National Volunteer Week #NVW22 is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering and is held on 16 – 22 May 2022. The theme of this year’s event is Better Together.
Volunteering brings people together; it builds communities and creates a better society for everyone. National Volunteer Week is a chance for all of us to celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers and to say thank you.
We are definitely better together with our volunteers at Orangutan Alliance, so we wanted to highlight some of our vollies, take this chance to thank them and ask them what it means to be a volunteer. Here’s what they had to say!
A word from Aqeelah, our blog queen:
“Volunteering for Orangutan Alliance is so special to me because I get to be a small part of an incredible group of humans who are all striving towards the same purpose as I am. That is motivating, educating one another on the importance of conserving the environment, animals, and making a positive difference in the world. For that, I’m forever grateful.”
A word from Blane, our incredible podcast host for the Eco Impacters:
Volunteering at OA has personally been a super rewarding experience for a number of reasons. But a few of the big ones would be the ability to contribute to environmental causes that I am passionate about! Orangutans have always been a special animal to me, and volunteering at OA allows me to contribute (even in small ways) to the protection of orangutans and their habitat – whether that is direct or indirect contribution. The other big plus for me is it allows me to meet awesome people in the environmental space that share similiar values, ambitions and ideals to myself! There are many other benefits, but the notion of giving back and also meeting likeminded people, are 2 big benefits I get through volunteering at OA!”
A word from Pam, our graphic design guru:
“My experience with OA has been an exciting one – working on an array of work, from brand certification guidelines to merchandise items. Through these projects I’ve also gained better understanding of OA’s brand message and mission on conservation. Personally, I’ve always been keen on biodiversity and climate challenges – always ready and excited to hop onto projects and collaborations that are able to inspire and widen social circles of impact locally. OA has also gave me opportunities to onboard on cross border collaborations, fostering many meaningful connections with like minded individuals along the way. Feeling thankful and I definitely hope to meet these amazing people that I’ve had the chance to worked with closely!”
A word from Larissa, our social media content star:
I volunteer with OA because not long ago, I fell in love with the greater apes. However, being in the states so far away from them left me feeling like there wasn’t much I could do for these gentle giants other than watch their populations decline. Volunteering with OA has given me a channel for my passion and allows me to take on an active role in public education about habitat destruction. My dream is to one day be a greater apes veterinarian.
Do you want to volunteer with Orangutan Alliance? We are always looking for passionate individuals who can spare some time with us. Get in touch via our volunteer page or with Amy via amy@orangutanalliance.org for more information.
