SLWCS projects offer great opportunities for regular people to get involved in actual field research, in-situ conservation, community development and capacity building programs.  We have been working with volunteers since 2000 and they have helped us immensely in fulfilling our goals and objectives. SLWCSs strong community and government institution ties, logistical capabilities and experience in in-situ research also enables us to effectively partner with trained individuals and groups from universities and conservation groups in conducting research and community development programs.

Paying Volunteer programs for untrained individuals/groups.

We have a well established paying volunteer program for in-experienced but interested individuals from 2 weeks to 3 months.

Our program is called SciEscapes - which is dedicated to responsible travel to unique Sri Lankan destinations to aid in research for conservation of sri lankan wetlands, jungles and archeological ruins.

• Research and Conservation –help our field scientists research the movement patterns of elephants, the effectiveness of electric fencing, do base-line surveys of communities, leopards, birds and other biodiversity. See some updates from the field here and our archives for reports from past volunteers.

• English for Conservation –teach English in rural villagers to give local people more opportunities by building their capacity and value in the workplace. 

Apply online using this form

We also work with the following companies and organisation on specific projects. You can join any of these projects directly through us.

2. Travelers Worldwide - English training program in Wilgamuwa (Wasgamuwa) area. All year. Click above to see more details.

3. Global Vision International - Field research to establish base-line date for the first Trans-Climatic National Park. All year. Open to independent self-funded research projects as well.

4. Earthwatch Institute - Conserving elephants and searching for leopards in a Sri Lankan national park and a forest reserve. CURRENTLY ON HOLD.

5. World Wide Experience -Placements with Worldwide Experience will see you assisting on some of the most important projects that the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has operating. These include research into the Sri Lankan Elephant and the endemic Sri Lankan sub-species of Leopard.

Independent Volunteers -For skilled and partially funded individuals/groups.

          Independent volunteers have joined us since 2003 to help initiate and sustain various projects aimed at helping us achieve our long term mission and vision. We have a need for individuals with the relevant background and experience to work on both our existing and planned projects around Sri Lanka. Unless otherwise discussed and mentioned individuals who apply must be at least partially funded and be willing to commit at least 1 month in Sri Lanka plus necessary time before and after the project in completing the identified objectives.

1. Engineers/Computer Scientists
1. Design and implementation of elephant ID system using facial recognition software.
2. Design of low cost and transportable elevated hides/watch huts
3. Design of small scale power plants using non-polluting fuels (wind, solar, mini-hydro, dendro etc)

2. Web/Graphic Designers (work can be done without coming to Sri Lanka)
1. Re-design and/or maintenance of SLWCS website and promotional materials for the society.
2. Design of promotional materials for the society (calendars, pamphlets, banners etc)
3. Design of educational material about Sri Lankan Natural History.

3. Hikers/Outdoorpeople
1. Exploration and GIS mapping of a little studied and relatively remote mountain forest system in Central Sri Lanka.

4. English Teachers
1. Trained teachers who can handle teaching English with use of a translator in remote project sites with little outside support and rudimentary facilities.

5. GIS Professionals (6 months plus commitment on stipend basis or less on volunteer basis)

1. Development of GIS and Remote Sensing capacity.
2. Conservation priority setting at macro and micro scales. Developing both complex raster-based arithmetic models and very simple, yet effective, methodologies for priority setting.
3. Gap analysis –to identify areas containing endangered species that are  not protected.
4. Project monitoring. Are conservation activities having the desired effect on land use?
5. Participatory land use planning and community mapping. Satellite imagery and GIS derived maps are often valuable tools as well, particularly for illustrating that deforestation is occurring and forest resources are finite.
6. Patrol planning. Using GIS to maximize patrol efficiency via explicit spatial planning.
7. Ecological research. There are a number of simple and relatively inexpensive ways to use GIS to map wildlife (and human) distributions.
8. Land use/cover change monitoring. Land cover change analyses can be conducted to measure habitat change.
9. Field Scouts Program. By integrating data collected by field scouts into a GIS, the scouts can see how there data can be used to make maps. This can help encourage participation and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment among scouts.

6. Biodiversity Studies.
1. MSc thesis or higher level students who want to study biodiversity in Sri Lanka in collaboration with SLWCS with permission from relevant government institutions.

7. Veterinarians
1. We get many requests from vets to come and help but we do not have any programs for such people. However there is a big need for this in the areas we work. As a 1st stage we need a volunteer to develop a program structure and possible funding sources.

Use the form here to apply for an independent volunteer position.Please include a CV.