.

 

  You are here >
 


Next weekend TEFL Course: 6/7 February
 


 

ELEPHANT AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN WASGAMUWA

Help conserve the Elephants and other wildlife of Sri Lanka in Wasgamuwa National Park. Go back to basics in stunning rural Sri Lanka and play a part in the conservation and protection of the county's majestic giants while getting involved in the local community. A real gem of a project!

The activities on this project are diverse - one moment you could be laying cameras to identify new leopard trails, and then next you could be staying overnight in a tree-house to watch for elephants.

SUMMARY FACTFILE
Start Dates All year round - you choose your start and finish dates!
Duration Minimum stay 2 weeks and up to 1 year, subject to visa requirements
Requirements No qualifications needed, just a big heart and a desire to provide care and support.
Price From £995 for 2 weeks, ranging to £2,835 for 12 weeks. Full Price List
What's included Accommodation Food Meeting you at the Airport Transfer to your accommodation Full pre-departure support Local in-country team support and backup 24-hr emergency support Two free T-shirts.
What's not included Flights, Insurance.
Who can do this Project? All our projects are open to all nationalities.
Unless otherwise stated, you need to be aged between 17 and 70+

Also on this page:

PROJECT OVERVIEW
The National Park of Wasgamuwa is a dedicated area of conservation, a stunning expanse of grasslands and hills described by locals as the most beautiful place in the whole of Sri Lanka. Elephants are synonymous with Sri Lanka, and have lived alongside the people of this incredible country as long as the civilisation has existed. Be a part of the conservation effort and get to know the real Sri Lanka!

The project, run by SLWCS, one of Sri Lanka's top Conservation Societies, is well structured and enormously beneficial to the local people and environment. In 2008, the SLWCS was selected by the United Nations Development Programme to be a recipient of the prestigious Equator Prize 2008. The Equator Prize is an international award that honours community-based projects that represent outstanding efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

The main aim of the project is to "save elephants, other biodiversity and their habitats by helping people". The activities undertaken on this project are vast, and you could find yourself involved in any number of things while working and living in Wasgamuwa. One moment you could be laying cameras to identify new leopard trails, and then next you could be staying overnight in a treehouse to watch for elephants.

You are needed to provide essential people power to help sustain these efforts, and in return you'll gain a whole host of experience and knowledge that will last a lifetime.

WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:

  • An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into South East Asia and the Sri Lankan culture.

  • The enormous satisfaction of improving the quality of life of the animals. The knowledge that you've contributed to conservation in Sri Lanka and that you made a difference to the animals.

  • New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.

  • An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market

  • And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!

WORK CONTENT:
The work you can get involved in is diverse and fascinating, and it covers a broad range of elements and activities. Below is a list of the current activities, but some of these can change depending on what is required at the time you're there and on other factors, such as the weather.

Elephant Research:

  • Tank monitoring
  • Trail transects on trails that range from 5-10 kilometers on undulating to steep terrain.
  • Road transects out side and inside the park.
  • Park ID - identification of elephants within the park
  • Fence monitoring
  • Observations of elephants from tree hut and at tanks

Socio-Economic and Agro/Social Forestry research:

  • Elephant Damage Surveys
  • Village Headman (GND) Surveys
  • HEC and HLC assessment surveys
  • Project Orange Elephant – Citrus Plantation

Farming:

  • Data on farming operations (such as number of eggs produced, milk production, health issues, paddy/fruit production)

GIS Research and overall coordination:

  • Identification of trails which leopards/bears/prey species use
  • Biodiversity mapping
  • HEC/HLC Mapping
  • Analysis of GIS data from all other research projects

WHAT THE PROJECT GAINS FROM YOUR VOLUNTEERING:
The volunteer program is an integral component of the sustainable initiatives we are implementing in Sri Lanka. There has been a completely new economic development at the local level just based on the volunteer program. You can observe this in the growth and development of so many of the local stakeholders who are directly and indirectly benefiting from the program.  Even for the Wasgamuwa National Park we provide their biggest revenue.  We hope to initiate a study just to assess the economic impact of the volunteer program at Wasgamuwa. Dr Ravi Corea, President and Founder of the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society

ABOUT WASGAMUWA NATIONAL PARK:

The location is amazing, with breathtaking scenery and wildlife set in the remote hinterland of the island, given the accolade – by natives – as the most beautiful part of Sri Lanka. This placement is ideal if you enjoy wildlife and the outdoors - there is plenty to keep you occupied in this beautiful region. The surrounding jungles and villages can be explored easily by foot or bike and trips to other parks in the region can be arranged.

This beautiful and untamed region is full of photo opportunities - outstanding rivers, lakes and wildlife that make for a photographer's paradise. There is no other entertainment, thus you'll enjoy serenity and spending time alone.

The Maduru Oya National Park, which is about an hour away by jeep, is renowned for its Elephant population and Elephant sightings during an organised safari are very common - the amount of wildlife in this area of Sri Lanka is just incredible!

This is a remote area with very basic facilities but will give you a true Sri Lankan experience.

The teaching project in Wasgamuwa was initiated by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) as a way of reducing the human-elephant conflict in the region. Through community participation the SLWCS aims to resolve this conflict over the coming years. The on-going goal is to increase the level of English amongst villagers. Read more about the goals of the SLWCS programme and how your work as a volunteer will assist with these.

