I have decided to take a short break from work and started searching for volunteer experience or opportunities in Hong Kong. I did not consider volunteering abroad until I stumbled upon the wildlife rehabilitation and farm life project from Oceans2Earth that involves taking care of injured and orphaned wildlife in Australia. After reading the reviews and the mission of the organization, I decided to give it a go and booked my trip to Australia.
As a first-time volunteer abroad, I was both nervous and excited. I searched for information that would help me set my expectations for the project but couldn’t find anything useful. Fortunately, just a week before my trip, I came across an Instagram post from an Oceans2Earth volunteer who had been to the same project. I decided to message her and we had a chat about her experience. From the way she described it, I could tell that she had a great time, which made me even more excited about my upcoming trip. After my trip, I decided to write about and share my experience as Oceans2Earth Volunteer in this blog post.
Oceans2Earth Volunteer
There are a lot of projects listed in Oceans2Earth, the project that I participated in is called Wildlife Rehabilitation and Farm Life. The website states what each project does, what your daily routines may looks like, your tasks as Oceans2Earth Volunteer, and expectations. I had some questions about the project, and sent them an email before applying. They were very responsive and answered my questions.
Oceans2Earth Volunteer Costs
When I told my friends that I would volunteer abroad, they were intrigued but puzzled by the fee. I explained to them that the wildlife rehabilitation center is a non-profit organization, and the fee I paid covered my accommodation, meals, and transportation to the center. A portion of the fee also goes towards the costs of building and maintaining the shelter, and the medical expenses of the animals. If you have pets at home, you know how expensive veterinary care can be. For more information on where your money goes, you can read about it here.
Transport
I was curious about the location of the wildlife rehabilitation center where I would be staying for two weeks. So, I decided to Google its location and found out that it was situated in a remote area. As a result, there were no bus or train stations nearby.
However, I was relieved to know that the transportation cost to the wildlife rehabilitation center was included in my expenses. A carer picked me up from Albury Airport. On my last day, he dropped me off at the airport and picked up other volunteers.
Accommodation
During the past weeks, the carers welcomed us, the Oceans2Earth Volunteers, to their beautiful home and took great care of us. I initially thought that I had to share a room with three other volunteers, but the place was spacious enough, and each of us had our room. My room was both clean and roomy, with a comfortable bed. However, the information guide mentioned that showers were not available daily, which caused some concern. I want to clarify that this is incorrect. I had access to a shower every day.
When it comes to meals, we have access to both the pantry area and kitchen. In the mornings, after the first feeding sessions for the joeys, we make our breakfast. For lunch, we sometimes prepare our food while on other days, we opt for pizza. The carers are usually the ones who make dinner, and on Friday nights, we enjoy dinner at the pub.
Laundry
At home, there’s a washing machine we can use. However, we have a lot of pouches and towels that need to be washed for the joeys. We need to prioritize which piles of laundry to do first. Luckily, there’s enough space to hang them in the backyard.
People
As a volunteer in a foreign country, it provided me with an opportunity to interact with new people. The caregivers were exceptionally kind and attentive, making it feel like a home away from home. During my stay, I had the pleasure of meeting three other volunteers from different parts of the world. It was an enjoyable experience to get to know them. Despite differences in age and culture, we worked together seamlessly and made an excellent team.
During our free time, they invited me to join them for walks and explore the nearby mountains. As an introvert, I struggle with socializing and being part of a small group of volunteers helped me step out of my comfort zone, which I believe is a positive thing.
Insurance & Vaccination
As the project involves working with animals, volunteers must have Tetanus vaccination. Additionally, it is important to check your travel insurance policy and ensure that it covers manual work and working with animals. It was challenging to find insurance in Hong Kong that provided coverage for volunteering with animals and manual work. Eventually, I purchased my insurance from World Nomads.
The Animals
The animals I saw were slightly different from the ones mentioned in the information guide. I understand that updating the guide can be challenging due to the high number of animals brought in for rehabilitation. Below, you can read about the animals I interacted with during my stay and the tasks we performed as volunteers.
Farm Animals
In addition to the rescued Australian wildlife, there are also farm animals such as cattle, sheep, horses, chickens, and ducks. During our time there, we assisted in finding some missing cattle that had wandered beyond the fence. We also helped tag the younger sheep, which was a quick process, but catching them proved to be the most challenging part. These were some of the impromptu tasks that we undertook.
