Protect endangered wallabies and restore a beautiful island in the Great Barrier Reef
Program Overview
Travelling to Central Queensland on this once in a lifetime trip gives you the amazing opportunity to live and work in the Australian Outback and on the stunning Great Barrier Reef. You will have the chance to see native Australian wildlife first-hand, including koalas, kangaroos and goannas.
You will spend time working with rare Flashjack wallabies on Avocet Nature Reserve, working to develop a recovery plan and supporting a variety of reserve management activities.
This is followed by a project to restore Brampton Island, a subtropical island surrounded by endangered coral reef. Your conservation work on Brampton Island will provide lasting benefits for local animals and plants, in particular sea turtles, which are often injured or killed from being tangled in the garbage along the coastline.
Life on the Program
Days start early at Avocet Reserve, where you’ll check sand traps to monitor feral animal activity and help ecologists develop animal management plans.
Transported to Brampton Island by catamaran, you and the other volunteers will set up camp in a secluded bay. Staying in shared tents next to the ocean, listening to the waves crash against the shore, you will help remove invasive species in the morning, while afternoons are usually spent monitoring the coral reef during low tide. Evenings are free to hike, swim and watch the amazing sunset.
You should expect very basic living conditions, with no access to electricity or internet. There’s a camp area where you will help out with cooking and cleaning. Stops will be made in between project sites where you’ll be able to check email and do laundry.
Project Details
During the first phase of your placement, you will help protect the wallaby population by:
- Flashjack trapping and monitoring
- Helping with prerelease feeding and the release itself (if available)
- Setting and monitoring sand plots, sensor cameras and trapping stations
- Collecting data to assess population densities
- Assist with campsite maintenance
On Brampton Island, you’ll help in restoring the island to its natural state by:
- Helping remove invasive weeds on the island
- Collecting, sorting and recording the rubbish found on the beaches. This data is used in scientific investigations into the dangerous effects of plastic and other litter on sea turtles.
- Monitoring water and coral quality. Fertilizers and pesticides are negatively affecting the Great Barrier Reef and pose a significant threat to the coral reef.
How this project makes a difference:
GVI is actively working with local partners to ensure the survival of the Flashjack wallaby and to restore Brampton Island. Both projects require volunteer assistance in order to provide the research and conservation effort required. Brampton Island is just one of hundreds of islands monitored by the Reef Catchments and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, making it nearly impossible for them to monitor the island on their own.
Volunteer Testimonials
As we came ashore we were all struck by the peace of the area and began to set up our tents, all with beachfront terraces and ocean views! Once we had established ourselves at the campsite we spent the afternoon familiarising ourselves with the local area and the wildlife which abounded at the shorefront. The tasks for the week were clearly outlined and involved the clearing of invasive vegetation, removal of debris from the beach and a coral survey on the nearby reef flat…
Spending a week on the beach of a remote island, meeting new people and enjoying plenty of free time to explore, all while helping with conservation work...what's not to like? My recent trip on Brampton Island was a great experience and one that I'd recommend to nearly anyone I know.
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Program Details
Build Your Program
What's Included
- Pre-departure support and discounted services
- 24-hour emergency phone
- Airport pick-up (unless otherwise stated)
- Arrival orientation
- Long term experienced staff
- Safe and basic accommodations (usually shared)
- All meals (unless otherwise stated in field manuals)
- Welcome meeting
- Location orientation
- All necessary project training by experienced staff
- All necessary project equipment and materials
- 24-hour in-country support
- Transfer to and from Brampton Island by catamaran
- All equipment required for the work
- An introduction to a practical environmental and conservation education
- Night safari - giving you a chance to spot nocturnal wildlife
What's Not Included
- Flights
- Medical and travel insurance
- Visa costs
- Personal kit
- Additional drinks and gratuities
- Extra local excursions
- International and domestic airport taxes
- Meals during your two days off in Mackay
