Join GoEco on a volunteer expedition in China to help wildlife at a giant panda sanctuary!
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance
Day 1, Sunday: Arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU). The local team will be waiting to pick you up and transfer you to the hostel accommodations in Chengdu. Meet your fellow volunteers once you have settled in.
Day 2, Monday: Walking tour of Chengdu in the morning. In the afternoon you’ll transfer by bus 2.5 hours to the Panda Breeding Center Accommodations. You’ll have a meet and greet with the Panda Breeding Center staff and a welcome dinner.
Days 3-4, Tuesday- Wednesday: After a thorough orientation at the Panda Center, you’ll join alongside the Panda Keepers in their daily routines! Each day, volunteers will work at the panda center from about 08:30am until 3:30 pm and in the evenings, volunteers will take part in cultural activities. These range from dumpling making to Chinese language lessons to Chinese games.
Day 5, Thursday: Partake in a morning tour in Bifengxia Vally. After lunch, travel back to Chengdu 2.5 hours by bus transfer. Enjoy the evening in Chengdu city with other participants and eat dinner at Chengdu’s famous Hot Pot Restaurant.
Day 6, Friday: Full day Chengdu City Tour and museum visit.
Day 7, Saturday: Departure day. Participants will take a subway to Shuangliu Airport or travel onward independently in Chengdu city center if extending stay.
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, personal expenses, meals on arrival and departure day.
China is not only the most densely populated country in the world but also the oldest continuous civilization. At the forefront of technological development, China is a fusion of old and new world sentiment. With spectacular tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Bund riverfront, China offers a vast landscape to explore. China also offers amazing cuisine, already having influenced many of its western counterparts, and a captivating cultural history. Experience the rich cultural traditions of China while exploring its breathtaking natural beauty.
For over 20 years, this organization has worked for the preservation of the panda population and has now resolved three key problems of breeding, which restricted reproduction of the panda for a long time. The current panda birth and survival rates are some of the best in the world. The panda population of the program has risen from an initial 6 animals to over 70 pandas. In 2003 the first stage of a state-of-the-art panda base was completed: a veritable panda paradise. It is divided into 6 sections: panda raising and breeding area, scientific study area, food preparing and animal hospital area, staff living area, bamboo base area and tourist accommodation area. Thanks to rigorous conservation efforts, the giant panda is no longer on the World Wildlife Federation’s endangered species list; however, they are still considered a “vulnerable” species.
Your placement fee includes a significant donation to the Panda Reserve, allowing them to continue this important work.
Some of your tasks may include:
This project includes many cultural activities, including a exploration of Chengdu and other sites near the center.
Important note: Since March 2014 there has been, and continues to be, no close contact with the pandas. This is to protect pandas and volunteers alike, due to their sensitivity and sometimes aggressive nature. There is no feeding of the pandas directly and no entering of their enclosures.
The reserve also has panda cub enclosures which are closed to visitors yet accessible to volunteers through viewing windows.
Panda cubs will only be on view during November-December at the Panda Base.
Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:
Chengdu is the capital of the Sichuan Province. It is a well-known city with a rich history and civilization. The province has many places of interest and is famous for its traditional arts and crafts, ethnic folklore and beautiful landscapes. The Shuangliu International Airport and the Chengdu Railway Station allow easy access for visitors to explore the region.
Past volunteers have enjoyed the following activities that this amazing area has to offer (not included in program cost, but the volunteer coordinators would be happy to help arrange these for you):
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