• Life On Land

Lemur and Wildlife Conservation Expedition

location
2 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Excellent 4.8  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate
Volunteer project with the highest quality. This project sets unprecedented standards in quality - an unparalleled level of excellence.

Highlights

  • Conduct surveys to safeguard critically endangered lemurs. Record data on population density, feeding habits and food abundance.
  • Support conservation of rare and endangered species, including black lemurs, panther chameleons and dwarf chameleons.
  • Experience three diverse, species-rich ecosystems – rainforest, ocean, and tropical coast – in one location.
  • Conduct biodiversity forest surveys, focusing on key populations of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles.
  • Conduct bird point counts to evaluate the resident and transient bird species within the reserve, contributing to bird conservation efforts.

Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Groups
50+

About the program

Travel to the tropical island of Nosy Be to contribute to critical conservation initiatives. 🏝️

On this lemur and wildlife conservation expedition in Madagascar, you'll play a vital role in safeguarding the island's rare and critically endangered lemur species. Your base at Lokobe National Park, the last remaining old-growth rainforest on Nosy Be, offers a captivating setting for your ...

About the program

On this lemur and wildlife conservation expedition in Madagascar, you'll play a vital role in safeguarding the island's rare and critically endangered lemur species. Your base at Lokobe National Park, the last remaining old-growth rainforest on Nosy Be, offers a captivating setting for your conservation efforts. Led by Madagascar National Parks, you'll focus on understanding the behaviour and ecology of endangered lemurs, including the Nosy Be mouse lemur and the exclusive Hawks' sportive lemur found only in Lokobe Reserve. Conduct surveys day and night, tracking lemur populations and documenting the diverse forest inhabitants, from panther chameleons to tiny frogs.

Off the east coast of Africa lies our Madagascar research station, set on the island of Nosy Be in the Indian Ocean. Our newly constructed base camp is powered in part by solar energy and crafted from locally sourced sustainable materials. Located within the Lokobe National Park, our hub embraces Nosy Be's diverse ecosystems, blending marine and terrestrial environments for a unique conservation experience.

Typical day

Contribute to impactful projects, from morning hikes to afternoon workshops. Wrap it up with fun activities or just chill with your fellow participants.

Example of a typical day:

06:30 Have breakfast with the team, followed by the daily update.

07:00 Hike through the nearby forest to gather data on key ...

Typical day

Contribute to impactful projects, from morning hikes to afternoon workshops. Wrap it up with fun activities or just chill with your fellow participants.

Example of a typical day:

06:30 Have breakfast with the team, followed by the daily update.

07:00 Hike through the nearby forest to gather data on key species and biodiversity.

12:30 Group lunch with delicious Malagasy meals prepared by a local cook.

13:00 Attend training on conservation or communities.

15:30 Continue project tasks, conduct environmental workshops, or teach English to the local community.

18:00 Share a meal, discuss the day’s work and its impact on the environment and local community.

19:30 Time to Wind down, socialise with new friends, or take part in nocturnal surveys.

Free-time activities

Soak up the laid-back vibes on the sheltered beach, where you can swim, snorkel and explore vibrant corals alongside tropical fish, sea turtles and dolphins. Experience the local culture at village markets and quaint cafes. Take a scenic hike to Mont Passot for breathtaking views and indulge in ...

Free-time activities

Soak up the laid-back vibes on the sheltered beach, where you can swim, snorkel and explore vibrant corals alongside tropical fish, sea turtles and dolphins. Experience the local culture at village markets and quaint cafes. Take a scenic hike to Mont Passot for breathtaking views and indulge in whale-watching (June-September). Unwind on the golden beaches, venture to Nosy Iranja, explore sacred sites and uncover the wonders of Lokobe National Park. For an added dose of adventure, consider extending your journey to South Africa, Seychelles and nearby gems like Nosy Sakatia and Nosy Komba.

Every four weeks, you can enjoy cultural immersion through GVI Experiences. These are included in your program at no extra cost.

Examples of activities may include: 

  • Take Malagasy lessons.
  • Explore the cascades of Nosy Be.
  • Snorkel in a marine wonderland.
  • Sunset from Mont Passot.
  • Sleepover in Lokobe National Park

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (basic level)

Criminal Background Check

required

Required Documents

Passport copy and Medical form

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

No skills required, all training is provided online 8 weeks prior to your program start date.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

What's Included

What's Included

Services by GVI

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • 24-hour emergency phone
  • 24-hour in-country support
  • Access to alumni services and discounts
  • Airport pickup (unless otherwise stated)
  • All necessary project equipment and materials
  • All necessary project training by experienced staff
  • Location orientation
  • Long term experienced staff
  • Meals while on project (except on work placements for long-term internships)
  • Safe and basic accommodations (usually shared)
  • Welcome meeting

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

  • Additional drinks and gratuities
  • Extra local excursions
  • Flights
  • International and domestic airport taxes
  • Medical and travel insurance
  • Personal items and toiletries
  • Police or background check
  • Visa costs (where necessary)

Airport Pickup at Fascene Airport

Airport pickups are provided from Fascene airport on Nosy Be within a specific window of time.

