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Global Vision International (GVI) is an ethical volunteering organisation working in partnership with over 150 critical conservation and humanitarian projects worldwide. With staff in 30 countries and thousands of ex-volunteers there are many different stories to tell. This news section gives a brief overview of how you can find out more about GVI, its work and its people, and gives you a sample of some clippings from the international press.
GVI launches Koala project in the Australian bush
10 July 2007Global Vision International (GVI), one of the world’s most exciting and progressive volunteering organisations, has launched a unique volunteer project which offers people the chance to work with koalas in Australia.
The extraordinary new project provides the opportunity to get up close and personal with koalas, monitoring them in their natural habitat, and researching their primary food source of eucalyptus trees.
This project is based in a remote area of the State Forest in Queensland, and is not for the faint hearted. The steep landscape and harsh climate make this project a great challenge for those with a good level of fitness and an ideal choice for adventurous, hardy travelers who want to combine a physical challenge with conservation work.
Tabitha Symonds from Global Vision International, comments: “Little is known about the nocturnal activities of these small, tree-dwelling marsupials, so this research is of real significance for the future preservation of this fascinating species. Koalas are notoriously fussy eaters, choosing only to eat Eucalyptus, so volunteers will also have ample opportunity to study the vegetation that lives in this rugged landscape.”
Volunteers on the project will also get to explore more of the rugged beauty that Australia has to offer with two weekend trips. The first of these trips is spent on the Whitsunday Islands, which are bordered by one of the Seven Wonders of the World - The Great Barrier Reef. Volunteers will have the chance to dive, swim or just admire the spectacular scenery. The second is spent in Queensland’s famous ‘Eungella National Park’ which is the longest and oldest stretch of sub-tropical rainforest in Australia. Here volunteers will have the opportunity to spot platypuses and possums from a viewing deck over the Broken River.
Tabitha continues: “GVI is committed to supporting many of the most critical conservation and humanitarian projects around the globe and this is why we chose to set up a Koala research project in Queensland.This study aims to determine variables related to ecosystem processes likely to influence koala ecology in the wet-dry tropics of central Queensland, Australia. By working with partner organisations in Australia, we can offer a unique package which means volunteers can interact with these amazing little creatures, whilst taking part in pioneering research to protect them. Visiting this remote part of Queensland is a very special experience and one that stays with you forever.”
