Due to the holistic nature of our mission, the VWB Initiative offers a wide range of environmental and development related opportunities for both volunteers and voluntourists.
Volunteers – our definition – Individuals or groups, skilled or unskilled, in Thailand for longer than a week specifically for the purpose of providing ‘hands on assistance’ and ‘donor funding’ to an environmental or development related project that has a mission, goals and objectives that they can subscribe to.
Voluntourists – our definition – Individuals or groups, skilled or unskilled, who wishes to spend a day or more, but less than a week of their ‘holiday time’ in Thailand contributing ‘hands on assistance’ and ‘donor funding’, to an environmental or development related project that has a mission, goals and objectives that they can subscribe to.
Skilled and unskilled volunteers / voluntourists defined.
Skilled – our definition – Someone who has formal qualifications or a high skills level that would enable them to contribute to a specialist task required on a VWB Initiative project.
Unskilled – our definition – Someone who does not have the formal qualifications or a high level of skill for the ‘particular’ tasks the VWB Initiative needs to undertake, but who is willing to help move the project forward by lending a hand in whatever area their hands on help and donor funding is needed.
Skilled and unskilled volunteers are therefore needed in both the environmental and development fields, with skilled and unskilled voluntourists required to support the goals of both.
The work.
Voluntourists
Will be able to choose between 6 programmes that offer environmental (nature trail development/scientific study etc.) and development (English language teaching, small construction tasks).
Volunteers.
On our standard programmes they will be expected to rotate between both environmental and development work as dictated by the VWB project manager. Or, dictated by their skill set, would be assigned to which ever programme would most benefit from their assistance.
Volunteers may also make special requests in advance - to be assigned to either the environmental or the development component of the project.
Review: Plans in the Vision section for an overview of the current priorities.
Review: Work Detail in the Pilot Project section for detailed stats of the work.
The role of virtual volunteers.
Virtual volunteers are individuals who, working from home in their spare time, and assist the VWB Initiative with a wide range of tasks such as:
- Providing advice – advising us on new developments, new research etc., in any of the areas of relevancet to the VWB Initiative.
- Fundraising – raising funds from individuals or the corporate sector, for specific VWB Initiative projects, or to subsidise trips by schools or other groups to attend a VWB Initiative programme.
- Marketing – marketing our specific products - volunteer, voluntourism, ecotourism, educational tourism, corporate team building, adventure challenge racing, and scientific study programmes to potential clients in these niche markets.
- Matchmaking – introducing the VWB Initiative to other organistions, individuals, associations, that share common ideals and that might derive benefit from establishing a relationship with us.
- Editing/Proofreading – marketing and research related materials used on VWB Initiative programmes.
- Translation – translating website text, press releases etc., from English to other languages.
- Research - researching information required for specific projects conducted by the VWB Initiative - (examples)
1. Interactive English Learning lesson plans.
2. Ways to add value to non timber forest products. 3. Determining the best small hydro-electricity solution for use at Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre.
Please contact us is if you wish to become a virtual volunteer for the VWB Initiative.
Review others in our virtual volunteer network. Link to VWB Facebook
Internships with Track of the Tiger / VWB.
We have a number of vacancies for non paid interns every year. This normally covers up to two foreigners, and for two Thai nationals.
Preference is given to those who have special skills that will help us move forward – (scientific, tourism related, photography, marketing etc.).
In some cases, meals and accommodation are provided free of charge, although for budget reasons we prefer to have interns find sponsors for their flights, meals, accommodation and transport.
Please apply with full resume to: tiger@loxinfo.co.th
Long term volunteers
We are always on the lookout for experienced outdoor educators, experts in scientific related fields, nature lovers, individuals or husband and wife teams, either retired or just taking a sabbatical and willing to give of their time in assisting the VWB Initiative reach its goals.
We do not at this stage have a budget for salaries, but can subsidise the basics – transport (local), meals, accommodation, and modest expenses, for the right people.
Programme Options.
Volunteers.
Individual volunteers may join our standard programmes anytime from Sunday January 4th 2008. They may spend as long as they want with us.
Our working week is Sunday evening from 1700 hrs. (when the transport leaves Chiang Mai), until Saturday evening at 1700 hrs. (when the transport leaves Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre for the return journey to Chiang Mai.
Note* Volunteers may of course decide not to visit the city for Saturday night and Sunday, but relax around Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre instead.
Note* Volunteers may join us for programme for less that a week, and transfer in or out according to their own schedules.
Note* Groups of volunteers (schools/universities etc.) may contact us for customized programmes.
Review: VWB Initiative – Volunteer programmes (standard) providing full detail and detailed pricing / cost breakdown – in line with our commitment to transparency.
Voluntourists.
Individual or group voluntourists may take any of our half day, or full day or longer programmes from January 4th 2008.
The half and full day programmes are excursions from Chiang Mai city.
The two day (and longer) programmes, offer accommodation at the Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre.
Note* Groups of voluntourists (direct or through agents) may contact us for customized programmes.
Review: VWB Initiative – Voluntourist programmes providing full detail and detailed pricing / cost breakdown – in line with our commitment to transparency.
Costs.
Volunteer programmes
Our standard 7 day & 6 night – Sunday to Saturday programmes costs Baht 15’020.- per person. (inclusive of transport, accommodation, meals, project fund donation and village co-workers day rate).
Voluntourist programmes.
There are currently six voluntourist programmes on offer, and a typical one day programme ranges in price from Baht 1’500.- to Baht 4’000.- per person, depending on the programme content, and how many people are in your group.
