The growing impact of global warming has made many people aware of the need to protect our natural environments, but how many of us would give up our holidays to support conservation?

Speaking to the Irish Independent, volunteers Con O’Donovan and Kevin Regan explain why for them, volunteering on a conservation project was an unforgettable experience.

Dublin engineer Con spent two weeks volunteering on a wildlife reserve in Kenya, supporting a major research project on the black rhino. Although his duties included counting animal droppings, he found it to be, “a fantastic experience”.

“We were walking in the Africa wild and around the corner you’d see oryx or buffalo staring at you…For any kid who ever watched safari programmes on TV, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience…I saw conservation on the ground and understand a lot more about how it works….It has a huge impact on you”.

Civil servant Kevin, volunteered for two weeks at a bear rescue centre in Cambodia. His role involved cleaning the cages and enclosures and playing games with the bears, setting up toys and hiding fruit for them to find.

Although Kevin enjoyed his experience it also angered him. “After you see how cruel and ignorant people are you just want to do more…You’re outraged, horrified and know all you can do is help there and then.”

Read about the experiences of other Irish volunteers.

Inspire offers a range of conservation volunteer projects in South Africa, Ecuador and India.