If you’re any sort of student and just about any age, then taking a medium-term break and doing something ‘different’ is often highly appealing. That’s why you may find gap year projects in wildlife conservation to be of interest.

The Same Old Drudgery

Let’s face it, however gifted and dedicated a student you are, you may sometimes feel a little drained and short on motivation. If you don’t, well, congratulations because you’re probably superhuman! Even if you’ve just graduated, the thought of diving headfirst into your new career may just be too daunting a prospect.

Gap year projects exist for many reasons, not the least of which is to allow you to re-charge those intellectual and emotional reserves that you’ll need to push forward with your chosen direction in due course. Choose your gap year break correctly, and you’ll get the chance to learn new skills and experience new aspects of life.

Not Just Students

Of course, students and new graduates are not the only people that benefit from a break and a change of activity. It may be that you’re thinking about taking a career break for a few months or even a year and are wondering how you’ll spend the time. Yes, you could spend it pottering around the house doing odd jobs and treating yourself to extra visits to the pub – but would that be fully rewarding? If you have your doubts, then perhaps you too should be considering gap year projects as a way of opening up your life to new experiences.

Wildlife Conservation Gap Year Jobs

This is becoming an increasingly popular way to spend your break. There are many different options and in various parts of the world, ranging from Africa to India and South America. The basic idea is that you:

– Are working alongside animals to help understand and better protect them and their habitats;

– Gleaning information and insight that can be used to increase our knowledge of their behaviours;

– Get to experience the local society in a different capacity to the usual tourist.

The Work

What this sort of break actually involves depends upon the company concerned and the gap year project you’ve opted for. Typically, what you can be sure of is that this won’t be the conventional “drinks by the pool” type experience. You’ll be getting close to the animals in their natural habitat be that a game reserve in Africa, a working reserve in India or perhaps alongside Tiger Sharks swimming around in the sea. Nor is this just an excuse to spend time petting animals – this is real exposure to wild creatures and for a purpose. You may find yourself trailing elephants to check their migration patterns; at another time you may be counting the number of young in a herd or observing the eating patterns of another species. It can be hard work but it’s also immensely rewarding.

Expertise on Hand

Of course, you’re not dropped into the middle of the bush on your own and expected to cope. That might be a bit excessive for even the most adventurous participants in gap year projects! You’ll be receiving expert tuition, guidance and supervision. The major objective is to ensure that you’re safe and well trained while you work alongside the animals you’re studying. In fact, some gap year projects of this type can even involve formal game ranger training.

The End Result

In this type of gap year activity, you’re going to see animals, the countryside and local people, in ways that would be hard to achieve via a conventional ‘holiday”. What does this lead to, apart perhaps from a good suntan? Well, that depends upon you to some extent. If you throw yourself into it, you may come back not only better informed about our planet and its precious natural resources but also a more rounded individual.

So, gap year projects that involve wildlife conservation may be just what you need at certain critical points in your life. Finding out more might be a first step on the road to a unique experience.

Author Bio: Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks on gap year projects and other adventurous holidays for adults.

Category: Travel
Keywords: gap year projects