Volunteer vacations can be a great way to take a more eco-friendly trip, as most of them provide local housing, money that stimulates the local economy, and engage local workers with the volunteers.

However, there are plenty of ways to enhance your experience so that it’s even more environmentally friendly through participating in local conservation efforts, animal rehabilitation, or volunteering for local commerce. Here are a few of our favorite eco-conscious travel buddies across the globe!

Africa

Great Primate Handshake

The Great Primate Handshake seeks to raise awareness of primate sanctuaries, and works toward sustainable primate conservation programs thorough media that’s then presented to schools and individuals around the world. Through supporting local community projects, Great Primate Handshake seeks to unite the power of the Internet with the experience of the professionals they work with.

Learn more: www.primatehandshake.org

The Expedition Project

The Expedition Project focuses on working tirelessly firsthand with underdeveloped communities towards meaningful change. Through a variety of projects including recording and preserving local history, promoting sustainable energy tips, and attempting to market local craft items internationally, The Expedition Project is a unique attempt to make the world a better place, one act at a time.

Learn more: www.theexpeditionproject.com

Asia

Friends of the Great Baikal Trail

The Great Baikal Trail Association seeks to maintain, build, and promote Russia's first network of hiking trails, as well as the sustainable development of the largest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. Volunteers typically work for two weeks on sustainability oriented projects.

Learn more: greatbaikaltrail.org/en

FairMail Photography Program

FairMail Photography Program is a unique organization that prints fair-trade greeting cards with photos taken by Indian and Peruvian teenagers. In order to ensure the success of the young photographers, volunteers teach photography classes, help with local community development, and help the photographers understand the extent to which their dreams can take them.

Learn more: www.fairmail.info/travel

Europe

Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation

The Adriatic Dolphin Project invites volunteers to assist with biological and ecological research on dolphins in the Adriatic Sea. As the dolphins are endangered, such research is integral to their survival. Volunteers help with research, education, and conservation efforts on the Adriatic Sea.

Learn more: www.blue-world.org/en

The Sunseed Project

In its twenty-sixth year, the Sunseed Project works to educating the public on organic gardening, permaculture, eco construction, and methods of living sustainably in a semi-arid environment. Volunteers work toward helping this Spanish community realizing its dream of environmental stewardship while also assisting in education efforts.

Learn more: www.sunseed.org.uk

North America

Caretta Research Project

Started by the Savannah Science Museum in 1972, CRP works jointly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to maintain sea turtle research and conservation on Wassaw Island, Georgia. Working with volunteers and professionals, CRP aims to monitor and enhance the survival of sea turtle eggs and hatchlings while also working to fight beach erosion.

Learn more: www.carettaresearchproject.org

Common Ground Relief

Common Ground Relief is a unique program that works in the Lower 9^th Ward of New Orleans. Founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this organization works on many long-term projects including wetlands restoration, community gardening, and providing free legal clinics to those who need them.

Learn more: www.commongroundrelief.org

South America

Condortrekkers

Condortrekkers aims to provide local treks to tourists that support the local economy both through supporting local nonprofits with their proceeds and through helping tourists engage with the locals on a personal level. Volunteers usually assist in hikes, promote social programs, and teach English to local guides.

Learn more: www.condortrekkers.org

Santa Lucia Lodge

Santa Lucia Lodge invites volunteers to assist in their sustainable ecotourism operations in projects such as trail maintenance, organic gardening, orchid gardening, and agroforestry. Volunteers participate in a variety of operations that assist and enhance the Lodge's mission of creating a cloud forest reserve.

Learn more: www.santaluciaecuador.com

While these projects are sure to give you an amazing experience, remember that you can make all the difference in making your trip environmentally friendly. Even though it is difficult at times (I once had to hold on to my trash for a three-mile hike, and had no bag or pockets!), the benefits last for everyone. Take the small steps to achieve the larger result of sustainability and a healthy world that will last much longer.

Photo credits: Kaibab National Forest, TimeBank - Creative Commons Flickr.

Editor’s note: Brittany was recently awarded a Fulbright Grant, and will be embarking on her adventure in Malaysia in January 2013.

As I watch most of my friends graduate, many of them are extremely worried about the future. Jobs, we hear from everywhere, are harder than ever to get and staying in school is often too expensive to be considered an option. So, what's a graduate to do? Win a prestigious travel grant!

All right, so while it may not be that easy, I can say that perfectly average people (like me) win them. And you can, with a bit of luck and hard work, be awarded one as well! So, for this article, I'm going to give you a basic overview of a few prestigious travel grant awards, the basic application process, and why this might be the best year of your life.

Why a travel grant?

Prestigious travel abroad grants are impressive both to future employers and to graduate schools, and a great way to see more of the world in a meaningful way. Recipients are awarded a grant, which often includes all travel expenses and a stipend, to complete a project for a timeframe generally ranging from nine months to two years. Grants are usually open to college seniors or recent graduates, although many programs make exceptions. Each scholarship has its own specific requirements and application processes, so do check the links to get the most up-to-date information.

Fulbright

There are many kinds of Fulbright Grant awardees, ranging from graduating college seniors to established scholars and professors. Grants are usually for a yearlong term and include all travel and living expenses. Two of the most common types of travel abroad grants are Fulbright Student Grants and Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships.

For Fulbright Student Grants, recent college graduates perform a project with a university overseas. For the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA), grantees teach English abroad in a country of the applicant's choice while also completing a community project to help build a relationship between themselves and the locals.

Unlike many other travel fellowships, Fulbright Awards are not country-specific and can be applied for in many countries around the world. Significant Fulbright scholars include writer Sylvia Plath, actor John Lithgow, and economist Joseph Siglitz. The number of grants varies by country.

Learn more: www.iie.org/fulbright

Rhodes

The Rhodes Scholarship allows Scholars to pursue a post-graduate degree with the University of Oxford. This Scholarship judges applicants on four different standards:

• Scholastic achievement
• Achievement in athletics
• Devotion to duty, sympathy, fellowship, kindliness, and unselfishness
• Leadership ability

The Rhodes Trust has established scholarships in many countries, including former Commonwealth Nations and the USA. The Rhodes scholarship is considered to be one of the most prestigious in the world, and includes alumni such as former US President Bill Clinton, actor Kris Kristofferson, and astronomer Edwin Hubble. Approximately 90 grants are awarded each year.

Learn more: www.rhodesscholar.org

Marshall Scholarship

Marshall scholarships provide grantees with two full years of post-graduate study at any university within the United Kingdom. The grant's goal is to provide future American leaders with an appreciation of contemporary Great Britain and an opportunity to serve as an ambassador from the US to the UK while studying at some of the best universities in the world.

Applicants must have achieved a college GPA of at least 3.7 and have their application endorsed by their university. Significant alumni include founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman, journalist and author Thomas Friedman, and publisher Warwick Sabin.

Learn more: www.marshallscholarship.org

Boren Scholarships

Boren Scholarships provide US undergraduates with up to $20,000 to study abroad in areas of the world that are underrepresented in study abroad, and that are critical to current US interests. Such areas include the Middle East, China, Latin America, and Africa. Boren scholars can study for a period of time ranging from eight weeks for a summer program, to an entire year.

Learn more: borenawards.org/boren_scholarship/basics

Mitchell Scholarships

Mitchell Scholars spend one year in a graduate program in Ireland. As most Master's Degree programs in the UK are one year long, this allows the applicant to complete a degree if they wish. Applicants can be aged from 18 to 30 and must be American. Marshall scholars are also given a travel bursary in addition to their living and education expenses, allowing them to travel the world while studying.

Learn more: www.us-irelandalliance.org

So, these may look tough to get, but trust me—you can do it! Most universities have advisors for the travel grants, and will be happy to help you figure out which one is perfect for your year off. So, good luck and have fun learning and traveling!

Photo credits: summonedbyfells and Frontierofficial, Creative Commons.

This year, Keep America Beautiful is instituting the first ever Call to Action for the Annual Great American Clean-up. The goal is to recruit a record-breaking four million volunteers to take place in a countrywide event on April 28, 2012. The event, which is focused on promoting community involvement and improvement, will spotlight 10 cities, although events are scheduled in almost all 50 states across the nation.

Keep America Beautiful

The Great American Clean-Up

Get Involved!

• Oakland, CA
• Los Angeles, CA
• Cocoa, FL
• Indianapolis, IN
• Cobb County, GA
• Hampton Roads, VA
• Houston, TX
• Shreveport, LA
• Philadelphia, PA
• Nashville, TN

For further reading:

Volunteering for The Great American Clean up

Great American Clean-up General Page

Creative Commons image credits: epSos.de, USFWS Mountain Prairie

Summer is almost here and for some of us—that means ice cream! As someone who loves both traveling and ice cream, I pride myself on having some in nearly every country that I visit. So, here's my summary of the world's ice cream. It would be hard for me to say which country has the best, but there are definitely some interesting finds across the globe.

Thai ice cream

Thai ice cream, while deliciously sweet and often tasting of the coconut milk that it is made of, can be a little odd. The reason is that Thai people don't always agree with the Western world as to what's a fruit and what's a vegetable. For example, corn. So, if you have any of the local Thai ice cream, expect for it to have a little bit of corn in it, or maybe even peas and beans. However, once you get past that, the icy milky flavor of Thai ice cream will be perfect on a hot, stifling day. Thai ice cream is typically chunky, with whole bits of fruits or vegetables that somehow stay soft despite being very cold.

So, if this isn't strange enough for you, consider the fact that most Thais prefer their ice cream in a hot dog bun! The hot dog bun serves as a kind of dish in which scoops of ice cream are inserted with the toppings. I know it sounds perhaps even weirder than bean ice cream, but it's not bad! The coconut milk in the ice cream soaks into the hot dog bun to make a kind of sweet-bread.

I have one special note to make about ice cream in Thailand—there are exceptions and they can be equally delicious. If you guys are in the Salaya area of Bangkok, you must go by Anya's Place, a Euro-Thai eatery that specializes in alcoholic ice cream that might be the tastiest thing to share with friends on a hot summer's night.

Italian/French ice cream

When backpacking through Europe, I expected to fall absolutely in love with gelato and glace of Italy and France. What I didn't expect, however, was for it to become my favorite possible meal-replacement. Because meals in southern Europe can often be so expensive, my partner and I often would just have a delicious bit of ice cream for lunch instead of going to a restaurant. After all, when there is simply so much to see and little money to do it on, ice cream becomes the perfect cheap, portable snack!

Also, ice cream in Italy and France, although different perhaps in texture and levels of sweetness, constitute some of the most delicious ice cream I've ever tasted. While I always prefer vanilla or sweet cream and my boyfriend prefers dark chocolate, we were never disappointed with our dessert delights.

If you're unsure about what to get or else just curious, then definitely try a sample! Vendors love to brag about being the best ice cream in the world, so tell them to prove it to you—they'll know which flavors are their best.

American ice cream

While most people know American ice cream from such brands as Ben & Jerry's or Blue Bell, I think that the truly delicious way to have American ice cream is to have it home-made. Being from the Southern US, homemade ice cream was a large part of my childhood and is still the best treat I could possibly want. If you get a chance, or even want to make it (which is very easy!), then I would try traditional homemade ice cream and then perhaps add some local in-season fruits such as strawberries or peaches.

Finding homemade ice cream can definitely be difficult for travelers, as it's typically a fixture of family gatherings. However, it is certainly not difficult to make your own. Ice cream makers can often be found at discount stores or thrift shops for a bargain and are sure to be the life of the party!

Mexican ice cream

While not really ice cream in the traditional sense of the word, Mexican paletas are as delicious as any of the other treats that I mention. Paletas, a sort of popsicle made from fresh fruit, can be either creamy or strictly fruity, and are very popular in all areas of Latin America and in parts of the southern U.S.

