National Parks in Thailand and Laos

  Laos

• Rural Areas: 
Rural Areas
• Luang Prabang: 
Luang Prabang

  Thailand

• All Other Areas in Thailand: 
Trang,  Nong Khai,  Udon Thani,  Surin
• Phuket: 
Phuket

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: On going

Description: Support Sustainable Eco Tourism and Wildlife Conservation in National parks in Thailand and Laos! Parks need more resources to preserve and protect wildlife and nature! National parks can benefit from eco-tourism to fund efforts to preserve their unique environments.

Volunteers can help! A unique chance to exciting nature and culture experiences, go trekking with the park rangers where the normal tourist never gets!

Sustainable and Community Based Eco Tourism is about empowering local people! About protecting nature, culture and wildlife! To help local people to a larger share of tourism revenues! About tourism that realizes all the values (incl. economic) of a preserved nature.

Volunteers contribute to these preservation efforts through a variety of activities including:

- English language training for park staff at visitors' centers and park rangers
- English language training for local villagers
- creating or improving park literature
- conservation projects, and park maintenance
- surveying and protecting existing fauna and flora in the parks (threatened by poachers, illegal logging and other infringement)
- helping to improve local databases about wildlife and trees/plants.
- helping to create a website

Open mind projects works with national parks in Thailand and Laos. We invite interested volunteers to join various projects in national parks. Specialists such as zoologists, marine biologists, botanists, sustainable eco tourism experts, IT/database specialists, are welcome but also people with less expertise but good command of English!

The parks are situated near Laos, Cambodia, and Burma with pristine forests, rivers and mountains. Exciting but challenging chances to go places, national parks, off the tracks of mass tourism, meet and work with the local Thai or Laos!

These projects can be combined with other placements! If you are new to SE Asia we recommend you volunteer at a school for a limited period before going to the more demanding eco projects.

Volunteers in Laos should be able to work independently, accept very simple living conditions, and be in good health. Volunteers should be able to gain the trust of and motivate local people. Normal minimum stay is one month.

Highlights: Pre Departure Information

- Country and culture information
- Thai language,
- teaching and volunteer advice
- travel information.

A 3 day In Country Orientations for new volunteers

- Thai Language training
- Thai/Lao Culture Information
- Eco Tourism Presentation
- teach English training
- CD ROM documentation.

Qualifications: - No specific skills required
- Good English and computer literacy.
- Specialists such as zoologists, botanists, eco tourism experts, website, database designers can be assigned special tasks!

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: An open minded and flexible person with an active interest in wildlife and nature conservation, other cultures and eco tourism. Somebody who can take initiatives and work independently, social and easily making friends with people from other cultures. Good command of English and computer literate.

Age Range: 20 years plus

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups of 3-4

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Resume
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Job and Internship Network

Open mind projects's Mission Statement: Open Mind Projects is a bridge to knowledge and cross-cultural understanding, bridging digital and knowledge divides between rich and poor. Open Mind Projects arranges placements for international volunteers to schools, Orphan Homes, other institutions and projects, in Thailand and Laos. Open Mind Projects cooperates with these schools and institutions with learning ideas, technology and international volunteers. Schools and other learning/youth institutions in developing nations are understaffed and under resources. New information technology and international volunteers help offset this advantage. Open Mind Projects wants to facilitate valuable cross-cultural experience, personal development, for volunteers and local childeren and students. An opportunity to learn about other cultures while making local and international friends, within an affordable backpacker budget.

Year Founded: 2001