37 home gardens
Bird nest surveys
Pusallayaya Village
Notes from the Field · October 5, 2026
Where conservation becomes personal.
- Hosting volunteers since
- 2002
- Volunteer participations
- 3,600+
- Ongoing projects
- 14+
- Of people–elephant coexistence work
- 30 yrs
Volunteer Programme · Wasgamuwa, Sri Lanka
Life as an SLWCS Volunteer
From tracking elephants and monitoring butterflies to sharing meals with village families, volunteering with SLWCS is about much more than observing wildlife—it is about understanding the landscapes, people, and conservation challenges that shape life alongside Sri Lanka’s wild elephants.
Over the past several months, volunteers including entire families from around the world have joined the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) in Wasgamuwa, becoming part of our ongoing field research and community-based conservation work.
Their days have taken them from village home gardens and elephant corridors to the foothills of the Knuckles Mountain Range. They have helped monitor wildlife, collected field data, visited farming communities, observed human–elephant interactions, and—perhaps most importantly—had the opportunity to learn directly from the people who share their landscape with elephants.
From the field
Moments from Wasgamuwa.
Photographs from volunteers in the field this October, alongside a few from our archive.
The latest monitoring period
Conservation is not always glamorous—and that is the point
At SLWCS, we want volunteers to experience conservation as it happens. Some days bring unforgettable encounters with elephants. Other days involve walking transects, recording observations, checking fences, entering data, talking with villagers or patiently searching for birds and butterflies that may—or may not—appear.
During the latest monitoring period, volunteers surveyed bird nests in 37 home gardens in Pusallayaya Village, documenting changes in breeding activity as the long dry season began giving way to the approaching Northeast Monsoon. In Himbiliyakada, surveys identified 29 households supporting resident House Sparrow populations and active nesting sites, while conversations with villagers revealed concerns that sparrow numbers may have declined in recent years.
Volunteers also conducted eight butterfly surveys in Narangamuwa, in the foothills of the Knuckles Mountain Range, recording 13 species. The unusually dry conditions provided an important lesson in field ecology: wildlife monitoring is not simply about counting what you see—it is also about understanding why species abundance and distribution change with environmental conditions.
29 households
House Sparrow survey
Himbiliyakada
13 species
Butterfly surveys
Narangamuwa, Knuckles foothills
3 villages
Elephant fence monitoring
Weheragala · Himbiliyakada · Iriyagasulpotha
◉ Wasgamuwa National Park & corridorElephants at the heart of our work
Following elephants—and understanding the bigger picture
Elephants remain at the heart of much of our work.
Volunteers assisted with monitoring village elephant fences in Weheragala, Himbiliyakada and Iriyagasulpotha. They also participated in elephant monitoring in and around Wasgamuwa National Park and the adjoining elephant corridor. During this period, prolonged dry conditions, fire damage and reduced forage affected elephant distribution, while the presence of cattle may also have influenced elephant activity within the corridor.
These experiences allow volunteers to see something that cannot easily be learned from a textbook: wildlife conservation is dynamic.
- Animals move.
- Seasons change.
- Habitats change.
- Crops appear and disappear.
- People adapt.
Successful conservation therefore requires patience, observation and, above all, an understanding of the relationship between wildlife and the communities living alongside it.
Volunteer voices
And it is this human dimension that has left some of the strongest impressions on our volunteers.
One recent volunteer, Tara Coghlan, wrote about how much she enjoyed seeing elephants, but said she enjoyed just as much listening to SLWCS staff speaking with villagers and learning how local people interact with wildlife.
She particularly remembered spending a morning with community members learning how to prepare and cook coconut rotis, describing the women she met as “so lovely” and saying they helped make her time with SLWCS special.
Another group of volunteers, Jenny and Peter, described it as a privilege to spend time with farmers and villagers and gain an insight into their lives. They thanked the SLWCS team for sharing their passion and knowledge and said they left with a much deeper appreciation of the work being carried out.
And Luke, a National Trust Ranger, wrote that there were elements of what he learned at SLWCS that he could take home and apply to his own work.
For us, there could hardly be a better compliment.
Learning goes both ways
Volunteers are helping us improve too
One of the most valuable aspects of hosting volunteers is that the learning goes both ways.
Several recent volunteers told us that they would welcome even more opportunities to make a tangible, hands-on contribution. Their suggestions included constructing nest boxes for House Sparrows, assisting with data entry and elephant identification records, preparing materials for community activities, collecting seeds and transplanting seedlings.
We appreciate this feedback enormously.
Our principle
Meaningful conservation cannot manufacture activities simply to keep volunteers busy.
