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Travel the world. Make a difference.

Earthwatch expeditions take you off the beaten path to discover nature as you’ve never experienced it before. Work alongside scientists, collecting valuable data that helps protect threatened wildlife, habitats and ecosystems all around the world. Explore our current expeditions to discover how you can make a difference.

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Activity icon Varies

Amazon Riverboat Exploration

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Aboard a riverboat deep in the heart of Peru’s flooded Amazon region, you’ll help to conserve river dolphins and monkeys, and protect the fragile South American wilderness.
South America:
Samiria River, Peru
Duration: 8+ days
Lead Scientist:

Richard Bodmer, Ph.D.

Starting at: $3,850

Activity icon Very Easy

Climate Change and Caterpillars

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Help scientists untangle the complex relationships between caterpillars, the plants they eat, the parasitoids that eat them, and the changes in climate that will reshape the rainforest.
South America:
La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica or Yanayacu Biological Station, Ecuador, South America
Duration: 9 days
Lead Scientist:

Lee Dyer, Ph.D.

Starting at: $4,430

Activity icon Moderate

Climate Change at the Arctic's Edge

Climate Change
Northern ecosystems are being transformed by climate change. Join this long-term monitoring effort to explore what these changes mean for the arctic—and the rest of the world.
North America & Arctic:
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Duration: 11 days
Lead Scientist:

LeeAnn Fishback, Ph.D.

Starting at: $6,465

Activity icon Moderate

Climate Change: Sea to Trees at Acadia National Park

Climate Change
Help researchers add to over 120 years of data, revealing how our reliance on fossil fuels is affecting one of America’s most beautiful places.
Central America & Caribbean:
Acadia National Park, Maine, United States
Duration: 7 days

Starting at: $5,260

Activity icon Moderate

Conserving Threatened Rhinos in South Africa

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Rhino populations are declining at an alarming rate. Help scientists to understand their behavior and habitat preferences and optimize approaches to help conserve and manage rhinos in South Africa.
Africa:
Northwest Province, South Africa
Duration: 12 days
Lead Scientist:

Dawn Scott, Ph.D.

Starting at: $5,335

Activity icon Moderate

Conserving Wild Bees and Other Pollinators of Costa Rica

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Costa Rica is home to over 400 species of native wild bees and about 50 species of hummingbirds. But habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change threaten the health and survival of pollinators around the world. How can we better protect these important species?
South America:
San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica
Duration: 7 days
Lead Scientist:

Valerie Peters, Ph.D.

Starting at: $3,700

Activity icon Very Active

Costa Rican Sea Turtles

Wildlife & Ecosystems
The leatherback sea turtle population in the Pacific, once the stronghold of the species, has decreased by over 90% since 1980. Help scientists investigate this decline and look for ways to save this, and other, sea turtle species.
Central America & Caribbean:
Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
Duration: 9 days
Lead Scientist:

Frank Paladino, Ph.D.

Starting at: $4,430

Activity icon Moderate

Cuban Wildlife and Tropical Forests

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Cuba is on the cusp of a wave of economic development, threatening some of the unique biodiversity living there. Help researchers and wildlife managers to gain a better understanding of wildlife within protected areas in Cuba to better conserve these species.
South America:
Lomas de Banao Ecological Reserve, Sancti Spíritus, Cuba
Duration: 10 days
Lead Scientist:

Natalia A. Rossi, Ph.D.

Starting at: $4,830

Activity icon Very Easy

Discovering Ancient Societies in Portugal

Archaeology & Culture
Hunter-gatherers and farmers may have coexisted for a brief time in ancient Portuguese societies before the shift to agriculture. Unearth the mystery of this transition.
Europe & Russia:
Muge, Salvaterra de Magos, Santarém, Portugal
Duration: 7+ days
Lead Scientist:

Nuno Bicho, Ph.D.

Starting at: $5,560

Activity icon Moderate

Endangered Whooping Cranes on the Texas Coast

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Land use changes and hunting pressure pushed these migratory birds to the brink of extinction. Today, researchers are working to determine how environmental drivers and human influences are impacting the wintering home of the endangered whooping crane
Central America & Caribbean:
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, Texas, United States
Duration: 7 days
Lead Scientist:

Jeffrey Wozniak, Ph.D.

Starting at: $4,735

Activity icon Varies

Following Forest Owls in the Western U.S.

Wildlife & Ecosystems
All small forest owls rely on tree cavities for nesting. But what happens when these cavities begin to disappear?
North America & Arctic:
Snow Basin, Utah or Portal, Arizona, United States
Duration: 7 days
Lead Scientist:

Dave Oleyar, Ph.D.

Starting at: $5,185

Activity icon Strenuous

Investigating Threats to Chimps in Uganda

Wildlife & Ecosystems
As food supplies in the forest decline, chimps in the Budongo Forest are raiding farmers’ crops. What is causing the decline in food? How can the area support both farmers and primate foragers?
Africa:
Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda
Duration: 12 days
Lead Scientist:

 Fred Babweteera, Ph.D.

Starting at: $5,110

Activity icon Moderate

Killer Whales and Their Prey in Iceland

Ocean Health
Be part of the first long-term study to investigate the diet and behavior of Iceland’s killer whales, collecting information vital to protecting this important apex predator.
Europe & Russia:
Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
Duration: 12 days
Lead Scientist:

Filipa Samarra, Ph.D.