In 2008, the SLWCS was selected by the United Nations Development Programme to be a recipient of the prestigious Equator Prize 2008. The Equator Prize is an international award that honours community-based projects that represent outstanding efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

REQUIREMENTS: CAN YOU DO THIS PROJECT?

  • You don't need any qualifications to participate in this project.

  • Please bear in mind that this project is only suitable for those people who enjoy reading and solitude as there is nothing to do in the evenings except socialise with the other volunteers!

  • BUT, if you want to gain an excellent cultural experience that is worthwhile and gives you much, much more than you'd get as a mere tourist, then this is an excellent placement.

Interesting interview with innovative thinkers in Sri Lanka today who are working towards creating a balance between human development and elephant survival with untraditional methods and sensitive thinking.

   

About Sri Lanka and the teaching, work excperience and conservation voluntary projects you can do there with Travellers
Elephant Conservation in Wasgamuwa National Park




Volunteer sitting in a hide to observe animals


A leopard caught by a camera trap in the dead of night

Read Volunteer Reports on Wasgamuwa

MAP OF SRI LANKA

ACCOMMODATION: 
You will live in a remote village called Pusseleya on the outskirts of the National Park, located around 7 hours east of Colombo. The community that you will become a part of is mostly dependant on paddy farming for its livelihood and as such the way of life here is very simple - you will need to be prepared to 'get back to basics' and live like the villagers.

The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has a Field Project House near Wasgamuwa in a beautiful scenic location overlooking the village reservoir. The house is very basic but is made up of entirely eco-friendly material due to the fact that it was built by a team of conscientious conservationists – the SLWCS.

The walls are made of wooden slats and hardened mud and the roof is formed of wooden slats and tin sheets. You really do feel like you are in the wilderness! It can be quite a culture shock at first, but rest assured the friendly nature of the villagers and beautiful scenery soon make up for the very basic and open nature of the accommodation.

The make up of the house is perfectly sufficient, despite the odd houseguest in the form of spiders, frogs and snakes, and this open design helps to keep the house cool during the hot spells of the day and dry during the storms.

Because of the location of this project there is no electricity in the house and thus no refrigerator or fans on site. There is a bathroom with cold running water and a western style toilet and in the evenings lights are generated by solar power.

It's also possible that you may stay in a tented campsite near to the Wasgamuwa National Park, depending on the number of volunteers on the project.

Food and Transport:
A
ll of your food will be provided (gorgeous, mostly vegetarian Sri Lankan curries) and local transport is either by bicycle or walking.

Please bear in mind that Wasgamuwa is remote and the house is open to nature. This project should only be undertaken by people who like solitude, wildlife and living in jungle-like surroundings, and are able to live with minimal creature comforts.

Volunteer Andy Richards on the porch with the dogs

View of the Project House from above
 SIGHTSEEING IN THE REGION
About the Local Area:
There are small shops located 2-3 kilometres away that stock most things you will need on your placement and there is a hotel about 30 minutes walk away where you can have a swim in the pool !

Getting around is not easy in this remote area and bicycles are essential as the main form of transport. Buses to Kandy and Colombo run from here and take approximately 5 to 9 hours, respectively. Buses run more frequently to Hettipola, which is the nearest town, located about 1 hour (15 km) away.

There are two small hotels about 10-15 minutes bike ride away, one serving excellent Chinese food and very welcomed chilled drinks after a hot days work!

Local sights such as Sigirya, Pollannaruwa, Nuwera Eliya & Dambulla are all about a 3 - 4 hours away by private vehicle. To cool off, you can hire a van and go the Knuckles Range (3,000 ft), which is about 1 hour away - there are beautiful areas to hike and plenty of cool streams to bathe in. The temperature drops off to a comfortable 20-28 degrees at this altitude.

The rest of Sri Lanka is a tropical paradise offering something to suit every type of visitor. Sri Lanka is often referred to as a 'Teardrop in the Ocean' - a beautiful island with a mystical past and history awaiting exploration. The countries beaches are outstanding and often rated amongst the finest in the world. 


Locals washing clothes in the river

TRAVEL:
You will fly into Sri Lanka where you'll be met at Colombo Airport by our Sri Lanka representative. You'll then be taken by car to Wasgamuwa, which is about 5 or 6 hours away.

On arrival, you'll be taken to your accommodation and introduced to everyone. You'll also receive in induction which will include useful information about the region where you'll be living.

VISAS:. You don't need a visa for your first month in Sri Lanka and our local manager will arrange for a visa for the rest of your stay - we make the process very easy for you.

You have the option to arrange your own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Limited, ATOL No. 6856. Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up before leaving for your placement.

Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket.

To read about the excellent Support & Backup we provide before you leave and during your programme, please click here.

We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!

Back to Top



Suite 2A, Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring Road, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 4AP, England
Tel: +44 (0)1903 502595    Fax: +44 (0)1903 708179

Email: info@travellersworldwide.com

British Safety Council Logo

Travellers is a Founder Member of the Year Out Group
Web site designed by ITDesigners: www.itdesigners.com
Copyright © 1999-2007 TravelQuest Limited;
Last modified: January 15, 2010