Be prepared to work hard for at least half of your volunteer vacation and spend the other half enjoying wild California.
Save money while making California a better place by planning your next vacation around volunteer work. California features distinct geography and climates, such as breezy beaches, arid deserts and fresh mountain meadows. As of 2009, 40 percent of Americans considered volunteering during their vacation, according to the L.A. Times website. Opportunities exist throughout the state of California and vary from highly organized re-vegetation efforts in national parks to basic labor on private farms. Some volunteer vacations are free but others can be costly, depending on what is included.
The Nature Corps
Vacation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains while working to preserve this wonderful resource. The Nature Corps offers one-week volunteer vacations and placements within Yosemite, Sequoia Kings Canyon and Channel Islands national parks in California. Half of the Volunteer Vacation is spent working on projects within the park and the other half is set aside for group outings and recreation opportunities. A Volunteer Vacation to Yosemite National Park will focus on meadow restoration, campground rehabilitation, re-vegetation, and the restoration of park structures, including buildings and signs. As of 2010, a five-day Volunteer Vacation to Yosemite National Park is $595. Included in the price are all meals, lodging and guided recreational outings. If your vacation itinerary does not provide for an entire week of volunteer work consider a shorter assignment. Project S.A.V.E., Special Assignment Volunteers for the Environment, is a program through The Nature Corps that provides one-day intensive volunteer opportunities in Sequoia National Park.
The Nature Corps
3600 Ridge Road
Templeton, CA 93465
800-774-PARK (7275)
thenaturecorps.org/programs.html
Sierra Club Volunteer Vacations
Sierra Club Volunteer Vacations, also known as National Service Trips, are offered throughout California. Work typically involves native plant restoration and trail maintenance. Locations include Big Sur, Point Reyes National Seashore and Santa Cruz Island, one of the islands that comprise the Channel Islands National Park. With four days of work and two days to explore, The Women's Habitat Restoration at Point Reyes National Seashore is priced at $495, which includes meals, tools and instruction. The Santa Cruz Island trip, called "The Galapagos of California" is priced at $695 and includes nightly naturalist programs, all meals and bunkhouse lodging.
Sierra Club
85 Second St., second floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-977-5522
sierraclub.org
World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, known as WWOOF, provides individual volunteer placements on private organic farms in California. You may volunteer for various lengths of time in California towns like Malibu, Big Bear, Napa and Los Angeles. Work typically involves farming and ranching, though your placement may include outings to the local farmer's market or other activities related to organic farming. The WWOOF-USA program is simple: a half-day of volunteer work is traded for lodging and meals without any exchange of money. Because placement is at privately owned organic farms, some farmers may prefer a volunteer with particular skills or whose age is within a certain range. To learn more about volunteer vacations through WWOOF-USA, you must join the organization online for a fee of $30.
WWOOF-USA
430 Forest Ave.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949-715-9500
wwoofusa.org/Farms?LOC=CA
Tags: National Park, Nature Corps, Sierra Club, volunteer work, Channel Islands, Club Volunteer, Club Volunteer Vacations