Groxie

Recently I put together a really great list for The Nature Conservancy. TNC has preserves all over the U.S., and many of them need volunteer help throughout the year. I called every state trying to find the preserves that had some sort of lodging to offer volunteers. The lodging ranges from cabins, to rv hook—ups, to camp—sites; it is either very cheap or free.

If you’ve ever looked into a “volunteer” vacation package, you know that “free” is miraculously not part of the package. Most of the “volunteer” vacations I found wanted me to shell out a pretty penny to volunteer my time at an orphanage or soup kitchen in Central America. If you have the money to do that sort of thing—go for it! But this TNC list is a great alternative for those of us without that kind of dough.

The opportunities on the list range from a couple of weeks to several months, and the work that needs to be done depends entirely on which preserve you are interested in. If you’re looking for a way to travel in the U.S. and do a little good without going broke, check it out.

The Ohio Chapter of TNC has posted the list on their website, or you can download my original write-up in pdf format.