from 1,590€

Very Good 4.3rating (67)
  • Life On Land

Wolf Conservation Experience

location
2 - 4 weeks  ·  Age 20 - 50+
rating  Very Good 4.3  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Aid in the survival of the endangered Iberian Wolf at a dedicated conservation center, focusing on protection and habitat preservation
  • Engage in diverse tasks such as animal feeding, maintenance, fire prevention, and reforestation, enhancing the wolves' enclosure to mimic wild conditions
  • Participate in clearing non-native Eucalyptus trees and contribute to reforestation efforts, vital for maintaining a balanced ecosystem for the wolves
  • Be part of a greater mission to educate about wolf conservation, understanding their behaviors and movements, and advocating for their protection in their natural habitat
  • Visit Ericeira and Mafra and get to know other areas around Portugal

Especially suitable

Age 20+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Volunteer in a Wolf Conservation Center in a green region near Lisbon. Relax in nature and contribute to the preservation of an endangered species.

In this ImpacTrip's volunteer program, volunteers will participate in a wide range of day-to-day activities at the Iberian Wolf Conservation Center.   

During the program, volunteers will be accommodated in very comfortable wooden houses at the center and will be guided permanently by the local ...

About the program

In this ImpacTrip's volunteer program, volunteers will participate in a wide range of day-to-day activities at the Iberian Wolf Conservation Center.   

During the program, volunteers will be accommodated in very comfortable wooden houses at the center and will be guided permanently by the local staff. The project is open all year round except in December and January, and it should be booked early in advance to guarantee availability.

During the program volunteers will be able to: 

  1. Help with the feeding of the wolves, monitoring, and observation; 
  2. Check and refill the wolves’ water supplies; 
  3. Assist with the maintenance of infrastructures and forested area; 
  4. Partake in fire prevention actions (depending on the time of year).

Any person can participate in this program, just have to love this so unique species. 

This is the ideal program to find your inner peace, as you will be surrounded by Nature. 

There, you will hear the silence of the forest, the howling of wolves and contribute to greater environmental and animal protection.

Be aware that most of the tasks in the Wolf Conservation program require medium to heavy physical effort (for example, to carry weights around 8kg/17lb). Additionally, as the Centre is in a forested valley, the ground is irregular and with steep slopes, the volunteers must be able to do this physical effort while walking on those conditions. If there is any specific detail about your overall health that you think could interfere with your participation in this program and in performing such tasks, let us know, so we can arrange the best way for you to come to Portugal and help us with tasks suitable for you.

Typical day

A typical day would be:

After the initial orientation in Lisbon, you will be taken by van to the Natural Park in Mafra where you will stay for the rest of your program. You will volunteer for approximately 7 hours a day in the protection of the Wolves and its habitat. A typical morning schedule is as ...

Typical day

A typical day would be:

After the initial orientation in Lisbon, you will be taken by van to the Natural Park in Mafra where you will stay for the rest of your program. You will volunteer for approximately 7 hours a day in the protection of the Wolves and its habitat. A typical morning schedule is as follows:

08:00 | Breakfast begins at the volunteer house.

9:00 | Volunteer activities. 

13:00 | Cook lunch at your wooden house together with the other local and international volunteers.

15:00 | Volunteer activities.

19:00 | Cook dinner at your house with the other volunteers. After dinner, you can free to relax and use it as you wish.

Free-time activities

Lisbon is near the beach, near the mountain and is a great starting point to get to travel the rest of the country.

Enjoy climbing in Arrábida, festivals all summer, diving in Peniche, hiking in Monsanto, visit some of the best museums in Europe in Lisbon and Porto, join for a horse ride at the ...

Free-time activities

Lisbon is near the beach, near the mountain and is a great starting point to get to travel the rest of the country.

Enjoy climbing in Arrábida, festivals all summer, diving in Peniche, hiking in Monsanto, visit some of the best museums in Europe in Lisbon and Porto, join for a horse ride at the beach (like in the movies!), visit the fantastic zoo in the Capital, join a great variety of sports at your choice, enjoy swimming and water sports at the pool or at the beach (warning: the water is cold) or participate in yoga classes in relaxing places.

We can help you to discover anything you might want to do in your free time.

