Program Overview
International Conservation Volunteer Exchange
The International Conservation Volunteer Exchange (ICVE) is a volunteer and internship program for international participants who wish to collaborate with American environmental service teams on natural resource projects on public lands throughout the American West. The ICVE is based on the philosophy that international understanding and goodwill can be achieved through cooperating on the shared goal of improving the environment. By attracting a corps of conservation minded volunteers, the ICVE contributes to the breakdown of cultural barriers while advancing ecological awareness on a global scale.
Since 2003 the ICVE has collaborated with dozens of international environmental exchange programs, attracting over 500 students and young professionals from 44 countries and six continents around the world to serve on conservation projects throughout Nevada.
ICVE offers well-supported service opportunities in some of the most spectacular landscapes in the United States. As such, volunteers discover the many rewards of volunteerism while being a part of a world class program. Some members enjoy the physical demands of performing the work, and take pleasure in the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing difficult environmental projects. For others, volunteering offers a chance to learn first hand the varied practices of natural resource management and gain skills in field techniques that enhance their chosen career. Most crew members find that, despite whatever challenges of the work, they welcome the field experience of camping with people who work with purpose to conserve some of the most beautiful regions of the American west.
ICVE members work side-by-side with the Nevada Conservation Corps (NCC), which harnesses the energy and idealism of youth to meet the needs of Nevada’s public lands and communities. A federally-funded AmeriCorps program, the NCC promotes ecological literacy through field research and direct conservation service. The NCC transcends racial, ethnic and economic barriers by drawing corps members from diverse backgrounds, providing students, volunteers, and young professionals with opportunities to conserve Nevada’s natural heritage, while gaining valuable experience in natural resource management.
Locations
The Lake Tahoe Basin, Great Basin, Mojave Desert and Sierra Nevada Mountains (which make up most of Nevada) are where the majority of our field work takes place. ICVE members will have the opportunity to work and camp in some of the most beautiful wilderness locales in the world. From mountain peaks over 13,000 feet (roughly 4,000 meters) above sea level to desert eco-systems 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, the regions in which the ICVE and NCC work are diverse environments that harbor some of the most sensitive and fragile species of flora and fauna found in North America. These plant and animal species are suffering due to increased human use and recreation. ICVE and NCC projects will protect these natural resources and help maintain the region’s natural beauty.
Types of Projects
• Trail Building and Maintenance
• Forest Fuels Reduction
• Exotic Species Eradication
• Arid Land, Fire and Riparian Restoration
• Urban Lot Restoration
• Road Decommissioning and Desert Restoration
Program Duration
Volunteer session dates for the ICVE are typically range between six and 13 weeks long, depending on the season. A typical work week consists of 4 days in the field, working ten hour days and three days off in which the participant is free to explore. Because of remoteness, some projects may require eight days in the field with six days off.
Internship sessions range from three to twelve months and are available throughout the year. Internships with the ICVE are designed for students studying within, or closely related to, the discipline of Environmental Science and are looking for field experience to further their professional development. Academic credit is available for interns through the University of Nevada. Interns who enroll with the ICVE for six to twelve months may also be eligible to receive a monthly living stipend.
Accommodations
While in the field, crew members will camp in either primitive wilderness areas or in developed campgrounds near their project site. Food and tents are provided by the ICVE while participants are in the field. Participants are responsible for backpacks, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, clothes, and other desired personal items.
On days off, ICVE members are provided with lodging – free of charge. Members will be based at lodging located in Reno, Las Vegas or Ely (all in Nevada) throughout their session, depending on the season and project. The provided lodging is similar to a dormitory as it contains multiple bunk beds, shared living areas, kitchen and bathrooms. The lodging environment creates a great atmosphere in which participants are immersed with cultures from all over the world: at any given time, members may be housed with people from up to a dozen other nations. Members will have the opportunity to foster life-long friendships with folks from around the world during their tenure with the ICVE.
Program Costs
There are no program fees administered by the Great Basin Institute to participate in the ICVE. However, the ICVE does require a $150 security deposit from each participant that is refundable upon completion of the members’ service agreement with the ICVE, the inspection of living areas, and any gear issued.
Participants are responsible for all direct and indirect expenses associated with transportation fees to and from Nevada, medical insurance, visa fees, personal spending money, and personal camping gear.
“The most frugal investment our nation can make in the development of youth is to support international exchange programs.”
- Madeleine Albright
“Wilderness needs no defense, it just needs more defenders.”
- Edward Abbey
