Students who participate in the AustraLearn semester abroad or year abroad program in Australia or New Zealand have the opportunity to participate in a weekend-long conservation volunteer project at a location near their university abroad. This unique program is an amazing opportunity to give back to the environment of Australia or New Zealand, while learning about local environmental issues and spending time with other students and a volunteer trip leader. This opportunity is available at no cost to all participants who sign-up during the pre-departure process. (NOTE: Volunteer programs are not available for student's studying at International College of Management, Sydney).

A community is an important place to belong and our students love the country, communities and cultures of Australia and New Zealand with passion and dedication. In response to their enthusiasm for these countries, AustraLearn invites future semester and year abroad students to participate in an enriching volunteer-abroad experience to benefit Australian and New Zealand natural environments with their time and talents.

We have chosen the Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) organization to be our host for our Australia volunteer-abroad program. New Zealand programs are hosted by four land-trust organizations associated with the New Zealand Government's Department of Conservation.

In Australia and New Zealand, students will work side-by-side with professional conservation personnel during a 3-day conservation project weekend specifically designed to teach students about the conservation issues of the vast Australian and New Zealand landscapes and promote the bond between student and host country. During the 3-day weekend experience, students will be given a hands-on project as they camp and live on-site with the volunteer organization.

Projects can include planting trees, hiking trail maintenance, environmental rehabilitation, monitoring of wildlife populations, fauna surveys as well as other environmental projects. All students will be able to perform the necessary duties of their project under supervision and instruction of the volunteer organization leader. The often breathtaking views, and the experience with local wildlife, will be more than a tour bus or zoo trip could ever provide.

These new semester/year abroad projects are offered to AustraLearn students as part of the standard program fees, however, please note that space is limited. Students should apply for this experience early and consider whether they are committed to volunteering their time over a weekend during their semester program. Academic credit for this weekend program is at the discretion of your home university campus and AustraLearn is available to consult with you and your advisor about this project option as needed.

Applications for this program will be made available to accepted semester/year study abroad students during the pre-trip process and all interested students will be asked to fill out an expression of interest form. Project locations are assigned based on the host university the student will attend while abroad. Some minimal transportation costs to the pick-up site may be the responsibility of the participant.