Volunteering Wildlife Monitoring, Malawi

Embark on a life-changing volunteer journey to Malawi’s Liwonde National Park, where you’ll help monitor endangered species and contribute to critical conservation efforts.

This immersive experience lets you work alongside dedicated conservationists, tracking animals like lions, cheetahs, and elephants to gather data that informs local preservation strategies.

As a volunteer, you’ll gain hands-on skills in animal tracking, data collection, and species monitoring, while exploring Malawi’s stunning landscapes. Each day promises unique wildlife encounters and opportunities to make a meaningful impact on African biodiversity.

Activ­i­ties as a volunteer

The wildlife monitoring project in Malawi offers you an intensive experience in which you will observe and research endangered species.

Tasks include tracking important animals such as lions and hyenas using radio collars, setting up camera traps and observing animal behaviour. This valuable data feeds into national conservation strategies and helps to close knowledge gaps about local species.

Every day holds new adventures: from impressive territorial fights within prides of lions to hunting cheetahs and observing the feeding behaviour of vultures. Elephants are not explicitly observed, but they can often be seen on the daily drives through the park.

Arrival and orientation in Malawi

For your journey to Malawi, we recommend travelling to Lilongwe via Kamuzu International Airport. You will be warmly welcomed by the project team in the arrivals hall there. As a monitoring project volunteer, you will probably spend the first night (probably) at the Lilongwe Biodiversity Centre close to the city, another location of the organization. The next day you will continue your journey to Liwonde National Park, where your adventure in wildlife monitoring will begin.

Your adventure starts every Tuesday and you will receive a comprehensive introduction to Malawi's biodiversity, safety protocols and basic monitoring methods. With the support of experienced conservationists, you will be well prepared for the tasks ahead.

Accom­mo­da­tion in Liwonde

The research camp is designed for communal living and offers "bush basic" accommodation in shared rooms for up to five volunteers.

The camp has a large kitchen and an outdoor fire pit. The sanitary facilities include flush toilets and hot showers. There are fans almost everywhere and there is a mosquito net over your bed. The power supply is irregular and is often fed by an emergency power source. It is therefore advisable to limit the number of devices to be charged and ideally bring a power bank or solar charger.

Although there is no Wi-Fi, there is network coverage in the camp and the staff will help you access data on your mobile phone so that you can contact home. There is also a room in the accommodation for researching and entering data - everything is very closely connected.

Free time and catering

Volunteer work usually spans five and a half days per week. Participants occa-sionally take breaks between the morning and afternoon observation sessions, although the work can be unpredictable and can lead to full days in the field (less so during the rainy season). In the evenings there is the opportunity to sit by the fire, listen to the sounds of the bush, and talk about the day's events.

Meals are organised in the form of self-catering, with all participants sharing the cooking and cleaning work. This will therefore be part of your daily routine and there will be just vegetarian meals. Most dietary requirements can be catered for (please let us know of any special needs when booking). However, as the location in Liwonde is quite remote, the choice of food may be limited.

The region of Lilongwe, Malawi

Liwonde National Park stretches along the Shire River and is one of Malawi's most beautiful game reserves. Known for its wetlands, savannahs and dense forests, the park is home to diverse flora and fauna.

Volunteers here have the unique opportunity to work in an ecologically diverse area where every species plays an important role in the ecosystem. The picturesque vistas and abundance of wildlife offer an authentic insight into Malawi's natural heritage.

If you would like to find out more about the wildlife monitoring project, you can find more information here.