Amazing and Impactful Volunteering in Sri Lanka

Volunteering with the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has been one of the best experiences that I've ever had. I’ve loved seeing elephants, volunteering with the program, and meeting such amazing people. It was my first time traveling alone which is why I found the experience to be a challenge, but all the staff and volunteers at the fieldhouse really made you feel at home. I loved getting to do hands on fieldwork and getting to work outside so much. Each morning we would split into groups to go complete different projects which I liked because we got to do a variety of different things and see how all the different projects were run. In the afternoons we would get to go and observe elephants, we wouldn't see them every day, but when you did it was really special. Even the days that we didn't see any we wouldn't get bored because there was so much to learn about everyone you were with.

I learned a lot about myself on this trip. I had never traveled alone before and at first I didn't really trust myself but after arriving home I realized that I was capable of way more than I first gave myself credit for. I realized that I really enjoy hands on learning and I love being outside even more than I thought. This trip taught me a lot about Sri Lankan culture, the elephant conflict, different people around the world, and myself. It was an eyeopening experience and I would highly recommend it!