Full day volunteer programmes

1 day Nature trail development (VWB 105)

Description: Spend the day working with villagers on the Pang Soong Nature Trails
Duration: I Day - approximately 4 – 6 hours of trail work
Meal: Lunch (picnic box)
Cost: Baht 1,370.- per person (Plus transport to and from site) *

Sample Itinerary
0800 hrs. You are collected from your hotel in the city by an English speaking guide / interpreter, and transported by minibus to the Pang Soong Resort & Outdoor Education Centre – 45 minutes from the city, at 1000 m.a.s.l in the mountains that separate the Chiang Mai and Lampang valleys.

0900 hrs. You meet your co-workers, and are provided with gloves, tools and drinking water. There will be a minimum of 2 villagers, but otherwise one co-worker per VWB voluntourist.

You and your co-workers set off along the nature trail to the task area, accompanied by your guide / interpreter and led by a community forest guide, to commence the work allocated to the group for that day.

1200 hrs. Break for lunch with the workforce.

1300 hrs. Return to work. After completing your allocated tasks the trail and before trekking back down to Pang Soong Lodge, you have the option to explore the area with local guides.

Note* Your village co-workers, paid for the day, will continue the work until 1700 hrs.

1600 hrs. Or thereabouts, wash up, return your work tools, depart Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre and travel down into the Chiang Mai valley, to the city beyond.

1700 hrs. You are returned to your hotel.

* Cost includes: Lunch (including bottled water, coffee and tea), standard Thai tourism insurance cover, contribution to the community fund, village co-worker & VWB staff day rate.
* Cost does not include: Transport to and from the lodge (Shared between passengers).

Additional Transport cost

General Cost breakdown:

1. Transport – Transportation in or out from Chiang Mai costs Baht 2,000 per 8 seat minibus (return trip for day tours) – you will need to pay between Baht 2,000 - 250 in cash at the start of your programme depending on how many people are in the programme.

2. Food – Lunch costs Baht 150.-

3. The VWB Onsite Team – One full time Foreign-National Project Manager plus a Thai speaking assistant, are on a 1 year contract and tasked with looking after the needs of volunteers, planning the work to be undertaken, recording job progress, communicating with the village committee, training the community forest guides and ensuring project work continuity. Volunteers contribute Baht 500.- each/per day to cover the cost of the ‘onsite’ VWB staff only.

4. Additional fees – There are a variety of fees that directly go to the community

(a) Village co-worker is Baht 200.- per day/per volunteer.
(b) The VWB development fund contribution is Baht 500.- per volunteer/per day, which goes directly a fund used for schools materials, trail development, agroforestry equipment etc.