Fieldwork must respond to actual conservation priorities, seasonal conditions, community needs and animal activity. But wherever practical, we are continuing to identify ways in which volunteers can make an even greater hands-on contribution while supporting genuine, ongoing conservation work.
That authenticity is fundamental to the SLWCS Volunteer Programme.
An honest expectation
There will be dusty days, early mornings and long hours in the field.
Sometimes the elephants will appear; sometimes they will not. A survey may produce exciting observations—or very few at all. Yet every result contributes to a larger picture.
And somewhere along the way, a conversation with a farmer, an evening watching an elephant in the distance, a butterfly recorded on a transect, a shared meal in a village home, or simply listening to the sounds of Wasgamuwa after dark may become the memory that stays with you long after you leave Sri Lanka.
For nearly three decades
Come for the wildlife.
Leave understanding conservation.
For nearly three decades, SLWCS has worked to find practical ways for people and wildlife—particularly elephants—to coexist in Sri Lanka.
Our volunteers become part of that journey.
At SLWCS, we don't manufacture experiences simply to keep volunteers busy. This is real conservation. Wildlife movements, weather, seasons and community needs determine what happens in the field—and no two weeks are ever quite the same.
Come to Wasgamuwa for the wildlife, contribute to meaningful conservation, meet remarkable communities—and leave with a deeper understanding of what it truly takes for people and wildlife to coexist.
- 01You will learn from our researchers and field staff.
- 02You will meet rural communities living on the frontline of human–elephant conflict.
- 03You will participate in real monitoring and conservation activities.
- 04You will experience both the excitement and unpredictability of field conservation.
But perhaps most importantly, you will leave with a better understanding that protecting wildlife ultimately means understanding people, landscapes and the complicated connections between them.
Watch our work
See the programme in motion.
Archive films of volunteering, fieldwork and community life with SLWCS in Wasgamuwa.
Recognised & reviewed
Trusted by travellers, guidebooks and volunteers.
- Fodor’s TravelOne of the top 10 wildlife experiences in Sri Lanka (2017)
- National GeographicFeatured in “100 Best Volunteer Vacations to Enrich Your Life” by Pam Grout
- Lonely PlanetListed in several editions of the Lonely Planet guide to Sri Lanka
- Wilderness Travel & STRAWNamed among the top ethical elephant experiences in the world
Volunteer reviews4.8/5 · 5 reviews
Go Overseas
“Volunteering with the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has been one of the best experiences that I've ever had.”— Jessica H., 2018
Independent volunteer reviews from 2015–2018, listed through Greenheart Travel.
Read on Go Overseas (opens in a new tab)Peer-reviewed research · 2020
Communications Biology
“SLWCS runs on volunteers, who work hand-in-hand with local staff to carry out essential conservation work.”
A Nature Portfolio journal paper on Project Orange Elephant and human–elephant conflict in Wasgamuwa.
Read on Communications Biology (opens in a new tab)Volunteer story
Greenheart Travel
“You don't always get to see an elephant, but when you do it feels so special.”— Jessica H., 2018
A volunteer’s first-hand account of life at the SLWCS field house.
Read on Greenheart Travel (opens in a new tab)Travel industry
Scott Dunn
“Accompanied by field researchers from the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society.”
A luxury tour operator’s Wasgamuwa experience, guided by SLWCS researchers.
Read on Scott Dunn (opens in a new tab)Volunteer agency
Eco-Volontaire
Lists the SLWCS elephant conservation mission in Sri Lanka for international volunteers.
Read on Eco-Volontaire (opens in a new tab)Volunteer agency
Volunteering Journeys
Elephant conservation volunteering with our team in Wasgamuwa.
Read on Volunteering Journeys (opens in a new tab)Programme listing
Volunteer Forever
“Volunteers are crucial for the success of these projects and programs.”
A programme profile of the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society.
Read on Volunteer Forever (opens in a new tab)Conservation award
Whitley Fund for Nature
Associate Award for Ravi Corea’s work mitigating human–elephant conflict in Sri Lanka.
Read on Whitley Fund for Nature (opens in a new tab)News · UNDP Equator Prize
TravelMole
“The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society is selected to receive a prestigious Equator Prize 2008.”
Recognition for reducing poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Read on TravelMole (opens in a new tab)“I am very grateful for the experience and wish SLWCS all the best.”
To Tara, Jenny, Peter, Luke, and all our volunteers—thank you for giving us your time, your curiosity, your energy and your ideas. You came to Wasgamuwa to learn about our work, but you have also helped us learn how to make the experience even better for those who follow.
Ready to experience conservation beyond the ordinary?
Come join us in Wasgamuwa and become part of the SLWCS story.