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WWF Young Adult Volunteer & Internship Programme

The WWF Young Adult Volunteer & Internship Programme is currently taking a break. Thank you in advance for your patience. This page will be updated when the programme resumes.

Work as a WWF Volunteer
Qualify for WWF Volunteer & Internship Programme
Current WWF Volunteers

A volunteer ranger catching sea turtles for tagging on Tetepare Island, Solomon Islands. © James Morgan / WWF

The goal of the WWF Young Adult volunteer & internship programme is to provide you with a powerful, hands-on experience of the unique challenges that developing nations face in protecting their environment and assets. The WWF Young Adult Volunteer & Intern Programme enables committed and outstanding young people, aged approx 19-27, to have a 3 to 6 month volunteer/internship experience working with WWF in such places as Bolivia, Madagascar, Pacific, the Carpathians and at WWF International.

What work will be done?

During your placement, you will be integrated into a WWF team to work on conservation initiatives in line with the objectives of the project or programme you are engaged with. The WWF wants to provide you with an insight into the world of conservation work on the ground, in the field. This could be an assignment with a WWF project in an extremely rural and isolated community or it could be with a local WWF office combining visits to the field. Whatever the context, WWF hopes and believes that you will be inspired and motivated by what you see and what you do, and that you will carry this through the rest of your life.

Examples of such projects could be the establishment of a new protected area where you'll be involved with a range of activities such as the collection of field data, consultations with local communities, building infrastructure support. You may find yourself working in a local community on a WWF Madagascar working for the Conservation of Toliara Coral Reef, or monitoring the bisons in the Carpathians, or counting the saigan antillope in Mongolia. View our WWF Volunteer and Internship Programme current openings.

How to Qualify for the WWF Volunteer & Internship Programme

Currently, we are able to offer a placement to approximately 30-35 young people each year. While you are not required to be pursuing a career in conservation we are looking for young adults who have:

A commitment to conservation
An ability to adapt to changing situations
An ability to work respectfully in cross-cultural situations
An ability to take direction from supervisors
The confidence to provide feedback to supervisors
A collaborative approach to working with colleagues
A capacity for ongoing learning

Participants undertake to cover their return airfare, visa and vaccination costs, as well as their food expenses during the assignment. These funds can be provided from personal sources or through fundraising efforts. Except for food, WWF will pay for all in-country support for participants as well as health insurance and repatriation assistance coverage.

What you'll learn through the WWF Volunteer & Intern Programme

Alpha da Silva Rodrigues (convoy volunteer of the Caravana Mergulhao, a boat which takes ... © Edward Parker / WWF

Gain insight and awareness of conservation as the WWF practices it. You will learn not only to increase your cross-cultural understanding by getting an idea of the day-to-day reality & living standards of the people in developing nations but also you will gain additional skills:

Improve your communication skills
Enhance your teamwork skills
Evolve your self-reliance skills

What is wanted in return

The volunteer/internship programme is designed to have an impact far beyond the individual young people who are directly involved. If selected, you will be asked to create compelling stories, pictures and possibly videos and other digital communications about your experiences. WWF hopes that your inspiration and talent at communicating what you see and experience can help others like yourself gain insight and inspiration from your achievements.

Our aim is to enable you to effectively communicate the experiences you learn through the WWF Volunteer & Intern Programme to others. Read about past experiences on our WWF Alumni Blog.

CURRENT WWF VOLUNTEERS

Below is a list of our current WWF Volunteers out in the field:

Naomi Cresswell, WWF Adria
Cai Nebe, WWF Mongolia
Matthieu Follea, WWF Mongolia
Jaee Nikam, Freshwater Practice, WWF Philippines
Holly Towner, WWF Bolivia
Tiffany Gobert, Central African Republic, Dzangha Sangha Protected Area
Bas Vourhoot, Central African Republic, Dzangha Sangha Protected Area
Elisabeth Mbe Nchong, Cameroon
Alice Estelle Nkongo Nchare, Cameroon
Riana Tiffany Rabeony, Madagascar Communications
Tiana Andrianirina Raolelina Mivalisoa, MTB Landscape Madagascar
Jean Rodrigue Ramaroson, MTB Lanscape Madagascar
Maryo Sebastiéni Rajoelimbololona, MTB Lanscape Madagascar
Vonjiharitiana Felantsoa Ainamahafaly, MTB Landscape Madagascar
Berthin Edmond Razafindrazanaka, MTB Landscape Madagascar
Haingonirina Raholiarivao, MTB Landscape Madagascar

WWF's Mission

To stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, by:

conserving the world's biological diversity
ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

What WWF is about

An important dimension of the WWF Volunteer & Internship Programme’s work are efforts to reduce human ecological footprint by promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns.Many of the world’s ecosystems and areas of high biodiversity under threat are also home to rural communities and indigenous peoples, whose livelihoods and cultures are closely dependent on the natural environment. Conservation is key to ensuring that all communities can develop sustainably and equitably. By maintaining ecosystem services, ensuring sustainable use and management of natural resources and providing new livelihood opportunities, conservation activities can contribute towards poverty reduction and sustainable development. WWF works to support sustainable livelihoods and reduce poverty, and develop more equitable models of natural resource consumption and governance.
Read more about WWF Global Goals and the latest conservation highlights to get more familiar with who we are.

WWF Volunteer Testimonials

Volunteer Today

Strive For Impact, Listen Deeply, Collaborate Openly, Innovate Fearlessly.

Inspire the world around you and Apply to the WWF Volunteer & Internship Programme today.

BISON HILLOCK TASKFORCE

The Bison Hillock Taskforce in the Carpathians has 6 volunteers recruited through Explore!. They are there from July 2018 until the end of November supporting the this great initiative of rewilding the bisons. They have created a blog where you can follow their daily adventures, tasks, challenges.

WWF Romania

WW Romania