Conservation and Community Development

A great way to learn about conservation and community development, and at the same time you get the chance to live among traditional communities on a beautiful island. This volunteer program is especially suitable for: singles, couples, families, groups ad 50+.

This program is about conservation and community development projects on Nusa Penida since 2004, with a focus on wildlife. Rebuilding populations of endangered Indonesian bird species, including Bali’s emblem bird, the Bali Starling (Leucopsar rothschildi, also known as Rothschild’s Mynah, Bali Mynah, and Jalak Bali), has been one of our main activities.

By motivating and mobilizing community protection of birds from all 46 villages on the island, FNPF has transformed the whole island of Nusa Penida into a unique bird sanctuary where endangered birds can be released by FNPF to live and breed safely in the wild. Each village has passed a traditional regulations obliging residents to protect birds from poachers and bird traders.

Elsewhere in Indonesia, bird poachers remain the greatest threat to endangered birds.

We are now working with selected villages to extend this community-based protection of wildlife to include sea turtles. One village has agreed to work with FNPF to monitor and protect the turtles, and replant the mangrove trees. Have have build a monitoring post and are considering starting a turtle hatchery.

In return for the community-based protection of wildlife, we sponsor children to attend school and university; runs a community library; funds traditional dance classes; teaches sustainable farming; grows and freely distributes tree saplings for villages to generate future income from agro-forestry; and plants trees on degraded land to restore forests.

Education and economic improvements that are in harmony with the environment enable the local communities to improve their well-being and participation in conservation. The restoration of forests reduces soil erosion, increases rainfall and provides economic benefit to residents and a habitat for birds.

Typical day

Volunteers will have the opportunity to work with the FNPF staff in a variety of activities, including:

• Assist in the nursery (fill polybags with soil, plant seeds and seedlings, weeding)
• Plant saplings along roadways to create corridors of trees across the island
• Work in our demonstration organic gardens
• GPS mapping of various locations on the island
• Teach spoken English at local schools to children (dependent on local school schedules)
• Teach spoken English at our Centre to local adults who want to increase their employment opportunities in tourism
• Participate in conservation & sustainable farming methods to local farmers
• Provide art and English classes to local children at our centre
• General maintenance at the FNPF Centre
• Monitor the various species of endangered birds that FNPF has rehabilitated and released
• Monitor other wildlife (turtles, butterflies, bats)
• The design and creation of marketing / education brochures and posters describing FNPFs work, for display at the Nusa Penida Centre and the office in Ubud.
• Writing grant proposals to raise funds.
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In general, we would like volunteers to work with our staff during the mornings and then use their free time to enjoy the island. We encourage you to visit the many villages on the island, because this is an important way of showing the local population that FNPF is bringing tourists to Nusa Penida.

Volunteers generally work for 3 – 4 hours a day on the afore-mentioned activities. In addition, we invite locals to come to the FNPF Centre in the evenings to practice their spoken English and we request that volunteers are available to provide conversational English classes.

Details on Arrival

Volunteers can join the program throughout the year.

Free-time activities

You will have free time to explore the island and enjoy beautiful places in Nusa Penida such as Kelingking beach, Diamond and Atuh Beach, Broken Beach, Angel Billabong Beach, etc. You can also experience snorkeling or diving.