Every day, the volunteers feed milk to the lambs and a goat. The first time I fed the goat and lamb, I used the wrong teat for the goat’s bottle. As a result, it was chaotic, the goat pushed the lamb and wanted to drink the lamb’s bottle. Milk was spilled on my clothes and on their faces. I decided to return to the house and replace the teat on the goat’s bottle.
Another important thing I learned is the temperature of the milk. On cool mornings, when I walk out of the house with milk bottles that are at the right temperature, the bottles get cold by the time I reach the lambs (sometimes they are very far away). And when the milk is cold, they refuse to drink it.
Emu
During my first encounter with an emu, I initially mistook it for an ostrich, but the carers corrected me and informed me that it was an emu. These flightless birds are native to Australia. The two emus would always trail us to the wombat compounds and feed on the leftover foods of the wombats. Climbing into the wombat compound was quite challenging without the crates. Once, while we went to feed the wombats, we left the bucket of sweet potatoes outside the compound while we went to get the crate. Upon our return, we found that the emu had already consumed almost half of the sweet potatoes. What a naughty emu!
During my stay, I was bitten twice by an emu. The first time was when I was helping another volunteer move the roof of one of the wombat’s compounds, and the emu bit me unexpectedly. The second time was when I was holding a bucket of sweet potatoes. Although emus do not have teeth, my hands still hurt from their bites. They are very curious birds, so it’s best to approach them with caution to avoid any accidents or injuries.
Australian magpie
During my fifth day at the rehabilitation center, a young magpie was brought in as it had been separated from its parents. Initially, I thought the bird had injured its wings due to its flying pattern. However, I was informed that it was still learning how to fly. The volunteers at the center provided the magpie with worms that they had dug up from the garden. While learning about the bird’s diet, I also discovered that adult magpies can be quite aggressive when it comes to defending their territories.
Bare nose Wombats
Australia is home to various marsupials, and one of them is the wombat. At the rehabilitation center, there are a few young wombats, each with their unique story. I describe wombats as cute teddy bears that can bite, based on my experience of being bitten while cleaning their compound. However, it turns out that the wombats were only looking for a cuddle and a scratch on their back. As adorable as it sounds, it is essential to remember that approaching and cuddling wombats in the wild can be dangerous.
Did you know that wombats are close relatives of koalas? Unlike kangaroos, wombats have a rear-facing pouch which is a brilliant design to prevent dirt from getting inside. However, this design means that mothers won’t see their babies until they are big enough to come out of the pouch. It’s also interesting to note that when bottle-feeding young wombats, they may fall asleep while drinking milk, which the carers refer to as a “milk coma”. Wombats are truly fascinating creatures!
It’s important to note that wombats are more active during the night, so simply visiting a zoo or animal sanctuary that has wombats doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get to see one. However, I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the chance to interact with these fascinating creatures and learn more about them during my stay here. The wombats at the rehabilitation center are well taken care of until they’re big enough to be released into the wild, which usually takes several years.
Eastern Grey Kangaroos
Finally, let’s talk about Australia’s most iconic animal – kangaroos. At the wildlife rehabilitation center, you can find eastern grey kangaroos. The majority of the volunteer work involves feeding joeys and providing care for kangaroos that require special attention. Many of these joeys were discovered on the road and left orphaned as a result of road accidents.
During my stay, there were a total of 15 joeys, out of which six were younger ones. Younger joeys usually urinate and defecate when their mothers lick them. Therefore, after each feeding session, we have to rub the genital area of the joey with a tissue to stimulate elimination and prevent bowel infections. However, this process can get really messy, especially when the joeys have diarrhea. This is also one of the reasons why there are so many dirty pouches that need to be cleaned.
As I was feeding the adorable joeys, the carer shared with me a fascinating fact about kangaroos. Did you know that kangaroos have the amazing ability to shut down their reproductive system during tough times, like drought season or when there’s not enough food? And that’s not all! The female kangaroo can produce different types of milk that perfectly suit the needs of her precious joeys. Isn’t nature incredible?
It brings me so much joy to be able to feed the joeys. When we have some time to spare, we love to count them and just watch them hop around. It’s such a wonderful experience.
Daily Routine
Our top priority at the rehabilitation center is taking care of animals. This includes feeding and cleaning them regularly. This requires a great deal of attention and effort, but everyone is committed to ensuring that every animal receives the care and attention it deserves.
Oceans2Earth Volunteer duties
Our daily tasks involve taking care of various animals. We start by feeding joeys, wombats, sheep, goats, and birds. Then, we clean the wombat area to make sure it’s clean and hygienic for the animals. After that, we prepare milk bottles for the next feeding and wash the dirty pouches.
