The philanthropic adventure company Relief Riders International (RRI) announces a November 2012 two-week journey on horseback, helping medical personnel treat villagers enroute before arriving at the renowned Pushkar Camel Fair.

Relief Riders International, a United Nation's award-winning humanitarian-based, adventure travel company, has led relief missions on horseback through scenic regions of India and Turkey since 2004.

The sacred village of Pushkar, home to the only Brahma Temple in northern India, annually during a lunar period swells from some 15,000 to over 100,000 people, 10,000 horses, and 40,000 camels for several days of livestock trading, colorful equine and camel pageantry, races and performances, alongside pilgrimage and religious festivals.

The Relief Ride sets off on horseback from the historic Khimsar Fort on the edge of the great Thar Desert of Rajasthan. Unlike most deserts, the Thar hosts an incredible variety of wildlife, including gazelles, blackbuck, and migratory birds. Riding on horses offers an intimate opportunity to experience this desert's rich diversity and stunning landscapes. The ride culminates with three nights of camping at the Pushkar Fair, giving riders the unique perspective of experiencing the world's largest horse and camel fair on horseback.

The 15-day/16-night journey, from November 13-28, 2012, offers 12 days of riding, all transfers, food and lodging at hotels and in Relief Riders International camps. The all-inclusive fee of $7,500 per person, double ($1,000 single supplement) helps provide direct assistance to villagers along the way to Pushkar.

A Give the Gift of Sight program may offer up to 100 free eye surgeries while its free dental camp program provides dental screening and treatments for up to 400 patients. A pediatric and educational program de-worms 1,200 children, at the same time providing up to six-months-worth of educational materials. The company's Give a Goat program gifts up to 30 goats to below-poverty-level families and widows.

Volunteers needed for sky island frog surveys

(Pic: Alex Wong)

Have you seen this frog? If you have, you may not see it for much longer. Unless somebody cares.

Volunteers are needed to help scientists carry out surveys in sky island rainforests on Australia's East Coast, to help understand the impacts of climate change on frogs.

In the past 20 years, nine species of Australian frog have become extinct, a further 15 species have declined, and 27 species are listed as threatened, and most of these are associated with high mountain rainforests.

Climate change is adding further pressures, particularly for those amphibians living in the sky islands of Australia - isolated mountain tops in a long and ancient mountain range. These tops form an archipelago of cool and moist habitat refuges or 'sky islands'.

The Australia�s Vanishing Frogs expedition is focused on frogs but its aim is to introduce the volunteers to the spectacular Gondwana Rainforest World Heritage Area that was dedicated because it provides evidence of the evolutionary history of life on earth and a direct link to the origin and relationships of Australia's unique fauna.

The World Heritage Listed Gondwana Rainforest on Australia's East Coast provides habitat for more than 200 rare or threatened plant and animal species, including a range of frog species - an important indicator species of ecosystem health.

Australia's Vanishing Frogs seven-day teams kick off on 5 November 2012, with a second team to follow on 12 January 2013. To sign up, call Earthwatch on 03 9682 6828 or visit earthwatch.org.au

A tropical opportunity

(Pic: Wikimedia Commons)

From September, Projects Abroad will host its first volunteers in Samoa, the newest destination where the organization offers international volunteer programs to volunteers of all ages, from students and professionals to families and retirees.

Projects Abroad's volunteer opportunities in Samoa are located in the capital city of Apia. While Samoa may be known as an attractive travel destination thanks to its sun and sand, it is also on the UN's list of least developed nations, especially in urban centers like Apia. Volunteers will assist with education and childcare in local schools and care centers.

Projects Abroad now works in 28 developing countries spread throughout the globe, with a network of over 500 staff and 8000 annual volunteers worldwide. In every destination Projects Abroad has directly-employed local staff working to ensure volunteers are safe, supported, and happy with a constructive role to play in the local community, and over the last 20 years we have helped over 50,000 volunteers of all ages perform worthwhile services in developing societies.

For more information .....

'So green, so blue, so aware'

Until the end of September, Maldive's Soneva Fushi offers local Voluntourism  as part of Soneva's SLOW LIFE philosophy

Soneva Fushi is offering its guests the opportunity to give something back. By supporting the resort's efforts in the fields of permaculture, marine conservation and community education for a few hours each day in return, guests may enjoy the indulgent luxury of staying at Soneva Fushi on a complimentary basis.

Following its core principal of SLOW LIFE - Sustainable, Local, Organic, Wellness.  Learning, Inspiring, Fun, Experiences - and its passion and commitment to supporting the environment and local communities, Soneva Fushi has long been a pioneer of ecotourism. More details.....

Pay it forward

Greenloons, the company that helps travelers make sustainable travel choices, now offers eight programs for families who believe their teenage children can expand their views of the world by engaging in voluntourism this summer.

From the Amazon to Asia there are opportunities to 'pay it forward' while sharing with hands and heart the work and vision of conservation projects and cultural exchanges benefitting pandas, sea turtles and humans alike. These experiences can all be shared by families within the context of a cultural / sightseeing vacation.

"Today some of the wealthiest families in the US send their children to summer camps to learn how to become philanthropists.  There are also other avenues open for learning how to share and care. For example, a number of international regions offer programs where volunteer work becomes part of a family vacation," said Greenloons founder, Irene Lane.

Programs include working in China on a commune, building or teaching in Cambodia, working with animals in Peru, or helping to protect endangered sea turtles in Costa Rica.

Greenloons makes it easy to connect adults and families to meaningful and unique nature-based travel experiences all over the world.  Because Greenloons only works with third-party eco-certified tour operators and sustainable tourism accommodation providers, the company provides a level of assurance to eco-conscious travelers that these small group vacations not only offer distinction and quality in pristine natural surroundings, but they have also been independently verified as emphasizing conservation education, respecting local cultural traditions and supporting local communities. More details....