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 20 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 20 years old on the program start date.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (basic level)

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 from 09:00 - 17:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by ImpacTrip

What’s included?

  • Pick up at the international airport in Lisbon & transfer to the accommodation - on 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 an impactful hostel, female dormitory, or mixed dormitory in Lisbon for the first 2 nights
  • Transfer to the project site in Mafra
  • Accommodation in a wooden house in the park in Mafra, max. 4 bed dormitory, share use of living room, kitchen and free Wifi
  • Three meals a day everyday: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Local style. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and meals for lactose-intolerant are also available upon request)
At the Center, you will be in charge of your own grocery shopping and preparing your meals. The staff is able to take volunteers shopping on Tuesdays and Fridays after lunch. However, they can only take two volunteers at a time so you should be aware that you might go shopping only once a week.

  • Shared use of a common room, outdoor area, garden, and free WIFI
  • Orientation event on arrival (including an introduction to Portugal and culture, volunteer experience, an overview of programs, practical information, safety guidelines)
  • SIM card
  • Guided city tour
  • The best tips to discover the city!
  • Allocation and coordination of a work placement in an impactful non-profit project
  • Introduction on the first day of volunteering
  • Ongoing support throughout the stay
  • 24h/7 emergency support
  • Limited coverage civil liability insurance.

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 our 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.

We will send a message on whatsapp close to the arrival date, to connect :)

Accommodation

Accommodation for volunteers is in wooden houses at the Park located in Mafra. 

These are small and cozy houses with all the equipment necessary to cook and live comfortably.  The house is equipped with washing machine, oven, fridge/freezer, cooking utensils and cutlery but there is no TV in the house.

Please note that there are no women/men separation bedroom and both kitchen and bathroom are shared with all occupants. 

A house can house up to 6 people.

Food & Beverages

Meals are provided on the first 2 days of the program, while you are in Lisbon.

At the Center, you will be in charge of your own grocery shopping and preparing your meals. The staff is able to take volunteers shopping on Tuesdays and Fridays after lunch. However, they can only take two volunteers at a time so you should be aware that you might go shopping only once a week.

Internet Access

Limited 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 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. There are special start dates for this program, please confirm our availability.

There is very limited availability for this program during the summer.

This program only accepts bookings for 2 or 4 weeks. 


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

Program fees

2 weeks (min. stay) 1,590€
4 weeks (max. stay) 2,340€
Average fees 690€/week

Program fees

690€ per week 2 - 4 weeks Age 20 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES

Duration

2 - 4 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

Very Good 4.3 rating (67 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.

67 reviews · rating4.3

Anneleen Olbrechts rating3.6

2023 at Wolf Conservation Experience

I had an amazing time during my two weeks of volunteering at the wolf conservation. The terrain was steep, the work was hard, and the sun shone unbearlingly hot all day, but: the views were amazing, seeing the wolves in real life was a dream and I am glad that my greatest wish of hearing them howl ...
Melanie Conlon rating5

2022 at Wolf Conservation Experience

Absolutely loved the program!! Had such a wonderful 2 weeks and met lots of lovely people!! Wish I had stayed longer! The only problem I did find was the lack of information before arriving, but once I got there it was fine. ...
Alba Gala Torrero rating5

2024 at Youth Supporter

I recommend this experience to absolutely anyone, it was the best of my life. The first week my placement was in a Skatepark in Cascais, so I had to catch a train and then a bus. Although it was good and the commute was fine, I didn't feel comfortable at the beggining so I asked to switch to a ...
Thomas Payne rating3.2

2024 at Animal Care and Protection

Honestly, I was surprised, when on the website it shows photos of so many dogs, animals, it turned out I was working at a cat sanctuary. It's not that I was disappointed by the cats, it was just a shock, and also, at points of the sanctuary I feel like I wasn't apart of it massively, there wasn't ...
Martin Hag rating3.6

2024 at Environmental Scuba Diving

The people working there were really supportive and genuinely wish for you to have a good experience. My first day was an introduction to the area, possibility to get help with the tickets for the public transports and a guided tour of Lisbon. They also have communication chats for you to contact ...
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! ...

Location

Europe > Southern Europe > Portugal > Mafra - Lisboa

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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