Accommodation

Stay just steps away from the beach in dorm-style rooms with shared bathrooms, powered by solar energy. While conditions are basic, they offer comfort, and you'll find ample space for workshops, research or relaxation. Our base fosters a family-like environment, sharing cooking and tidying duties among staff and participants on a rotating basis. Accommodation upgrades are available at a nearby guesthouse, a brief drive from our base. These single occupancy rooms offer a double bed, Wi-Fi, a fan and a private en-suite bathroom with hot water. Enjoy a swimming pool and restaurant, although meals are complimentary at the base.


Food & Beverages

All meals are provided and participants take it in turn to prepare meals for the group. In Madagascar, the local diet is mainly centred around rice and beans. A typical main meal includes rice, seasonal veggies in sauce, and occasional meat. They often use locally made chilli sauce for flavour, and fruits like mangoes, pineapples, watermelons and lychees are readily available.

Internet Access

Limited access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Fascene Airport (NOS) in Nossi-be. We assist you to find cheap flights to Madagascar. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Madagascar provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Madagascar you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Madagascar. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

2024
  • 09 Nov 2024
  • 23 Nov 2024
2025
  • 04 Jan 2025
  • 18 Jan 2025
  • 01 Feb 2025
  • 15 Feb 2025
  • 01 Mar 2025
  • 15 Mar 2025
  • 29 Mar 2025
  • 12 Apr 2025
  • 26 Apr 2025
  • 10 May 2025
  • 24 May 2025
  • 07 Jun 2025
  • 21 Jun 2025
  • 05 Jul 2025
  • 19 Jul 2025
  • 02 Aug 2025
  • 16 Aug 2025
  • 30 Aug 2025
  • 13 Sep 2025
  • 27 Sep 2025
  • 11 Oct 2025
  • 25 Oct 2025
  • 08 Nov 2025
  • 22 Nov 2025
  • 06 Dec 2025
  • 20 Dec 2025

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

2 weeks (min. stay) 1,645€
4 weeks 2,545€
6 weeks 3,345€
8 weeks 3,895€
10 weeks 4,495€
12 weeks (max. stay) 5,195€
Average fees 627€/week

Program fees

627€ per week 2 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES

Duration

2 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.

Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with GVI during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

Meet your organization

GVI

Excellent 4.8 rating (221 reviews)

Agency - founded in 1998

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Bianca

Spoken languages: English

About the project

GVI tackles critical local and global issues by operating award-winning education and training programs on sustainable development projects around the world.

Meet your organization

Founded in 1998, GVI runs programs in 21 locations, in 13 countries around the world, each manned by our own staff and aligned to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or UN SDGs as well as the objectives of local partners. We welcome participants from all around the world and help facilitate their development into global citizens. This is how we achieve our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.


We are truly a global family brought together by our dedication to long-term positive impact. At the root of our success is our commitment to investing in authentic, meaningful connections with one another, which is why mutual respect and trust are central to our operations. Although we respond with empathy to difficult situations, we believe that most circumstances can benefit from taking a light-hearted approach. By sharing stories of local achievement with our teams worldwide we build the momentum to catapult us toward our vision for the future.

221 reviews · rating4.8

I loved my experience with GVI Madagascar! I spent 4 weeks on the island of Nosy Be Madagascar with the conservation program. At the Nosy Be program the conservation team and the community team are located at the same base so it was fun to see what the community team did too. For conservation we did ...
Amazing people that ran the place. Had a great connection with the community around the base and was well set up. The people in Madagascar are the nicest people and their culture is amazing which made the experience so ...
One of the most incredible places I've visited with amazing people both on and off base! You have so many opportunities to see incredibly rare wildlife and learn about the local community. My 3 months here have been well spent discovering parts of the island and mainland during the weekends and ...
Pam Parkes rating5

2024 at Women's Empowerment Internship

I really enjoyed my recent trip to Siem Reap. The accommodation was very good, I upgraded to a single room with aircon and en-suite and had a fabulous room overlooking the pool. Food was excellent with plenty of choice, both in the guest house and local restaurants where we ate in the evenings ...
GVI was one of the best experiences of my life, i was a participant on the U18 costa rica trip! This program allowed me to interact with new people and make lifelong friendships, but also i was able to experience a new culture and be up close to a wide range of wildlife. If you are reading this and ...
Mary Christensen rating5

2024 at Community Development Internship

GVI is a passionate organization that works diligently to promote life long learners and explorers. As an intern with GVI, I was able to explore the culture of my country of choice, serve a purpose greater than myself, and meet friends all around the world. I highly recommend this program to anyone ...

Location

Africa > Eastern Africa > Madagascar > Nosy Be

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Volunteer Abroad  >  Animals  >  Wildlife Conservation in Madagascar
Contact Bianca
  Very high response rate
English

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