Biosphere Expeditions: blogs from the frontline of wildlife conservation & the fight for a more sustainable planet

01/06/202601/06/2026

Sweden expedition 2026: Tree trunks and quaking bogs

Update from our brown bear conservation expedition in Dalarna, Sweden

A hand pointing into a cavity made by rocks and used as a den by bears — A rock den

Our efficiency drive continues and we have only six bear dens left to do in our study site. There are fewer dens this year, because there was a big cull last year, so fewer bears built dens in the 2025/2026 season.

But our scientist Andrea has plenty of work for us, so we are also retrieving camera traps and temperature loggers from the field for her. The camera traps take pictures of animals and the temperature loggers are left in the dens over the winter to record temperatures inside. Once retrieved, Andrea can download months worth of data from them.

A hand holding a white bullet-shaped and sized temperature logger — A temperature logger, freshly retrieved from a bear den

29/05/202629/05/2026

Sweden expedition 2026: Efficieny

Update from our brown bear conservation expedition in Dalarna, Sweden

A goup of people in the forest — Expedition team 2026

“You are too efficient” was the high praise we received yesterday from our expedition scientist Andrea and “I need to find more jobs for you”.

And indeed we have hit the groove. Wednesday and Thursday we went out by ourselves, all trained up and ready to find and document bear dens. I can’t think of a much better way to spend your time volunteering in Sweden.

26/05/202626/05/2026

Sweden expedition 2026: Dens and flats

Update from our brown bear conservation expedition in Dalarna, Sweden

A flat car tyre — One of two after day one

What does one do on a bear conservation expedition? After day 1, the overwhelming answer seems to be: to get flat tyres 😉 But first things first…

On Monday our intrepid team of citizen scientists assembled in Mora, a small regional town in Dalarna county and end point of the famous 90 km Vasaloppet ski race.

A group of people standing next to a rock in a forest — The 2026 expedition team

22/05/202623/05/2026

Sweden expedition 2026: Impacts

Update from our brown bear conservation expedition in Dalarna, Sweden

Satellite map of the Siljan impact crater — The Siljan Ring / impact crater

Impacts on geography

Greetings from Sweden and the massive Siljan impact crater (assembly point yellow, base red arrow). Luckily, the meteorite impact was over 300 million years ago.

Today you can still see the ring it created and in it upturned sheer walls full of fossils of the early ocean that was there before the impact.

A beautiful lake framed by sheer rock walls and pine trees — Sheer walls created by the impact…

20/05/202622/05/2026

The Environmental Cost of Overconsumption

Giraffe an zebras in the African steppe — Tranquil, intact nature – but for how much longer?

Global consumption levels are placing increasing pressure on the planet’s natural systems. In many parts of the world, constant purchasing, from new technology to fast fashion, has become normalised, yet the environmental cost of this consumption is becoming impossible to ignore.

While individual levels of overconsumption may seem inconsequential, collectively, our consumerism plays a significant role in accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

17/05/202619/05/2026

Sweden expedition 2026: Preamble

Update from our brown bear conservation expedition in Dalarna, Sweden

A brown bear amongst some rocks — Brown bear in Dalarna county

Hello Sweden expeditioners – this is a short first diary entry from your expedition leader Matthias, just to say that I will be a few days ahead of you to set up base together with our scientist Dr. Andrea Friebe and assistant expedition leader Jan (Biekehör).

A woman smiling into the camera — Dr. Andrea Friebe

A nab smiling into the camera — Dr. Andrea Friebe

12/05/202620/05/2026

How a Maldives Conservation Expedition Gave Savannah Schilling a Sense of Purpose

Woman sitting in front of snow-covered mountains — Savannah Schilling

For Savannah Schilling, one of the most unexpected and lasting impacts of her Biosphere Expeditions experience was the people.

In the middle of the Indian Ocean, with limited WiFi and a shared purpose, she found herself part of something rare — a group brought together not just by travel, but by a genuine commitment to understanding and protecting the natural world.

It was an experience that felt both grounding and energising.

She quickly realised she was surrounded by others dedicated to conservation and making the world a better place for all living things.

‘It made me realise how many people care about conservation and want to help in a meaningful way. It was truly inspiring.’ That sense of connection would go on to shape her entire experience. But when Savannah first arrived in the Maldives, she wasn’t sure what she would find.

28/04/202624/04/2026

Conservation Travel: Ethical Volunteering’s New Frontier

Media release – 28 April 2026

Four people bent over a headlamp light at night, one of them has a small bat in his hands — Citizen scientists doing bat work at night in Malawi

As the 2026 travel season is in full swing, a fundamental shift is redefining the “adventure” in adventure travel. Moving beyond the passive observation of traditional safaris, a new generation of travellers is choosing conservation travel: a model where travellers swap binoculars for data sheets and camera traps.

In an era where biodiversity loss is increasingly linked to multi-faceted global threats, ethical wildlife volunteering has emerged as the most meaningful way to explore the planet. Leading this evolution since 1999 is Biosphere Expeditions, a non-profit organisation whose “citizen science” model has become the industry gold standard for transparency, scientific rigour, and ethical integrity.

26/04/202626/04/2026

Azores expedition 2026: Wrap-up

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

Mural in Horta harbour to commemorate the expedition – a tradition in that harbour

Biosphere Expeditions has completed its 20th year monitoring cetaceans in the Azores, an area supporting over 25 species. Unlike short-term whale watching, scientific research requires decades to reveal meaningful patterns in how whales and dolphins use the ocean. This long-term data bank grows in value as it helps address future conservation challenges.

Recent findings from 170 encounters include matching images of sperm, humpback, and blue whales to records spanning 15 years across Northern Europe. While some species like Risso’s dolphins appeared in lower numbers this year, citizen scientists also documented rarer sightings of sei and Cuvier’s beaked whales.

By conducting fieldwork in March – outside the typical tourism season – the team captures data that would otherwise be missed. Made possible through citizen science for two decades now, this research is vital for the long-term protection of cetaceans, ensuring informed management of their habitats across the Atlantic Ocean.

20/04/202621/04/2026

Azores expedition 2026: The End

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

Suddenly the end of the Azores expedition is upon us. That fact that five weeks seems to have flown by, is a good thing, time flies when you are having fun and we have had a great expedition.

With the international team now spreading their wings to various corners of the globe and some adjusting to last minute re-routes, it is time to return home. However, let me first (briefly) recap the last couple of days, before I wrap the expedition as a whole, as we still had some highs and lows to experience.

Biosphere Expeditions: blogs from the frontline of wildlife conservation & the fight for a more sustainable planet

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Sweden expedition 2026: Tree trunks and quaking bogs

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Sweden expedition 2026: Efficieny

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Sweden expedition 2026: Dens and flats

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Sweden expedition 2026: Impacts

Impacts on geography

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The Environmental Cost of Overconsumption

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Sweden expedition 2026: Preamble

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How a Maldives Conservation Expedition Gave Savannah Schilling a Sense of Purpose

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Conservation Travel: Ethical Volunteering’s New Frontier

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Azores expedition 2026: Wrap-up

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Azores expedition 2026: The End

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Impacts on geography

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