Posts

Posted on

In an AI world, more people are turning to wildlife conservation

4 people looking at a herd of elephants at sunset
Elephants outside the Malawi expedition base

The latest Biosphere Expeditions Annual Magazine reveals how hands-on conservation is changing lives and delivering real results for nature.

Real experience in nature vs. the digital AI world

As digital technology reshapes how we live and work, a growing number of people are seeking something radically different: real-world experiences that reconnect them with nature, purpose, and each other.

The new 2025 Annual Magazine from Biosphere Expeditions captures this shift, telling the stories of everyday people who have stepped away from screens and routines to take part in hands-on wildlife conservation. From tracking wolves in Germany, to protecting coral reefs in the Maldives and surveying snow leopards in remote mountain ranges.

A large group of people waving into the camera, holding up a Biosphere Expeditions flag
Cover of the 2025 Annual Magazine
Continue reading “In an AI world, more people are turning to wildlife conservation”
Posted on

How going on wildlife expeditions as a child shaped me as an adult

Child standing in the savannah, smiling
In Namibia 2005

I grew up surrounded by nature, conservation and expeditions. My father founded Biosphere Expeditions three years before I was born, so from a very young age, I travelled to places that most people only ever see in documentaries. Those experiences shaped how I see the world, how I travel and how I think about conservation.

My first expedition was in 2002, when I was just six months old, to Ukraine – which of course I don’t remember. But the expeditions I do remember had a huge impact on me.

In 2008 and 2010, when I was six and eight years old, I spent my summers in Namibia. I remember the vast landscapes, the people and, of course, the animals.

Continue reading “How going on wildlife expeditions as a child shaped me as an adult”
Posted on

Azores expedition 2026: Seeing sei

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

Fluke of a humpback whale thrashing ocean water
Humpback tail lob

Having now spent a few days at sea, the whole team is very familiar with the daily routine. Whether team members are on lookout, data collection or the camera, everyone knows their role on the boat. This seems to include starting most days with a humpback ‘hunt’.

Three people looking out over the ocean from a boat
On the lookout for cetaceans
Continue reading “Azores expedition 2026: Seeing sei”
Posted on

Azores expedition 2026: Changing fortunes

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

A person sitting on a boat with headphones on, listening for whales
Listening for whales

Our survey days often start quietly, with limited information from our vigias (lookouts). But on Tuesday things changed. Our luck, like the weather, improved.

Four people on the bow of a boat looking for cetaceans
On the lookout for cetaceans
Continue reading “Azores expedition 2026: Changing fortunes”
Posted on

The moment conservation becomes personal: Stories highlighting the human heart of wildlife protection

Media release – 2 April 2026

Two people measuring and calming a sea turtle on a beach at sunrise
Two citizen scientists measuring and calming a sea turtle on a beach at sunrise

Around the world, ordinary people are stepping onto the frontlines of wildlife conservation. Not as tourists, but as citizen scientists, they help track species, collect critical data and support conservation of wild animals and places that would otherwise not be possible.

The new 2025 Annual Magazine from award-winning NGO Biosphere Expeditions brings these stories together, revealing the people behind global wildlife research and the real impact they are having in the field.

The Magazine celebrates the ‘Human Factor’. The volunteers, local communities and scientists whose lives have been touched by working on the frontlines of wildlife conservation.

Cover of the 2025 Annual Magazine "The Human Factor"
Cover of the 2025 Annual Magazine “The Human Factor”
Continue reading “The moment conservation becomes personal: Stories highlighting the human heart of wildlife protection”
Posted on

Azores expedition 2026: Baleen baptism

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

A group of people sitting around a table
Group 2

Welcome to group 2 – our most diverse (in terms of nationalities) this year. This includes our Singaporean quartet and our local student placement from Portugal.

Three people sitting in a boat on the ocean, looking at the water
On the lookout for cetaceans
Continue reading “Azores expedition 2026: Baleen baptism”
Posted on

Azores expedition 2026: Fluking festival

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

A group of people standing on a boat smiling into the camera
Group 1

Successful sightings have continued for our last two days at sea.

Tuesday continued the theme of blue, fin and minke whales. We have now had more minke encounters in the past four days than I have had in eight previous whale and dolphin research expeditions to the Azores. Calmer seas definitely help with sightings! The now obligatory common dolphin encounter rounded off another great day at sea.

For people standing on the bow of a boat looking for whales
On the lookout for cetaceans
Continue reading “Azores expedition 2026: Fluking festival”
Posted on

Azores expedition 2026: Seaward

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

For people standing on the deck of a small boat, holding onto the railing, looking for whales
Out on survey

Our whale and dolphin research expedition has put to sea. It was choppy, but the team were delighted to be on survey.

We were soon rewarded with sightings of common dolphins south of Faial. We did try to go south of Pico, following up on reports of baleen whales, but the sea state and wind had other ideas!

A volcano jutting out of the ocean
Mount Pico
Continue reading “Azores expedition 2026: Seaward”
Posted on

Azores expedition 2026: Wet & windy start

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

Rainbow over Horta, Azores
Rainbow over Horta, Azores

It was great to welcome our first whale & dolphin research team (and most of their luggage) to get the 2026 expedition underway.

Team 1 seems to have endless enthusiasm for the days ahead. We have been able to complete the normal project briefings, presentations and equipment training over the first couple of days… and the missing bag also arrived. Success all round.

Continue reading “Azores expedition 2026: Wet & windy start”
Posted on

‘Seeing the environmental and human impacts on coral reefs made me want to work to ensure the longevity of their biodiversity’


At just 27 years old, Tess Kneebone has already travelled extensively – from Costa Rica and Mexico to France, Morocco and across the United States. So, when a competition to join a marine conservation expedition in the Maldives with Biosphere Expeditions appeared on her Instagram feed, it was no surprise that she jumped at the opportunity.

What Tess could not have anticipated was just how deeply the experience would affect her: it reshaped her ambitions, strengthened her sense of purpose and introduced her to conservation in its most tangible form.

‘I’ve never felt more like myself than working on coral reef surveys with other ocean lovers,’ she reflects, her enthusiasm tangible.

Tess Kneebone standing on the deck of a boat, smiling into the camera
Tess Kneebone
Continue reading “‘Seeing the environmental and human impacts on coral reefs made me want to work to ensure the longevity of their biodiversity’”