At a time when we’re supposed to feel lucky just to have a vacation, why are so many of us searching for “holidays with a purpose?” Why try to connect with other cultures? Why swing a hammer when you can swing in a hammock?

These exact questions baffled a group of University of California students who launched a “voluntourism” study in 2008. They discovered a whopping 40 per cent of Americans were willing to spend several weeks on vacations that include volunteer service. Their top priorities? Helping schoolchildren, families and people in poverty.

So, with that in mind, this month's feature presents a variety of voluntourism options in the US, Canada, Mexico and other international destinations.

Here's a few voluntourism programs worth checking out in the US and Canada:

Hawaii: Have a Whale of a Time

Aimed at locals and visitors, the annual humpback whale count at 60 sites throughout Hawaii occurs on three separate mornings every January, February and March.

Logging nearly 4,800 km (3,000 mi) from their feeding grounds in Alaska, these stunning giants of the deep put on a spectacular show when they reach the warm waters of Hawaii to breed and give birth.

Each year, more than 2,000 volunteers turn out on the shores of the Big Island, Oahu and Kauai to count whales and gather data for the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

And because whales prefer shallow, near-shore waters (less than 182 m [600 ft.] deep), volunteers often have front-row seats at one of nature’s most mind-blowing shows. But it’s not all showy razzmatazz—the waters around Hawaii provide vital breeding habitat for approximately two-thirds of the north Pacific stock of humpback whales. (sanctuaryoceancount.org)



Responsible Travel Credentials

• The sanctuary operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and has a solid track record, gathering data since 1996.
  
   
• The census doesn’t pretend to provide scientifically accurate results, but it’s meant to supplement scientific information gathered from other research bodies.
  
   
• Great family event as anyone, even those with micro-attention spans, can participate. In 2010, the average number of whales sighted per 15 minutes was six on the Big Island, three on Oahu and two on Kauai.
  
   

Maui: Surfrider Foundation

What do fishing nets, beer cans, shopping carts and bowling balls have in common?

They’re all items of trash collected off the reefs and beaches of Maui during Surfrider’s various cleanup efforts. Planned initiatives in 2011 include: monthly reef cleanups conducted in partnership with Lahaina-based sea-tour company Trilogy Excursions, a cleanup and contest in conjunction with International Surfing Day on June 20 and five cleanups in various communities around the island with the Community Work Day program. Travellers can keep tabs on upcoming events through the Maui Surfrider Facebook page.



Responsible Travel Credentials

• The Surfrider Foundation is a global ocean-advocacy organization founded in 1984 by surfers in Malibu, CA.
  
   
• The 2010 “Get the Drift and Bag It” cleanup on Maui’s North Shore removed six tons of trash (including cars). Less-affected areas that have already gone through repeated cleanups will characteristically yield around a truckload.
  
   
• Surfrider’s mission is to provide an arena for people to participate in ocean advocacy initiatives. Membership in the foundation is not required to take part in cleanup events. There is a US$20 cost to volunteer to help cover costs during the Trilogy Blue’aina reef cleanup campaign.
  
   

New Orleans, LA: Habitat for Humanity

While the tourist-drawing areas of New Orleans have bounced back admirably following hurricane Katrina, there’s still much residential rebuilding that needs to be done, particularly in the Upper Ninth Ward, Seventh Ward, New Orleans East, Hollygrove, the West Bank and Central City neighbourhoods.

Volunteers can sign up for a minimum time commitment of one full day. No construction experience or tools are required, though sturdy, closed-toe footwear is a must and work gloves are recommended. There is no cost to volunteer; workers are required to register and sign up for a construction day via the organization’s online calendar. (habitat-nola.org)



Responsible Travel Credentials

• Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit charity homebuilder that offers long-term solutions to the problemof substandard poverty housing.
  
   
• Recipients of the houses are known as “partner families” and are required to contribute 350 hours of their own “sweat equity” during construction.
  
