Sri Lanka Turtle Conservation

Spend 2 weeks or longer helping out at a fantastic turtle conservation project on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka. The project collects eggs and houses them in special hatcheries away from the threat of predators, as well as caring for injured turtles and raising awareness about turtle protection. You'll also help maintain nesting sites, clean up beaches and maintain the hatchery facilities. You’ll make a real difference helping the project achieve its aims during your time in Sri Lanka!

Volunteer Duties

As a volunteer, you will typically volunteer for around 2-4 hours a day. You will get involved with a range of vital conservation tasks. Duties will vary depending on the needs of the project at the time of your visit, but a typical week of volunteering might look like this:

3 days per week – Hatchery Volunteering: Hatcheries are vital to protect sick and injured turtles and to ensure hatchlings survive during their early stages. Typical duties around the hatchery include:

• Cleaning the turtles' tanks
• Refilling the tanks with fresh seawater
• Feeding the turtles
• Cleaning the project premises
• Caring for the nesting area

1 day per week – Beach Cleaning: You will clear rubbish and waste plastic from local beaches to protect marine wildlife and ensure a safe and sustainable environment for mother turtles. This is an important part of conservation efforts in the area.

1 day per week – Community Engagement: Another important part of this project is educating the local population about conservation and protection of wildlife. During your time on the programme, you will get involved with conservation presentations, school visits and other awareness campaigns (depending on the needs of the project).

Included Activities

As well as your volunteering duties you may also have the opportunity to take part in a number of activites which may occur whilst you are at the project, such as:

• Weekly yoga class from an experienced yoga teacher
• Weekly movie night on large screen projector
• Monthly guided bike tour around the local paddyfields and countryside
• Monthly special Sri Lanka BBQ dinner
• Monthly cultural visit to Buddhist temple

Weekends

Your weekends are free to chill out or explore. You will be staying in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of Galle, which is perfect for exploration and relaxation. You are ideally located to visit incredible beaches up and down the coast. The local team also organise optional trips to other parts of Sri Lanka. Previous optional excursions have included whale watching in Mirissa, hiking in Sinharaja, cooking classes and bicycle trips.