• Life On Land

Biological Park Conservation

location
2 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Good 4.2  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Create an impact while traveling
  • Help the Biological Park and create an impact on the community
  • Directly contribute to wild animal and nature conservation in the countryside of Portugal
  • Meet other like-minded volunteers from all over the world
  • Learn Portuguese and improve your language skills.

Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

This unique and exciting project gives you the chance to directly contribute to wild animal conservation in the countryside of Portugal.

Join the Biological Park Conservation Program in Portugal! The park is dedicated to conserving native species, featuring the largest enclosed wild fauna in the country. It houses 375 species, including rare animals like lynxes and Iberian wolves, and various native plants. The park also employs a ...

About the program

Join the Biological Park Conservation Program in Portugal! The park is dedicated to conserving native species, featuring the largest enclosed wild fauna in the country. It houses 375 species, including rare animals like lynxes and Iberian wolves, and various native plants. The park also employs a significant number of staff with disabilities or chronic illnesses, showcasing its commitment to inclusivity.

When volunteering in winter, prepare for lower temperatures between 40-60°F (5-15°C) and bring warm clothing. In summer, expect temperatures between 77-100ºF (25-38ºC) and wear comfortable, light clothing. The project is based in an ecological park in Miranda do Corvo, a historic town in the old district of Coimbra, central Portugal. It’s about 4 hours from Lisbon by public transport or a 2.5-hour drive by car.

What to Expect:

  • Wildlife Conservation: Help care for animals and maintain their enclosures.

  • Nature Preservation: Participate in general nature preservation tasks.

  • Community Engagement: Work with a diverse team, including staff with disabilities.

Daily Tasks:

  • Maintenance: Check and repair enclosure walls and fences, paint, clean, and improve pathways, and organize spaces.

  • Animal Care: Assist in feeding the animals and checking their water supplies.

  • Farm and Riding School: Help in the Pedagogical Farm and the Riding School.

  • Nature Preservation: Engage in tasks like cutting trees and building fences.

Why Join?

  • Make an Impact: Contribute to wildlife conservation and environmental preservation.

  • Gain Experience: Develop skills in animal care and park maintenance.

  • Cultural Immersion: Experience life in a historic Portuguese town while making a positive difference.

Ready to Conserve Wildlife?

Typical day

You will join the morning or afternoon shift at your placement and will work for approximately 3 to 5 hours per day.

A typical daily schedule will look as follows:

09:00 am | Travel to your project with the organization transport and join the local staff to volunteer at the park

01:00 pm | Have ...

Typical day

You will join the morning or afternoon shift at your placement and will work for approximately 3 to 5 hours per day.

A typical daily schedule will look as follows:

09:00 am | Travel to your project with the organization transport and join the local staff to volunteer at the park

01:00 pm | Have lunch at the park with the organization staff

02:00 pm | Explore the mountains trails and the surroundings of the forest or enjoy your free time with other volunteers in the center of the village

08:00 pm | Dinner with other international volunteers on your accommodation

Please note that the actual schedule can change according to the season the volunteer is applying for. 

Free-time activities

We want you to really get to know your natural and cultural surroundings and will provide you with useful tips and tricks that will help you discover the location of your stay like a local!

Your shifts will generally last between 3 and 5 hours per day and will take place either in the morning, in ...

Free-time activities

We want you to really get to know your natural and cultural surroundings and will provide you with useful tips and tricks that will help you discover the location of your stay like a local!

Your shifts will generally last between 3 and 5 hours per day and will take place either in the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening, which will leave you with plenty of free time to go explore, take a stroll around your surroundings, catch the most important sites, interact with the locals or simply go and relax! And of course, you will have your weekends off as well!

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

Nationality Restrictions

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

Time Commitment

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

What's Included

What's Included

Services by ImpacTrip

Includes:

  • Pick up at the international airport in Lisbon or Porto - Sunday 

On Sunday, the ImpacTrip team will be at the airport waiting for you with a big sign and a smile on their face! :)

If you arrive prior to the Sunday, you will still be able to receive an airport pickup and our team can transport you to the accommodation, but you will need to pay an extra fee for this service.

  • Accommodation at a dormitory at a hostel in Lisbon / Porto for 2 nights
  • Accommodation at a shared apartment in Serra da Lousã during the program
  • Transportation to the project site
  • Three meals a day everyday: Breakfast, lunch and dinner (Local style; vegetarian, gluten-free and meals for lactose-intolerant are also available upon request)
  • Free WIFI
  • Orientation event on arrival (including an introduction to Portugal and culture, volunteer experience, an overview of programs, practical information, safety guidelines)
  • Guided city tour and the best tips to discover the city
  • Allocation and coordination of a work placement in a sustainable project and contact person in the project
  • Ongoing support throughout the stay
  • 24h/7 emergency support
  • SIM card
  • Limited coverage civil liability insurance.
Not included:
  • Flights
  • Pick-up at the airport on other dates
  • Drop-off at the airport
  • Personal expenses
  • Personal insurance (health or accidents)

Airport Pickup at Lisbon Portela Airport

On Sunday, the ImpacTrip team will be at the airport waiting for you with a big sign and a smile on their face! :)

If you arrive prior to Sunday, you will still be able to receive an airport pickup and our team can transport you to the accommodation, but you will need to pay an extra fee for this service.