Ad-hoc tasks
In addition to feeding, we assisted with various tasks like cutting grass for the wombats, mowing the lawn, repairing fences, locating missing cattle, tagging sheep, and constructing a shed for wombat food storage.
Work Hard, Play Hard
It was not all about work, we also had a lot of fun during our free time. In fact, the carers brought us to different nearby places to let us see more of Australia. The other volunteers and I stayed more than one week, so we had plenty of time to check out these places. Please don’t expect the carers to bring you to all these places.
Camels
One of the places we visited was the farm nearby to see the camels. I did not even know that there are camels in Australia. The camels here are all one-humped camels, called dromedary camels.
Jingellic Pub
We visited the Jingellic Pub to have some drinks and dinner. It was my first time at a local pub, and I found it quite fascinating, as the ceiling was covered in money. The pub collected this money through donations and used it for charitable purposes. People used darts to pin the cash to the timber ceiling, and I, along with other Oceans2Earth Volunteer, tried it too. It was a fun and creative way of fundraising.
While driving back home in the evening, I spotted wild kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats on the side of the road. Some even jumped in front of the car to cross the road. The carers told me that kangaroos live in small groups; hence if we spot one kangaroo while driving, it means there are other kangaroos nearby. It is essential to be extra careful and attentive while driving at night.
Murray River
We also had the opportunity to visit the Murray River near Jingellic Pub. This river is the longest one in Australia, and it acts as a natural border between New South Wales and Victoria. Luckily, the place wasn’t too crowded when we went, so we were able to enjoy its peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. I was particularly fascinated by how calm the water was, and how it reflected its surroundings like a mirror.
Mountain and Waterfall
During our free time, we went to see a waterfall, which was an unforgettable experience. On our way there, we spotted a beautiful rainbow. It had been a while since I had seen a rainbow, so I got excited. We stopped the car, and I took a photo of it.
We encountered fallen trees on the road that blocked our way to the waterfalls. As a result, we had to hike a bit to reach our destination. It was a challenge for me as I am not accustomed to such a hike. To tackle the trail, I picked up a small tree branch and used it as my trekking pole, slowly following the others. The rest of the group saw me having a tough time and came to my aid with words of encouragement and a helping hand. They were so sweet! The waterfall was truly breathtaking. Who would have thought that such a hidden gem was tucked away in the middle of the forest?
Holbrook Submarine
We drove through this town called Holbrook and saw this massive submarine in the middle of the park. It was pretty cool to see something like that just hanging out in a small town. We stopped and took some pictures before continuing on our way.
Stars and Milky Way
While it may seem insignificant to some, I was absolutely amazed by the amount of stars that were visible at night. On clear evenings, I could even see the Milky Way galaxy. Even though it was cold outside, I still ventured out into the backyard to snap a few pictures. Where I used to live, there was an excessive amount of light pollution, which made it difficult to see stars.
Why I recommend Oceans2Earth Volunteer Projects
Growing up in a city, I never expected to have the opportunity to volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center. However, I am grateful for the experience as it has been eye-opening and allowed me to work with amazing people and lovely animals.
As a volunteer abroad was a lot of fun and a rewarding experience. I gained knowledge about the animals in Australia, met new friends, developed some muscles, and stepped out of my comfort zone.
To those who love animals and don’t mind getting their hands and clothes dirty, I highly recommend volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Everyone there, including myself, dedicated themselves to ensuring the animals were safe and healthy. If you share the same passion, I urge you to give it a try.
Oceans2Earth Volunteer Travel Checklist
During the early days of October, the temperature during the day ranged from 20°C to 25°C, but it could drop to less than 10°C at night. Unfortunately, I did not pack enough warm clothes and was unprepared for the chilly morning and nighttime weather. Luckily, other Oceans2Earth Volunteers before me left some of their jackets, so the carers lend me thicker jacket to keep me warm.
If you plan to travel to Australia, I highly recommend that you check the weather and also review the information guide they send you, which includes a packing checklist. As for me, here’s the checklist I used during my trip:
- Cap
- Sunglasses
- Slippers
- Lots of socks
- Old clothes (T-shirts and pants)
- Jacket
- Bath towels
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Toiletries
- Vitamins and medicine
- Surgical gloves (Oceans2Earth Volunteer Information guide asked me to bring some,but I did not use them)
- Phone and Camera chargers
- Plug adaptor