Suggestion Volunteer opportunities

[matureAZdiver]

Would like to see a forum someplace at Scuba Board where members can discuss volunteer opportunities around the world that involve diving.... Reef, dolphin, whale, etc. research. I have been researching these on my own, but would be nice to have a forum dedicated to just such diving activities.

 

[El Orans]

How about this one: Services?

 

[TomR]

I was just thinking the same thing. It would be great if there was something more like a directory that can be filtered goegraphically that listed volunteer opps. For example, in SoCal there are opps at the Aquarium of the Pacific as well as Baykeepers.

 

[divingjd]

Are you looking for something more like a volunteer research vacation or cleaning tanks at an aquarium? I have been looking for volunteer research trips and it has not been easy. I did find one where you could sign up to help tag whale sharks off Utila. The cost was similar to a regular liveaboard, but apparently you can write off at least part of the cost and it is something different and interesting to do. I'd like to have a place to swap information on this kind of stuff.

 

[matureAZdiver]

I'm looking for research volunteer activities, not aquarium cleaning or being a docent. I have found the following sites to be helpful. Chewck them out if interested, TomR and divingdj .
www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/coral_reef/dive.html
www.gviusa.com
www.fishcount.org/events/index.html

How do we go about getting such a category added to Scuba Board??

 

[El Orans]

How do we go about getting such a category added to Scuba Board??

Posting your request here is a start.

Usually, it requires a large volume of related threads/posts or a equally large number of members (or a combination of both) to get such a request approved.

 

[matureAZdiver]

I found a terrific resource yesterday while browsing stacks at Barnes and Noble. Its a paperback by Bill McMillon (et.al.), VOLUNTEER VACATIONS, 9th edition, 2006. Although the focus is broader than just those volunteer organizations which include diving components, it is relatively easy to research those under a category they call "Natural Conservation (sea)." The authors include over 150 organizations and for each they succinctly describe the type of project, yr. organization was founded, number of volunteers last year, the work they do, their project locations, times when projects occur and their length, the costs, the specific skills required, and how to get more info (websites, telephone numbers, email addresses etc.) I have never actually joined any organization that combines diving with ecological research (etc.) but browsing this book has got me really excited: I've bookmarked 15 organizations to investigate further. If you have questions, feel free to write me.

 

[divingjd]

Thanks for all the good info. If I can find any of the stuff I researched before, I will post it here.