We will reach out to you by WhatsApp a few days before your start date to connect

Accommodation

You will be accommodated at the placement in a shared apartment.

Food & Beverages

Three meals a day everyday: Breakfast, lunch and dinner (Local style. (Vegetarian, gluten-free and meals for lactose-intolerant are also available upon request)

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS) in Lisbon. We assist you to find cheap flights to Portugal. 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 Portugal provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

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

Details on arrival

This program starts every Sunday!

You should arrive on Sunday (or before) to attend the orientation session on Monday morning.

On the day after your orientation (Tuesday), you will be dropped off at the train station, as you need to take a train to Coimbra and then a bus to Miranda do Corvo, where the Biological Park Conservation project is located. You will then start volunteering on Wednesday.

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

Program fees

2 weeks (min. stay) 1,600€
3 weeks 2,125€
4 weeks 2,650€
5 weeks 3,175€
6 weeks 3,700€
7 weeks 4,225€
8 weeks 4,750€
9 weeks 5,275€
10 weeks 5,800€
11 weeks 6,325€
12 weeks (max. stay) 6,850€
Average fees 685€/week

Program fees

685€ 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 ImpacTrip during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

Meet your organization

ImpacTrip

Good 4.2 rating (70 reviews)

Agency - founded in 2015

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Cristiana

Spoken languages: Portuguese, Spanish, English

About the project

ImpacTrip is a social enterprise that promotes Responsible Travel Experiences in Portugal, Spain and Croatia.

Meet your organization

ImpacTrip is a social business internationally certified as B-Corp that promotes Responsible Travel Experiences in Portugal, Spain and Croatia.

Founded in 2015 by two dedicated social entrepreneurs that want to change the way people travel, ImpacTrip aims at combining the best of travel with a positive social and environmental impact.

We really want travelers to have the most unique and meaningful travel experiences.

We offer short-term Travel Experiences across our country that allow you and other Responsible Travelers to connect with the locals, experience the culture and contribute in a positive way to the local communities.

We also offer long-term volunteer programs in which you can dedicate 1 to 12 weeks volunteering for local non-profits for a specific cause while meeting people from all over the world.

Since 2015 we've received people from over 50+ different nationalities that contributed with over 30.000 hours of volunteer work to support over 300 non-profits.

70 reviews · rating4.2

jessica hogge rating4.6

2023 at Biological Park Conservation

I throughly enjoyed my volunteer program here! Everyone is friendly and welcoming! You are able to see lots of animals! I personally feel you need to like horses as you work with them mostly in the afternoons! But overall brilliant experience! ...
Yuqian Ma rating4.2

2023 at Biological Park Conservation

There are some inconvenience because of the language barrier. The personnel there are all quite friendly. The accommodation was really good. But personally I don’t like the food there at the park. Although the work is really meaningful, there’s not much to do. For example I only had to help with ...
Léa NUNES rating4

2023 at Biological Park Conservation

Calm and resourceful are the best words to describe my trip there. It's really safe and people are just adorable, you don't have the impression to travel ...
Korbinian Schenkel rating2

2023 at Biological Park Conservation

Let me start with the positive point of this project: the hotel is really nice. Breakfast and Lunch are good and you have a good WiFi connection and access to pool and sauna. Sadly these are the only positive points, I have to say about this project. The rest is complete crap, to say it in a ...
Dirk Dingfelder rating4.6

2022 at Biological Park Conservation

We were together in the park for 6 weeks and have experienced a lot and also had a lot of nice moments to the highlights included the birth of wild boars, goats and cows. But also overcoming disgust, for example, dead rabbits to feed the Luxe and wolves were part of it. *****Statement of the ...
Chloé Boulanger rating4.8

2021 at Biological Park Conservation

People from Impactrip are very nice and helpful.Just confirm which airport you are arriving at, because they came to pick me up in Lisbon instead of Porto (everything was back to normal in less than an hour) The hotel where I spent 2 days in Porto is more of a youth hostel, I meet people from all ...

Location

Europe > Southern Europe > Portugal > Serra da Lousã

You might also be interested in

Volunteer Abroad  >  Animals  >  Wildlife Conservation in Portugal
Contact Cristiana
  Very high response rate
Portuguese, Spanish, English

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