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.
Travel with a purpose
As awareness grows around the environmental impact of long-haul travel, more people are rethinking how and why they travel.
For a growing number, a mere holiday is no longer enough. If they are going to fly, they want their time to count for something. Conservation expeditions are one way to do that.
Meaningful travel for wildlife conservation
These expeditions are delivering meaningful conservation outcomes on the ground.
For example, in Costa Rica, volunteer-supported turtle conservation has helped reduce nest losses from nearly 100% to around 60%, with participants playing a critical role in night patrols, egg relocation and hatchling protection.
In Sweden, citizen scientists help map brown bear dens and behaviour, contributing to long-term monitoring essential for species management.
Across marine projects, volunteer-collected data is used to track coral reef health and inform conservation decisions over decades. One of these projects, in the Maldives, invites certified scuba divers to join a one-week expedition to study the coral reefs and marine biodiversity.
You don’t need to be a biologist or have any specific background. If you’re curious, observant and willing to learn, the team will train you on everything you need to know.
The human factor
Rather than focusing solely on scientific outputs, the magazine highlights what founder Dr. Matthias Hammer calls the “human factor”.
“At a time when many people feel disconnected from the real world, these experiences offer something tangible,”, he says. “They bring people into direct contact with nature, science and conservation. They also make a real difference.”
Stories of transformation
The 2025 Annual Magazine features stories of transformation from across the globe, from career shifts into conservation to increased confidence, connection and purpose. Local communities also benefit through employment, training and conservation outcomes.
Since 1999, Biosphere Expeditions has worked with scientists, communities and volunteers to deliver citizen science projects across multiple continents. Volunteers contribute to species protection, long-term datasets and, in some cases, the establishment of protected areas.
The Biosphere Expeditions 2025 Magazine is available now.
Or join one of our future expeditions! As a volunteer, no scientific background is required. You can find an overview of all current expeditions here.
Also read: Volunteering abroad for wildlife conservation – what it’s really like
Author: Sophie Carty
Sophie Carty is a Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor at the Department of Conservation in Otago, New Zealand, where she leads and supports biodiversity engagement across New Zealand, and enjoys delivering projects that engage people and organisations and create real outcomes for conservation and wellbeing.