TWAC Tassie Volunteer Weekend
Travel with a Cause has had a record year - again.
This is contrary to the industry trend, where even the large agencies have seen as much as a 14% downturn in business.
Clearly we are doing something right and it was a surprise to discover that much is due to our various volunteer programs. Understanding why has been an exciting analytical exercise. First, let's review what volunteer travel consists of:
Travel with a Cause offers amazing overseas volunteer adventures, all around the world, contributing to causes in health, medicine, education, infrastructure. A whole page on our website is dedicated to explaining how you can have the travel experience of a lifetime while contributing as a worthy citizen of the world. No better way to travel and be happy about it.
Everything from a couple of weeks to a couple of months or more, to places in Cambodia, Nepal, Costa Rica, South Africa, almost anywhere where your privileged lifestyle and education can make a huge difference for others.
A really exciting trip is a gap year around the word for just $15,000. Living and eating as the locals do, but helping doctors, teachers, engineers, and community workers.
The area where Travel with a Cause has had the most growth though has been the local volunteer weekends. These are whole days spend helping a local organisation like Bonorong, the Tasmania wild life sanctuary, or a wilderness conservation project.
These volunteer excursions are so popular we have to limit the numbers, usually between 30 and 40 people per trip, which are held roughly every 2 months on a regular annual schedule. The cost is under $100 for the day including transport, buffet lunch, side excursions, an educational workshop, and a signed certificate of participation.
It is a lot less than an overseas volunteer trip but which is nevertheless inexpensive, typically $100 per day or around $2k for a couple of weeks, (excluding airfares).
In today's world, with the environmental challenges it appears that more and more people want to do the right thing and that may explain why we have seen such a huge expansion of interest in our volunteer products.
Last weekend, was our Tassie volunteer group; 36 volunteers, 4 staff, a day at UnZoo on the Tasman Peninsula, dedicated to wild life preservation, where our team were put to work planting seedlings and removing Forget-me-nots flowers which are considered introduced weeds threatening the natural habitat necessary for animals and birds.
Our next one, is going to be at the famous and beautiful Bruny Island, with its historical connections to Tasmania’s discoverer Abel Tasman and later landings by James Cook and maybe even later with visits from Charles Darwin.
This will be TWAC's first two day overnight volunteer weekend, working with BrunyIsland.com.au, focusing on removing the predatory Radiata Pine which is threatening the crucial natural trees used for nesting of the endangered Swift Parrot and 40 Spotted Pardalote (only can be found in Tasmania). There are only about 2000 of the Swift Parrot in existence, one of the world’s most threatened species, and they only breed in Tasmania in special trees. (Read past project Here)
Whether you want an inexpensive overseas trip to help others, or a day or two in Tasmania to help local causes, contact us to book and experience the appreciation of Tasmanians for your contribution.