Environment Volunteering in Italy

Join this amazing project and work alongside top researchers and an experienced crew as the boat sails through the waters around Naples, Italy. As part of the team, you’ll take turns scanning the waters as you try to find dolphins, whales, and other marine life. You may be asked to monitor the audio equipment, video equipment, or photography equipment both on deck and below deck to see the animals’ behavior underwater. When the encounter is over, volunteers will help enter the data into the computer system. The research done in this project is analyzed to provide crucial data to agencies that protect marine life and evaluate the effects of shipping vessels and fisheries on the marine ecosystem.

At International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), we unite people from over 96 countries who want to make a meaningful difference while exploring the world. With 300+ projects in 40+ destinations, IVHQ offers the widest selection of volunteer programs globally—from Teaching and Childcare to Wildlife Conservation, Medical Outreach, and Environmental Sustainability. Since 2007, IVHQ has supported over 147,000 volunteers on life-changing journeys. We specialize in fully-hosted volunteer trips that are safe, affordable, and accessible—starting from just $20 per day. Your experience includes airport pick-up, accommodation, meals, and round-the-clock support from our local teams. With flexible booking options and no change fees, planning your volunteer adventure has never been easier. Our programs run year-round and are available for 1 to 24 weeks across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, South and Central America, North America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Volunteering with IVHQ is about more than giving back—it’s about growing, learning, and building genuine global connections.

Looking to apply your talent and expertise to a good cause? Find a program that matches your interests and skills through Volunteer World! We are the largest volunteer abroad comparison platform around the globe, enabling you to seek and compare offers from major travel agencies as well as smaller grassroots NGOs and local specialists in more than 80 countries. All these with just one click! Find projects in wildlife, teaching, community development, and several other areas. Simply choose your desired destination and desired travel date, and our search engine will compare the best volunteer abroad programs on your behalf. Whether you wish to gain experience at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa or teach English at a monastery in Nepal, we've got you covered. Volunteer World guarantees a quick and easy application. We will guide you through this process, as well as help plan your next meaningful trip. We provide free access to quality-checked projects and flexible options. And if anything goes wrong, we've got your back with our qualified support team and our refund guarantee.

Uncover the magic of Italy with two unforgettable adventures that showcase the country’s diverse beauty, history, and culture. Tuscan Trails and Roman Wonders - Experience the best of Italy as you journey from the iconic canals of Venice to the breathtaking Amalfi Coast, immersing yourself in Italian culture, history, and cuisine. This program takes you on a diverse adventure through charming towns, vibrant cities, and picturesque landscapes, offering a taste of Italy’s unique regional diversity. Northern Italy Adventure - Get a taste of life in Northern Italy while strolling through Milan, Verona, and Venice. Our Northern Italy Adventure program immerses you in the country's architecture, art, and landscapes. Enjoy a gondola ride on a canal and swim in Italy’s largest lake. Dive into service projects centered on environmental conservation and get off the beaten path in this unforgettable adventure. You will savor the food, love the landscapes, and make new friends during this one-of-a-kind travel experience.

The Doctors in Italy Pre-Vet Fellowship Program is a unique experience to appreciate the breadth of opportunities that a degree in Veterinary Medicine can offer while immersed in Italian culture and stunning natural landscapes. By shadowing veterinary professionals specializing in different disciplines, you will learn about animal welfare and behavior, basic clinical examination skills, animal nutrition, zoonotic diseases, the importance of human-animal interactions, and many other topics. You’ll spend time with cats, dogs, cows, sheep, horses, boars, rabbits, a spunky llama, and several other animals. From daily care and feeding to special needs, hand rearing, and veterinary checks ─ be in the midst of the action. You will assist veterinarians in clinical settings and during fieldwork in animal sanctuaries and wildlife rescue centers. You will be exposed to various species such as equids, large and small ruminants, wild and domestic pigs, rabbits, llamas, wildlife, birds, dogs, cats, and exotic animals—learning how to approach and care for them.

Join us for the adventure of a lifetime! Volunteers For Peace (a Vermont-based nonprofit) can place you on a team of international volunteers who contribute to a meaningful community service project designed, planned, and hosted by local partners. We offer the most affordable projects and the best way to meet people from all over the world. Work project types vary by country but may include environmental and wildlife conservation, historic preservation, educational and language learning, archaeology, organic farming, and arts and festivals. We also have social services projects, which could involve working with children, the elderly, or refugees. Projects are designed to combine service with recreational activities and cultural exchange – whether by visiting local beaches, learning local dances, meeting local officials, or volunteering with residents at the place you’re visiting. Each project is unique, but all bring people together for the most meaningful travel experience imaginable. Please note that VFP can only place US Citizens. This is due to our agreements with our international partners.

Do you want to be part of an international crew aboard and help with data collection underwater? We will teach you the necessary skillset for habitat mapping, species Identification and mapping of their distribution, and spotting Marine Megafauna, such as dolphins, whales, and turtles. As a volunteer aboard, you will be a part of the research team, which means snorkeling, measuring seagrass meadows, looking for species, taking pictures and videos of all the different organisms you see, and learning to identify them! While sailing, you will also be standing watches—spotting whales and dolphins and trying to take the best possible pictures of them for Photo Identification with our partner organizations. You will be living aboard a 21m sailing boat with up to 9 more people, giving everyone enough space to find a quiet corner when needed but also enough social areas to live and work together. During your stay, we generally move every other day for a 4-5 hour sail to the next location, which gives us enough time to map and check the underwater world in each location properly and have a look onshore as well if wanted.

Join this project as a marine conservation volunteer and help with the research of many species of whale and dolphin, including the large fin whale, sperm whale, Risso’s dolphin, pilot whale, striped dolphin, and bottle-nose dolphin. Based in Sanremo (Italy) near the French border, this project is conducted within the Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary, in an area including Cote d'Azur (France), Tuscany, and northern Sardinia (Italy). In this region, cetaceans are found in numbers that are higher than in other Mediterranean areas. Volunteers will be directly involved with the existing research team and will be able to help collect data from out in the field and analyze it back at the research base. Research is typically based out at sea assuming conditions are fair, and volunteers will have the chance to learn basic sailing skills while at sea.

As a volunteer, you’ll work with local non-profits to promote environmental conservation in disadvantaged suburbs of Rome. Your efforts will help mitigate the effects of climate change, raise public awareness, and foster community connections to combat social isolation, poverty, and exclusion. Your contributions will address environmental issues and promote active citizenship. What to expect: • Engage in tree planting activities to enhance green spaces. • Involve community members in sustainability workshops and activities. • Assist with general maintenance and operations of local NGOs. Daily tasks: • Plant and care for trees in urban and suburban areas. • Work with local NGOs to engage the community in environmental sustainability. • Support NGOs with weeding, mulching, trash collection, and other maintenance tasks.

This program aims to provide volunteers with knowledge on various aspects of cetacean and marine macrofauna research and vital coastal monitoring techniques. It includes a course that presents a strong theoretical component, with different lectures covering diverse topics: biology, anatomy, ecology of the main species of cetaceans and sea turtles present in the Mediterranean and Ligurian Sea, ID techniques to recognize these species, and the various oceanographic and geomorphological aspects of these basins. Furthermore, additional information is given on the main research techniques used in this field of science, as well as during the monitoring of the coastal environment and data collection. Participants take part in various practical activities to improve their familiarity with the monitoring protocols of coastal environments, data collection protocols used in the field by researchers, ID skills, and photo identification. They also conduct land-based surveys when good weather conditions allow and contribute to species monitoring within the study area.