Starting at: $6,765

Activity icon Easy

Marine Life Conservation in Costa Rica

Ocean Health
Join researchers in the pristine wilds of Costa Rica to conduct critical research on marine mammals. Your findings may help to develop a permanent marine protected area.
North America & Arctic:
Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
Duration: 9 days

Starting at: $3,995

Activity icon Very Active

NEW! - Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Join scientists in the Osa Peninsula to revitalize one of Central America's most biodiverse regions. Participate in pioneering research to study wildlife and restore this vital ecosystem.
Central America & Caribbean:
Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
Duration: 7 days

Starting at: $3,160

Activity icon Moderate

NEW! - Restoring Habitats in Kenya's Greater Maasai Mara

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Join scientists to restore Kenya's Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem through research and conservation within Enarau Wildlife Conservancy and the surrounding landscape. Shed light on habitat degradation and help researchers shape the future of savanna restoration.
Africa:
Enarau Wildlife Conservancy, Narok County, Kenya
Duration: 12 days
Lead Scientist:

Antonio Uzal, Ph.D.

Starting at: $5,410

Activity icon Very Active

Restoring Coral Reefs in Bali

Ocean Health
Coral reefs worldwide are rapidly disappearing due to climate change and other human impacts. Help researchers investigate whether artificial reef structures can mimic natural coral communities, thereby preserving the biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human communities that rely on coral reefs.
Asia:
Kubu, North Bali, Indonesia
Duration: 7+ days
Lead Scientist:

Rick Stafford, Ph.D.

Starting at: $4,660

Activity icon Very Active

Sea of Giants: Marine Life of the Baja Peninsula

Ocean Health
Join researchers on an exciting adventure on the Baja Peninsula as you study large marine animals, including dolphins, humpback whales, and whale sharks. Your findings will help scientists understand the effects of climatic events, urbanization, and a growing marine ecotourism industry on these remarkable marine ecosystems.
South America:
La Paz Bay, Mexico and Punta Lobos, Mexico

Starting at: $5,185

Activity icon Moderate

Shark and Ray Conservation in Belize

Ocean Health
Belize’s barrier reef was once a refuge for sharks, but with the intrusion of fisheries, shark populations have been decimated. Help researchers make the reef a safe haven again by investigating how marine reserves affect shark populations.
Central America & Caribbean:
Riversdale, Belize
Duration: 8 days
Lead Scientist:

Demian Chapman, Ph.D.

Starting at: $4,575

Activity icon Moderate

South African Penguins

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Ninety percent of the penguin population on Robben Island has disappeared over the past 100 years. You can help conserve their habitat and protect their population.
Africa:
Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa, Africa
Duration: 12 days
Lead Scientist:

Richard Sherley, Ph.D.

Starting at: $5,860

Activity icon Moderate

Tracking Sharks and Rays in Florida

Ocean Health
Join scientists at one of the oldest and largest shark and ray research programs in the world and help protect sharks and rays from overexploitation and environmental threats.
Central America & Caribbean:
Sarasota, Florida
Duration: 8 days
Lead Scientist:

Demian Chapman, Ph.D.

Starting at: $4,350

Activity icon Moderate

Trailing Penguins in Patagonia

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Be among the first people to get a glimpse of what penguins do far out at sea, and learn how this behaviour could affect their chicks back on land.
South America:
Camarones, Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina
Duration: 7 days
Lead Scientist:

Gabriela Blanco, Ph. D.

Starting at: $4,865

Activity icon Moderate

Unearthing Ancient History in Tuscany

Archaeology & Culture
The goal of this expedition is simple: to help experts reconstruct the complex past of Populonia as fully as possible.
Europe & Russia:
Populonia Archaeological Park, Piombino, Tuscany, Italy
Duration: 7+ days
Lead Scientist:

Carolina Megale, Ph.D.

Starting at: $4,087

Activity icon Very Active

Wildlife and Reforestation in Brazil

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Around the world, ecosystems are collapsing as trees are logged and forests disappear. Large-scale reforestation efforts aim to reverse this decline—but how successful are they?
South America:
Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu- REGUA, Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Duration: 7+ days

Starting at: $3,410

Activity icon Very Active

Wildlife in the Changing Andorran Pyrenees

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Help discover and protect this delicate Alpine environment from climate change, and from ourselves.
Europe & Russia:
Valley of Ordino, Andorra
Duration: 9 days

Starting at: $4,960

Activity icon Very Active

Wildlife of the Mongolian Steppe

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Explore the lives of grassland animals, from the hedgehog to the Siberian ibex, to help conserve their wilderness home.
Asia:
Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia
Duration: 14 days

Starting at: $6,390

Activity icon Moderate

Wildlife, Bones, and History in Zambia

Wildlife & Ecosystems
Join researchers in eastern Zambia's stunning Luangwa River Valley to search for living animals and the bones they leave behind. These data will help researchers better understand how mammalian communities have shifted over time in response to climate change.
Africa:
South Luangwa National Park, Muchinga, Central, and Eastern Provinces, Zambia
Duration: 10 days
Lead Scientist:

Amy L Rector, Ph.D.

Starting at: $6,915