An exciting new 'voluntourism' project coordinated by Global Gypsies and the Department of Environment and Conservation. A unique opportunity to help DEC with its important fauna research and monitoring work while enjoying escorted and catered, self-drive 4WD tag-along tours!

Dates: May 14 – 23, 2012

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and award-winning adventure tour company Global Gypsies are offering environmentally conscious holiday-makers the exciting opportunity to assist DEC with its important fauna research and monitoring projects while enjoying a 4WD outback safari.

In a new 'voluntourism' initiative, Global Gypsies will coordinate and underwrite a series of "Science Safaris" to various DEC-managed parks and reserves and donate a percentage of the proceeds to DEC's Operation Rangelands Restoration project.

DEC will provide the scientific expertise to coordinate and supervise various tasks and assignments for tour participants enabling them to assist the Department with its research, monitoring and animal release projects.

The inaugural safari coincides with DEC's first release of golden bandicoots into the wild at the proposed conservation reserve of Lorna Glen, located about 165 kms from Wiluna in northwest Western Australia.

The tour will be run 'tag-along style' with a maximum of five client vehicles (or 10 clients) travelling in a small convoy led by professional Tour Guide Jeremy Perks. The escort vehicle will be equipped with 4WD recovery gear, GPS, satellite phone and first-aid kit. Participants will need to have vehicle-mounted UHF two way radios to communicate while traveling in convoy.

Robust 4WD vehicles are mandatory and off-road camper trailers/caravans are welcome. No 2WDs, on-road caravans, pets or children under 16 will be permitted.

Quality catering will be provided by experienced Safari Hostess, Rebina Criddle, using the Global Gypsies catering trailer (three meals a day plus morning tea) – we just ask that you help with the washing up! Global Gypsies will provide delicious sit-down dinners each evening with a special white-linen, candlelit Farewell Dinner at the conclusion of the tour.

Accommodation will be camping with clients providing their own equipment. There will be one base camp located in close proximity to the Lorna Glen homestead from which we will undertake activities each day as assigned by the DEC scientists.

DEC scientific staff accompanying the tour and in charge of the bandicoot release will be Keith Morris, Senior Principal Research Scientist and head of the Fauna Conservation Program, and Colleen Sims, Research Scientist.

Assignments the scientists will be allocating to tour participants include:

• assisting with the release of the golden bandicoots
• monitoring the animals' progress after release
• helping to set up animal monitoring/trapping stations
• checking the monitoring stations
• assisting with administrative tasks of radio-collaring the animals
• night tracking of the bandicoots
• recording images captured on 'critter cams'
• cleaning cages, homestead and other areas.

In addition to assisting DEC with its important fieldwork, there will be time to relax and enjoy the reserve, go bushwalking, visit nearby Skull Creek, go on 4WD excursions, take photographs, sketch or paint. There may also be the opportunity to observe an ornithologist working with wedge tailed eagles and a student researcher examining the ecology of the mulgara, one of the dasyurid marsupials that occur on Lorna Glen.