Biosphere Expeditions, founded in 1999, gives travelers the opportunity to be “citizen scientists” in programs around the world.
The non-profit conducts volunteering expeditions that feature ethical volunteering and hands-on wildlife conservation on four continents. Along with the usual places that come to mind when thinking wildlife, there are some surprises, like Germany and Sweden.
You’ll travel to remote locations such as diving in the Maldives or tracking snow leopards in Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan, learn new skills, meet like-minded people from around the world and experience conservation travel in action from this award-winning organization.
The trips are one to two weeks long and are reasonable compared with some other wildlife journeys. No special skills (except diving, on some trips) or level of fitness are required and there are no age limits.
The accommodations are always locally owned and vary between luxurious lodges or live-aboard boats, to comfortable guest houses, to rustic expedition base tent camps. Whatever the accommodation, it’s never a hardcore’ survival situation. Food is vegetarian.
All but two of the expeditions are filled for 2026, with 2027 travel being booked now.
Among the offerings
- AZORES (Portugal): March/April 2027, $3,071: Survey of whales, dolphins and turtles around the Azores Archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
- GERMANY, July 2027, $3,049: Conservation of wolves in Lower Saxony, northern Germany.
- MALAWI, September/October 2026, $3,022: African biodiversity survey of cats, elephants, primates and other animals.
MALDIVES, October 2026, $3642: Diving expedition studying coral reefs and whale sharks.