   
• Once the home is built, Habitat for Humanity sells it to the partner family for the cost of the land and materials (an average amount of US$85,000) by financing a no-down payment/zero-per cent interest mortgage. Mortgage payments, plus taxes, average out to a monthly payment of US$550-$650 for the partner family.
  
   

Tampa Bay, FL: Tampa Bay Watch

Oysters aren’t just a delicacy—these filter feeders play a key role in cleaning the ocean. In fact, one adult oyster can clean up to 38 litres (10 gallons) of water in one hour. For this reason, conservation organization Tampa Bay Watch has made the creation of oyster-attracting habitat a key element in its program to protect and restore the Tampa Bay estuary.

Volunteers are accepted year-round to help construct and install oyster domes, heavy structures made from marine-friendly concrete. In addition to attracting oysters to the zone, the domes help minimize shoreline erosion. Volunteers can also help with other initiatives, such as beach cleanups and salt-marsh plantings. Check out the organization’s online calendar for up-to-date info on volunteer opportunities for 2011.



Responsible Travel Credentials

• Tampa Bay Watch is a nonprofit stewardship program founded in 1993 dedicated to protecting and restoring the marine and wetland environments of the Tampa Bay estuary. The estuary is the largest in Florida, encompassing 1,036 sq km (400 sq mi) of open water and 6,000 sq km ( 2,300 sq mi ) of watershed.
  
   
• Every year, more than 10,000 youth and adult volunteers are involved in various hands-on restorations projects, including oyster dome construction.
  
   

Parks Canada — Learn Tracking Tips

With Parks Canada toasting its centennial this year, new trails are being blazed for volunteers. Ever wanted to track wildlife? Band birds? Study eels?

Join a scientific research crew by becoming a volunteer Citizen Scientist. You’ll not only study under a crackerjack expert, but you’ll actually contribute to valuable park research. Armed with GPS units, measuring sticks, clipboards and binos, you’ll learn all the tricky bits from a knowledgeable project lead.



Responsible Travel Credentials

• Jobs can vary at all of Canada’s 42 national parks, but most need park ambassadors. Less for travellers and more for locals, these volunteers typically answer visitors’ questions and dish out valuable travel information. Campground hosts, tour guide helpers and emergency response crew are other volunteer positions.
  
   
• Most of our national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas are big on volunteers. If you’re keen to do something specific—like using your scuba skills to research underwater life at Saguenay-St. Lawrence National Marine Park area—it’s best to contact the park directly.
  
   
• Accommodation is often limited, so in most cases volunteers need to scare up their own digs.
  
   

WWOOFing, Worldwide — Fieldwork in Canada

WWOOFing—it sounds like a dog’s bark, but this volunteer work has much more bite. Maybe this is the year to join the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) organization, started in the U.K. in 1971 by a London secretary who wanted to link city folk to England’s countryside.

Since then, WWOOF has swept across 107 countries and now offers anyone from GAP students to families a chance to work on an organic farm in exchange for free room and board. From Newfoundland to British Columbia, you’ll find close to 900 opportunities to toil at every possible kind of organic farm—from growing berries and apples to flowers.

At some, you’ll gain enough skills to train horses, while others may teach you how to make soap on a goat farm, or how to bake artisanal breads to sell at a rural farmers market.

Accommodation ranges from guesthouses to RVs to groovy back-to-the land straw-bale houses. You won’t earn a cent, but you’ll likely leave with a greener thumb and a new appreciation for farm labour and where our produce originates.



Responsible Travel Credentials

• WWOOFing is a bona fide worldwide cultural-volunteer exchange. Typically, you work four to six hours a day, five-and-a-half days a week in exchange for room and board.
  
   
• An increasing number of organic farms are welcoming families to work—but you’ll need to sift through WWOOF’s massive website.
  
   
• Some hosts require volunteers year-round, but prime time in Canada typically runs from early spring (on the East Coast) to late fall (Western Canada), with stints lasting from a week to an entire summer.

Photos by COD Newsroom, Graeme Thickins & Tampa Bay Watch