There is so much work to be done in this world. And it’s always the right time to start – with the thing that motivates us the most, where we can and want to put our effort in.
I participated as a volunteer at a marine mammal society for cetacean conservation and research for a couple of years. It was pretty much a dream job. Even though it wasn’t an official employment.
The best part is the research, covering field work and office hours managing and analysing data. The work also includes promotions, PR, workshops for children, lecturing at schools or at different events, event organising, participation in trainings, meetings and conferences. Very variable, which is great.
Pros:
+ make the world a better place,
+ meet a lot of amazing people,
+ meet a lot of people from the same branch (if that’s what you’re volunteering at),
+ learn A LOT,
+ in this work in particular we monitor and research dolphins in their natural environment – the sea,
+ gain a lot of valuable work experience,
+ attend lectures, conferences, etc.,
+ make new friends. Some of those friendships can last forever, even if international and long distance.
Cons, which are actually pros (I’ll explain everything):
– not all parts of the work may fit you or your lifestyle, so you have to adjust and make compromises. But pro, because you learn to adjust and be more flexible;
– you can encounter some people you may not get along with the best, but pro, as you learn how to handle these kind of situations;
– it can be physically and mentally challenging, but pro – makes you stronger;
– you have responsibilities just the same, so pro as you learn to be more responsible.
All in all – volunteer work is great. No money can pay for everything you learn and all the friends you make. As they say: collect memories, not things.
Working for Morigenos gave me a chance to meet some of the best people ever. Dedicated, positive, so full of energy and all with one goal – make this world better. I am very grateful for this chance, all the experience I gained and all the great people I met.
If you’re considering some kind of volunteer work, there’s no dilemma, go for it and have the best time. As Emma Watson said in her speech at the UN: »If not me, who? If not now, when?«
Here is a link to where you can find volunteer work of different branches across the world: https://www.workingabroad.com/projects/
The society I mentioned, Morigenos has great summer camps where you can participate in researching cetaceans, primarily the species bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in northern Adriatic sea.
There will be more posts on marine mammals in the following couple of Mondays, stay tuned!