The following blog was written by volunteer Tabitha Brandon, who has just returned from The Great Turtle Project in Sri Lanka:
Hi, I'm Tabby, 22 years of age and from the UK in Essex. I took part in The Great Turtle Project for 2 weeks. I heard about the project through a friend who had already taken part in a project in Namibia with her friend and said how amazing it was.
Animals are just natural in my life, having goats, chickens, horses, guinea pigs, hamsters, dogs, cats, and more. So I've always taken part in many animal experiences at home, including multiple at Colchester Zoo for birthdays or special occasions. My thoughts were why not travel 12 hours on an airplane to a tropical hot climate and do what I love best!
I've always wanted to go away and decided to start with a turtle project. The Great Projects were extremely helpful with dealing with any queries and assured me I would be safe. Dudley, the owner of the project especially and his family/staff were extremely welcoming and made me feel comfortable and part of his family after taking me to the temple New Year's Day, which was very special.
As a young female, I was extremely nervous about going on my own to the other side of the world, but actually from the minute I arrived, Dudley met me at the airport and I met my fellow volunteers, I was ecstatic and forgot about all my worries.
My most memorable moments were releasing the baby turtles, seeing a Green and Olive Ridley's mother turtle laying eggs on the beach, doing cooking classes, and seeing how the family lives their lifestyle, and also just the lovely atmosphere the whole time.
You don't quite realise how much every little bit helps, whether that be visiting the local town and buying handmade ornaments from local businesses, feeding the street dogs from the supermarket dog food, burying the turtle eggs somewhere safe to prevent sales to the black market or just simply spreading the word of how beautiful the Sri Lankan culture and scenery is.
My advice for future volunteers is make the most of every minute, go on your own if it's possible, and you will make good friends and do your volunteering. Pre-booking trips while you're there for the weekend is a good idea, as The Little Adam's Peak View Point (mountain), elephant sanctuary and safari, whale watching, or Kandy to Ella train ride is a couple of hours' drive away.
Overall, my experience was fabulous, and I will absolutely be saving up some more money to take part in more of The Great Project's trips.
Feeling inspired by Tabitha's journey at The Great Turtle Project? Dive in and make a difference!
