volunteer vacation
 

i would like to spend a week this summer volunteering on an appalachian trail crew. anyone out there done this? just how strenuous is the work? was it a rewarding experience? any other ideas for volunteer vacations?

The Today Show (NBC) just did a week's worth of profiling on this. You might check their website to see if they still have the stories/videos. I think most of theirs were outside the US but it seemed like such a great idea. It would be good to combine with things too. Volunteer one week and explore the next. I had no idea there were so many options. Some of them do work pretty hard and would think trail upkeep might be one that is pretty intensive at least at some points. So rewarding though!<BR><BR>If you do go, please post your review and experiences here, I would love to learn more. <BR><BR>Sara

http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/857351.asp<BR><BR>Here is one part I found.....

Check Elderhostel site--They have special programs-usually 5-6 days. it is under &quot;service catagory.

Don't forget about Habitat for Humanity. I have a relative who has done this all of the world (including the Philipines and Africa), and he has found it extrememly rewarding. The weather can be brutal, and of course you are actually working, but it also seems to be very much a social opportunity. He usually goes with a friend, and often attaches a &quot;real&quot; vacation to the volunteer week(s), such as a safari in Africa. He also finds the volunteer aspect very fulfilling.<BR>

Check out www.earthwatch.org for some interesting volunteer vacations.

There are also well-organized volunteer activities on the Colorado Trail (www.coloradotrail.org). I have friends who've enjoyed volunteering. I'm a little embarassed to say that I've only hiked on it, never helped out.<BR><BR>Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, near Cortez, Colorado, has some nice volunteer programs as well. <BR><BR>In the process of planning for a Hawaii trip, I read some interesting information about various volunteer programs there. They were wildlife counts, and the like.

A general response to volunteer vacations: if you are looking for a unique, local,get-to-know-the-culture experience, you'll find it through volunteer vacations. I can speak for Habitat for Humanity. We worked on a Sioux reservation and were invited to a culture camp,storytelling, and sweat lodge the tribe was hosting for its own members. In Omaha we stayed in a great old house, had free tickets to the zoo and an informal dinner with the Lutheran bishop. Certainly not upscale, but priceless experiences.

The Washington Trails Association (in WA state) has lots of volunteer vacations also...you can check them out at www.wta.org .