THE ENVIRONMENTAL VOLUNTEERING PROJECT IN MADAGASCAR
By joining the international volunteering project in Madagascar, you will have the opportunity to engage in activities on Nosy Komba island and contribute to the following key areas of impact:
LOCATION
The volunteering project in Madagascar is located on Nosy Komba, also known as “lemur island”, in Northern Madagascar. Nosy Komba is a small volcanic island, immersed in a deep tropical forest.
ARRIVAL AND TRAINING
As a volunteer, you will arrive at Nosy Be – Fascene International Airport. At your arrival, the local staff will welcome you and arrange your transfer from Nosy Be to Nosy Komba. Projects begin the first and third Monday of the month, year-long. Therefore, volunteers are recommended to arrive in the weekend previous to the beginning of the project.
BOARD AND LODGING
During your volunteering project in Madagascar, you will stay in Turtle Cove Research Centre, on Nosy Komba island. Volunteers sleep in eco-bungalows, with bedrooms shared with other international volunteers. On Nosy Komba island there is no electricity, but the volunteer camp is solar-powered.
A TYPICAL DAY
Here you will find a sample schedule of a typical day for a volunteer.
6.00 – 8.00 | Breakfast
8.00 – 11.30 | Projects activities
12.00 | Lunch on camp
13.30 – 17.00 | Projects activities
18.00 | Dinner on camp
18.45 | Board briefing to go over activities for the following day.
NB: There will be varying amounts of downtime during the listed morning and afternoon program activities depending on the day and project.
REQUIREMENTS TO PARTICIPATE
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and have a good knowledge of the English language. Since on the island there are no roads and cars, volunteers reach the projects with small local boats, or walking along beaches and through forest trails. Therefore, good physical fitness is required, especially for the Forest Conservation Program.
MINIMUM LENGTH OF STAY
Minimum length of stay is 2 weeks, but volunteers can leave year-round and decide how much time to dedicate to their experience.
Volunteers who take part in the Marine Conservation Program are required to stay for a minimum of 4 weeks.
DONATION
The donation varies depending on the number of weeks of stay and the project chosen.
Your donation includes: food, accommodation, airport pickup (airport drop-off will have an additional cost of 15$), on-site transport by boat and tuk-tuk for project-related activities, 24-hour staff support, financing of materials needed for activities.
For more details about the donation please see the page DONATION.
FREE TIME
Volunteers have weekends off and can use their free time to explore different areas of Nosy Komba and Madagascar.
Madagascar is one of the most bio-diverse areas in the world and is internationally renowned as a tourist destination for its wildlife and vegetation.
Volunteers can visit the adjacent island of Nosy Be, home to the Lokobe Nature Reserve, one of Madagascar’s five integral nature reserves. Other attractions are Mount Passot and Lemur Land Park, Tanikely Natural Reserve, the islands of Nosy Iranjia and Nosy Sakatia, and Ankara National Park.
VOLUNTEER QUOTES
“Discovering new projects and starting new partnerships make us love our work even more. A new project is always a breath of fresh air: new encounters, common goals and positive energies coming together.”
Flavia, YearOut volunteer coordinator