilitate the injured, sick and orphaned animals back to full health for eventual release back into the wild. In Queensland, Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers needs local Aussie volunteers to help at three remarkable animal welfare projects. The Aussie Bush Conservation Safari in Mareeba, the Endangered Species Conservation in Gladstone, and the Rainforest Bat Rehabilitation in the Atherton Tablelands. These programs run rehabilitation centres and conduct breeding, research, monitoring and education initiatives that are likewise in need to local volunteers to assist in these important activities, when covid-19 restrictions are lessened, and it is deemed safe to do so. Habitat monitoring programs, conservation management and wildlife research are key to maintaining these precious ecosystems and its inhabitants in Queensland. Without important wildlife volunteers, many of these programs will not be able to continue their work adequately. The Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers Tasmanian Wildlife and Penguin Care project in Bicheno, welcomes any Tasmanians to support this project in any way possible while national and international travel is restricted. Volunteering for this project with us is an extremely rewarding experience, you can contribute to the protection and conservation of endangered species such as the Tasmanian Devil and fairy penguins.   If you are an ocean lover and residing in Cairns, it is easy to participate in several fantastic Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers marine-based projects as a local volunteer. You can help to care for and rehabilitate sick and injured sea turtles brought in from the Great Barrier Reef on the Great Barrier Reef Turtle Rehabilitation project. Or participate in conservation efforts and marine research, contributing to long-term protection of the Great Barrier Reef on projects such as the Island Reef Research and Conservation and Great Barrier Reef Marine Conservation off Cairns. Local help is especially needed given the recent marine heatwave causing the third mass coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef in 5 years. Despite our normal lives being put on hold, the world continues to turn and there is still a dire need for volunteers to support and assist with Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers animal welfare programs, environmental conservation and research. Australia needs its Aussie’s now, more than ever as we do not have help from our dedicated international volunteers. Find out how rewarding volunteering locally can be by having positive and direct impacts to your ecosystem and the local community. Check out our website for all the programs on offer in Australia (and abroad!) and start planning now for when regional and interstate borders open. If you have any queries regarding the future of volunteering, our projects or otherwise, then do not hesitate to contact us at volunteer@oceans2earth.org. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you very soon! Written by Megan Cundy, Marine Conservation Advocate for Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers