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Oyster volunteers contribute to vital marine conservation efforts in Omiš, Croatia, helping to preserve the town’s breathtaking coastline and rich marine biodiversity. By engaging in beach clean-ups and underwater debris removal, volunteers play a key role in maintaining the area’s natural beauty and protecting marine ecosystems. These impactful activities support sustainable tourism, enhance Omiš’s appeal as a travel destination, and promote environmental awareness within the local community, making a positive difference for both nature and the local economy.
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Volunteers play a vital role in supporting dog shelters in Croatia that care for abandoned, rescued, and mistreated dogs. These shelters provide essential care and safety for dogs in need, and they rely heavily on volunteers to help with daily tasks and emotional rehabilitation.

As a volunteer, you’ll assist with feeding, walking, grooming, and socialising dogs—many of whom may have experienced trauma or neglect. You’ll also help maintain clean, secure shelter spaces and enrich the dogs’ lives with companionship and positive interaction to increase their chances of adoption.

This is a hands-on opportunity for dog lovers who want to make a meaningful impact. Experience the beauty of Croatia while helping build trust and wellbeing in animals that deserve a second chance.

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Volunteers in this program support a unique blend of animal care, cultural preservation, and social impact in Croatia’s scenic countryside. Working alongside a historic equestrian club, you’ll help care for horses, support therapeutic riding sessions for children with disabilities, and assist in preparations for the traditional Sinjska Alka event.

Your role includes daily stable maintenance, grooming and feeding horses, and aiding instructors during therapy sessions. Through your involvement, you’ll not only improve the wellbeing of the animals but also empower young participants and preserve a living piece of Croatian heritage.

This experience is ideal for those who love working with animals and want to engage in cultural and community-based volunteering. It’s a chance to connect with local life, contribute to meaningful causes, and discover the heart of rural Croatia.

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Volunteers play a vital role in Rome, Italy, by supporting sustainable farming projects that protect biodiversity, promote social inclusion, and strengthen community resilience in the city’s green spaces. As a volunteer, you’ll work with local NGOs to care for vegetable gardens, urban farms, and Mediterranean plant nurseries while engaging with marginalized groups such as migrants, refugees, and people with disabilities. Your tasks may include planting, harvesting, composting, watering, organizing eco-workshops, and even taking part in multicultural cooking or artisanal design events. This project offers a powerful blend of environmental and social impact — reducing pollution, promoting circular economy practices, and fostering human connection through agriculture. By joining this program, you’ll gain hands-on experience in sustainable farming, contribute to inclusive community initiatives, and explore a side of Rome far beyond the typical tourist path.
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Volunteers play a vital role in Rome, Italy, by supporting local animal shelters that care for stray, abandoned, and special-needs cats. As a volunteer, you’ll assist shelter staff with daily tasks such as feeding, cleaning, and maintaining safe, stimulating environments for over 260 cats—many of whom have experienced trauma or neglect. You’ll also help socialise the animals, providing much-needed human interaction to rebuild their trust and improve their chances of adoption. This project is a powerful opportunity to promote animal welfare, support overwhelmed shelters, and raise awareness about responsible pet ownership and the impact of abandonment. By joining this program, you’ll gain hands-on experience in animal care, contribute to ethical and compassionate treatment of animals, and explore Rome through a purpose-driven lens that goes far beyond the tourist experience.
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Volunteers play a vital role in Rome, Italy, by supporting educational programs that aim to break cycles of inequality and promote social inclusion. This unique volunteer teaching project places you in after-school centres and learning hubs that provide language support and safe, stimulating environments for children, migrants, and elderly learners from underserved communities.

As a volunteer, you’ll assist with English lessons, lead creative educational activities, and help make learning fun, engaging, and inclusive. From playing games in English with children to helping older learners build confidence in practical language skills, your work will support both personal growth and broader social integration.

This project is a powerful way to make a lasting difference through education — strengthening futures, building community, and promoting opportunity where it’s needed most. By joining, you’ll gain hands-on teaching experience, connect across cultures, and experience Rome in a way few travellers do.

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Volunteers play an essential role in Rome, Italy, by supporting after-school programmes and youth organisations that provide safe, engaging spaces for children and teenagers at risk of social exclusion. These local initiatives combine learning, play, and cultural exchange to promote self-confidence, creativity, and community connection among young people.

As a volunteer, you’ll help lead fun, educational activities, assist with English language development, and bring positive energy and encouragement to children from diverse backgrounds. Whether you’re supporting daily routines, helping run a summer camp, or simply being a role model, your presence contributes to building a more inclusive, empowering environment for youth in need.

This is a unique opportunity to gain experience working with children, contribute to social impact in a meaningful way, and explore Rome from a community-first perspective that goes far beyond the tourist trail.

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Oyster volunteers play a vital role in marine conservation on the stunning island of Alonissos, Greece, located in the heart of the North Sporades in the Aegean Sea. As part of Europe’s largest National Marine Park, volunteers help protect the endangered Mediterranean monk seal and support a rich array of marine life, including dolphins, turtles, and rare bird species. By participating in beach clean-ups, wildlife monitoring, and environmental education, volunteers contribute to preserving Alonissos’s unspoiled natural beauty and biodiversity. Their efforts foster sustainable tourism, empower local communities, and raise awareness about plastic pollution and marine conservation, ensuring this island paradise remains a sanctuary for both wildlife and visitors.
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Oyster volunteers play a vital role in Athens, Greece, by supporting sustainable fashion initiatives that champion ethical practices and reduce textile waste in a city where fast fashion dominates. As a volunteer, you’ll work alongside local nonprofits dedicated to upcycling and recycling clothing, helping transform discarded garments into new, stylish pieces and supporting organizations that provide fair employment opportunities for refugees and survivors of human trafficking. Your efforts will include hands-on work sorting and preparing donated clothes, assisting in creative workshops, and helping to raise awareness about the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry in Greece. By volunteering in this project, you’ll contribute to reducing the immense textile waste generated by fast fashion, support community-driven solutions, and help promote a more responsible, conscious approach to clothing. This experience also gives you a unique way to discover Greek culture, collaborate with like-minded changemakers, and leave a positive footprint in Athens’s thriving ethical fashion movement.
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Oyster volunteers make a real difference at a dog and cat sanctuary in vibrant Athens, Greece, supporting the welfare and protection of rescued animals in the heart of this historic city. Volunteers help care for abandoned and mistreated dogs OR cats, providing much-needed love, socialization, and daily support in local shelters. By assisting with animal care, enrichment activities, and essential shelter maintenance, participants contribute to creating a safe and healthy environment for Athens’ vulnerable pets. These efforts not only improve the lives of the animals, but also promote responsible pet ownership, support vital adoption campaigns, and raise awareness about animal welfare issues across Greece. Volunteering at the sanctuary offers a unique way to experience Greek culture, make a lasting impact in the local community, and help Athens become a more compassionate city for animals and people alike.
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Help clean up our oceans and learn to dive – or improve your current skills – on a beautiful beach in Barcelona. Spend your days foraging for plastic waste and old fishing nets, analyse your ‘catch’, and then wave goodbye as it makes it’s way off for recycling. You’ll have plenty of free time to explore this epic city of course, and you won’t be disappointed!

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Take care of abandoned cats who are waiting to be re-homed or enjoying living out their days in comfort. As well as the usual tasks such as cleaning, feeding and walking, you’ll also get a chance to help with plenty of ‘playtime’ and cuddles. Explore the fascinating city of Barcelona in your free time – from visiting the beach to checking out the sights, there is almost too much to keep you busy!

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As a food rescue volunteer in Barcelona, you’ll help tackle food waste and food insecurity by supporting local initiatives that collect surplus food from restaurants, supermarkets, and bakeries and distribute it to people in need. Volunteers play a key role in preparing and delivering meals, sorting donations, and creating an efficient and respectful system that serves thousands every week. This is a unique opportunity to make a direct impact on hunger and sustainability in one of Europe’s most iconic cities.

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Get off the beaten track to live on a beautiful Costa Rican beach, protecting the turtles that nest and hatch on the golden sands. Live like a local as you make a genuine contribution to marine conservation.

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Join an international team of volunteers who are working together to care for rescued elephants in an inspirational sanctuary. Together you will be helping these elephants to have a life as close to the wild as possible, a far cry from their previous lives working on the streets or in tourist camps. Highlights of this elephant volunteering project in Thailand include bathing and walking the elephants, allowing you to really get to know these gentle giants.

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Bears, birds, orangutans, monkeys, gibbons, deer, otters – and much more! – are being cared for by volunteers like you at this inspiring sanctuary on the outskirts of Thailand’s largest national park. Help to look after over 700 neglected animals, rescued from the cruel tourist trade, and brought to this sanctuary to recover. If that isn’t enough of a draw, there is even an on-site elephant sanctuary that you may be able to help at too.

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Live on the wild side and get stuck in to the life of an assistant game ranger on a stunning game reserve, home to Africa’s Big 5. Enjoy the thrills of taking a safari, all whilst helping to promote the survival of African flora and fauna. Experience the lions roaring, elephants trumpeting and antelope running as you work out and about on the reserve each day.

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Take the first steps to becoming a game ranger on this amazing 8 week course, working towards the highly regarded FGASA Apprentice Field Guide qualification. Live the life of a trainee game ranger on a lush game reserve, learning all about and participating in animal care, reserve management, game drives and more. If that’s not enough, your classroom is a Big 5 game reserve, with amazing animals at every turn.

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Gain unparalleled access to wildlife experts on a Big 5 game reserve, home to some of the most magnificent mammals on this planet. Shadow a vet on their rounds of the on-site rehabilitation centre and get stuck in to the veterinarian’s role on the wider game reserve – from darting animals to doing game captures, from health checks to autopsies.

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Help to care for sick and injured animals in game reserves, vet clinics, farms and local communities on a mobile veterinary unit. See some amazing sights, help with some incredible animals and get unrivalled work experience on this internship in South Africa.

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Become part of an elephant research team, monitoring these gentle giants in their daily lives together. The project is located in a beautiful park, where you will be working closely with rescued elephants as they recover from previous trauma and stress. In your free time, explore the stunning Garden Route and immerse yourself fully in this wonderful corner of Africa.

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South Africa is home to the amazing Marine Big 5 – sharks, whales, dolphin, penguins and seals – and their existence is under threat. Spend your days out on the water observing marine life, all whilst contributing to innovative shark conservation and eco-tourism measures. Help out at a penguin rescue centre and with beach clean ups to improve the damaged marine world. And if that’s not enough, why not tick something off the bucket list and go cage diving with sharks too?

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Join an expert team on a ‘Big 5’ reserve, situated on the edge of the beautifully wild Kruger National Park. With over 400 baboons in various stages of rehabilitation, you’ll get to learn so much about these amazing primates during your time at this bespoke centre.

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Coach football, netball, hockey, cricket, rugby, tennis, basketball or swimming in one of the world’s greatest sporting nations, bringing your love for sports into some of Africa’s poorest townships. Coach just one or a combination of these sports to improve not only the children’s sporting ability and teamwork, but your own as well! If that’s not enough for you, you can even get involved with childcare and teaching projects.

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Bring games, laughter and fun to disadvantaged children in schools or nurseries in some of Port Elizabeth’s poorest townships. Your enthusiasm will encourage the kids to be passionate about their education and their future – these kids are desperate to learn, and your time as a volunteer will help not only with their studies, but their life chances too.

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Volunteer with over 200 exotic Amazonian animals in a beautiful rainforest sanctuary. From monkeys to forest cats, from caimans to birds, from tortoises to rodents, this wildlife haven is home to amazing animals aplenty. Contribute to their rehabilitation and care during the week, and explore this stunning corner of Ecuador on your weekends.

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Actively help in the fight against plastics and rubbish clogging up our marine environment. On this project you will be doing daily dives to remove fishing gear, debris and plastics from the ocean around Lisbon. It is an amazing opportunity to make a difference and clean up our world.

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A shocking 33% of food that is produced worldwide each year goes to waste. This food waste volunteering project aims to tackle food waste in its own small way by collecting unused food from supermarkets and restaurants – and redistributing it to some of the poorest people within Lisbon.

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Not only does this volunteer opportunity involve caring for and working with horses, but what is more, you will be helping in the local community and giving disadvantaged people more opportunities – with the horses as your companions and modes of transport at most times!

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This unique surf and conservation camp in Lisbon, Portugal, combines adventure with impact. Volunteers ride the waves on beautiful Atlantic beaches while supporting coastal clean ups, recycling efforts, and environmental awareness campaigns that protect marine life and promote sustainable habits.

As a volunteer, you’ll take part in daily surf lessons led by experienced instructors, and contribute to preserving Portugal’s shoreline through hands-on environmental action. Tasks include cleaning beaches and forests, collecting and sorting waste, and engaging the public in eco-conscious initiatives.

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced surfer, this is your chance to connect with the ocean, help reduce pollution, and live purposefully while immersed in Portugal’s beach culture.

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This unique surf and volunteer project in Porto, Portugal, combines beach life with community impact. Volunteers enjoy world-class surf lessons while helping with inclusive surfing initiatives for children and individuals with disabilities, and supporting the protection of Portugal’s natural coastline through conservation efforts.

As a volunteer, you’ll help deliver community surf sessions that promote wellbeing and self-confidence, and take part in practical environmental work like beach cleanups and recycling initiatives. Whether you’re guiding a beginner into their first wave or helping remove plastic pollution from a protected shoreline, your actions support both people and planet.

Based near the scenic Douro River, this is a perfect opportunity to connect with the ocean, promote inclusion, and live meaningfully in one of Europe’s most welcoming coastal cities.

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Become a research diver on an exciting volunteer marine conservation project in Thailand. Get involved in daily dives to explore the health of the marine environment just off the stunning island of Koh Phangan. Suitable for new and experienced divers alike, this Thailand Coral Reef Restoration Project allows participants to play in active role in tackling marine decline, all whilst enjoying the wonders of life under the sea.

 

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Step off the trodden tourist trail and into the heart of stunning Sri Lanka, where elephants are still clinging on to life in the wild. Work closely with the local community to help promote the survival of the endangered Asian elephant, all whilst enjoying seeing these creatures roam in their natural habitat – a rare wonder.

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Explore one of the most beautiful and untouched destinations on earth – New Zealand! Help local conservationists with their efforts to preserve some of New Zealand’s most beautiful locations. Chose from two gateway cities on the North Island and one on the South Island.

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Experience the rare desert elephants in the wild, helping these endangered animals and rural communities to co-exist in harmony. Enjoy all that desert life brings, from cooking over camp fires to sleeping under the stars, and throw yourself into the volunteer role, which includes tracking elephants, doing building projects and helping the local community.

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Borneo has gone down in legend as one of the best places in the world for wildlife lovers. One of its most beloved species, the Bornean sun bear, is under threat of extinction, but you can volunteer to help tackle this tragic predicament.

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Head into the heart of Borneo’s rainforest, helping to regenerate habitats and monitor local wildlife. From orangutans to pygmy elephants and from primates to crocodiles, you will be preserving these creatures and their habitat for generations to come. This is a once in a lifetime experience to live in a small remnant of paradise, immersing yourself in a way of life that has all but been forgotten.

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Bag yourself a qualification as a ski or snowboard instructor whilst on holiday in Whistler Blackcomb. Our 4 week course is designed to give you all the training you need to pass the CSIA or CASI Level 1 instructor exam. AST Level 1 is also included.

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Gain your CSIA or CASI Level 1 and 2 qualifications as a skier or snowboarder on our professional 11 week course in Whistler Blackcomb – North America’s number 1 ski resort. Avalanche Skills Training (Level 1 and 2) is also included so you get to experience the backcountry as well!

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Abroad

Oyster Worldwide is proud to be a trusted and fully accredited activity provider for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, offering a range of overseas programmes that you can do for your Gold Residential. Forget the ordinary – we’re talking about opportunities that will genuinely broaden your horizons and leave you with incredible memories for a lifetime.

Our diverse selection of programmes, from impactful volunteering projects to enriching internships, provide the perfect platform to complete your Gold Residential abroad. You’ll connect with like-minded individuals who share your drive and ambition, all while contributing to something truly worthwhile.

Don’t just complete your Gold Residential – embrace it with an Oyster Worldwide adventure. Explore our exciting Duke of Edinburgh endorsed opportunities today and take the first step towards an experience that will shape your future!

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