World Heritage Sites II: Treasures of the Earth and History

Many people probably think of volunteer travel as a way to help poor and disadvantaged people and their underdeveloped economies. That is surely a big part of "voluntourism." But just as important are those volunteers who devote their time and skills to preserving the contributions of lost cultures, pre-historic species and dying eco-systems.


At Easter Island, famous for its massive and mysterious stone-carved heads, volunteers can work with cultural and archeological scientists to research ancient Eastern Island society. The Earthwatch Institute offers a number volunteer trips to such World Heritage sites.

Volunteers conduct surveys of prehistoric houses, gardens and other structures to document settlement distrbution and the evolution of farming technologies. The research is aimed at revealing how these ancient communities came to an end.


Earthwatch also brings volunteers to Ischigualasto Provincial Park in Argentina to help uncover some of the world's earliest dinosaurs, dating 245-208 million years ago. Working against the backdrop of a geological formation dubbed the "Valley of the Moon," volunteers excavate fossils, catalogue bones and map geological features. Volunteers are trained in global positioning system (GPS) mapping, geologic features, and reptilian anatomy and taxonomy.

For those certified in SCUBA diving, Earthwatch brings volunteers to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to collect data on corals for both environmental purposes and medical research. The Great Barrier Reef is home to the world's largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral and 1,500 species of fish.

Volunteers conduct night dives to identify fluorescent animals and day dives to collect coral samples. Proteins in corals are being used to develop medicines to fight AIDS, Alzheimer's and cancer. The research is also used to create conservation strategies to protect threatened reef systems around the world.