The texture, which in the creamy flavors is similar to ice cream, is basically that of a fruit bar fresher than anything you could find in a supermarket. Flavors include coconut, strawberry, mango, lime, rice pudding, and many others depending on the region. In America, paletas can often be found in Latino grocery stores, although I must say that the ones off the cart in Mexico are much tastier.

There is still much of the world, and therefore many kinds of ice cream, that I haven't discovered, so it'd be great if you can add your experiences with local ice creams. So, what tasty icy treats have you tasted around the world that I should include in my next travel-treat? 

Photo credits: stu_spivack, creative commons

So, your teen wants to volunteer abroad. I know exactly what you're thinking—it's dangerous, strange, and you're not entirely sure that your teen is even ready for that kind of responsibility. Last year, when I decided to study abroad in Southeast Asia for an entire semester, I faced the same reaction from my mother. She was worried—I had visited Europe and Mexico, after all, but was I ready for something so different for so long?

So, to help you, I've teamed up with my mom to write this article on the best way to talk to teens about volunteering. After all, you're bound to feel much better about things if you can know exactly the right questions to ask and how to go about ensuring your teen's safety while still giving them the opportunity that they're looking for.

Volunteerism benefits for college and career

First of all, congratulate yourself! You're lucky enough to have one smart teenager. As volunteering abroad becomes more prevalent, it is gaining importance in many steps along the college-career line. To put it simple, volunteering abroad shows an interviewer that applicants are able to think clearly in new situations, put themselves into environments that are alien to them, and are brave enough to do good when it is not always easy for them to do so. Naturally, colleges and even future employers are impressed by this.

It's not every applicant that has spent time working in a primary school in Ghana or else volunteering with conservation organizations in the Philippines. Volunteering abroad has great benefits both for college and career—in fact, we’ve written some articles on exactly that—including turning volunteering into a career, how volunteering improves your career prospect (by our good friends at Plan My Gap Year), scholarships for volunteers, and using your degree to volunteer abroad.

Short-term volunteer options

Instead of forbidding your teen from traveling abroad to volunteer, you might find it a much better option for you and them to find a short-term placement that you feel is safe and that they feel is exciting. If you're nervous about them being alone, don't be afraid to turn this into a family activity. Volunteering with family, although not as exciting to a teen as stepping out onto the safari alone, is probably much more within their capabilities than volunteering solo, especially if they have never been away from home or out of the country for an extended period of time.

How to get started

Now that you're up-to-date on the benefits of volunteering abroad, know that there are many ways to do it—some easier and safer than others. Plus, there are ways to volunteer abroad that will make the process a whole lot easier for a teen; for example, you may prefer that they volunteer with you or else volunteer as part of a group with chaperones.

Assuming that you would prefer that your teen not be placed in a shady volunteering organization, you may find it necessary to direct your teen's interest into projects and organizations that are well-known, reputable, and have reliable point-of-contacts that will be happy to answer your questions and be able to give your child the sense of safety and assurance that they need.

I would recommend checking out a volunteer abroad site that offers reviews such as Go! Overseas, which provides firsthand reviews from volunteers of all ages who’ve traveled worldwide with a great number of volunteer groups.

And before settling on a particular organization, note that not all volunteer groups or projects are appropriate or available to minors under the age of 18, and that some volunteer organizations highly discourage teen volunteering within their own project due to safety issues.

To wrap up…

So, you've got the project and the plans—what now? Make sure that your teen knows of the potential dangers that can occur while traveling abroad as well as the gravity with which they should view volunteering. Consider having them volunteer at a local animal shelter or some other local project for practice; it’s good that they realize that volunteering can take place anywhere, and not just in exotic location. You want this to be a transformative experience that affects them for the better—not just a vacation.

For further reading:

• The Leaps and Hurdles of Kid-Friendly Volunteering
• Talking To Your Parents About Volunteering Abroad
• Volunteer Abroad Opportunities for Teens
• Scholarships for Volunteering Abroad
• Bringing Small Children on a Volunteer Vacation
• Service-Learning Abroad: Learning While Serving
• Volunteering Abroad for College Credit

Image credits: tbonetaylor, woodleywonderworks--creative commons