VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITIES

Plantation Program

What Do We Do?

We plant indigenous seeds, plants and trees along roadsides, in villages, and other places to reestablish native flora communities, prevent invasive plants from taking hold, stop soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.

How Can You Help?

Join our volunteer planting team for any of these activities:

• Identifying suitable plant species for specific sites
• Creating planting and/or maintenance plans
• Planting seeds, saplings and trees

 How Does It Work?

• iREBEL will identify the planting site and secure appropriate permission for plantings
• Guest volunteers will implementing plantings with local volunteers and iREBEL members.   
• All tools/equipment will be provided

 What we can offer you?

• Home stay at village for the entire period of camp. [ only basic amenities in clean homely   conditions]
• Home cooked food [ Traditional Bengali dishes can be served on request ]
• Participation in some wildlife activities
• Visit to wildlife areas in the locality

 

Education Support

 What Do We Do?

The primary and secondary schools in our work area rely on government aid and tend to focus on rote and theoretical learning rather than experiential learning, creativity and self-actualization.  Many students need assistance and encouragement to shape a productive future in a rapidly changing world, so we provide teaching support, books and other educational materials.

How Can You Help?

• Teach students of primary and secondary standard in any subject of your choice/expertise
• Impart basic learning skill to students (This mean tutoring kids who are not keeping up with other students and teaching things like critical thinking to all students).
• Teach classes in classes drawing, painting, sculpture, and other creative/artistic subjects to encourage creativity and individuality (in school or outside school, or maybe both)
• Provide students with innovative and low-cost educational materials. (does this mean providing directly to a few students outside school or to students through schools)
• Provide training to teachers – teaching in a classroom setting or some outside school

How Does It Work?

iREBEL will make appropriate arrangements with schools and for necessary materials for art and other classes.

Gharial Conservation

What Do We Do?

i REBEL has recently identified a population of gharials (fish-eating crocodiles once widespread in South Asia but now critically endangered) in the River Ganges in Burdwan,Hooghly and Murshidabad districts.  We are initiating a three year project to raise awareness of these animals and their importance and build a self-sustaining local constituency to preserve them. 

What Can You Do?

• Join with iREBEL members on boat surveys on the Ganges in the project area to search for, document and photograph gharials and their habitat
• Take part in education/mass awareness programs in villages and along the river banks
• Along with i REBEL members, meet with members of the fishing community to enlist their vital participation in the project

 How Does It Work?

• i REBEL will make arrangements for volunteers to join its ongoing survey/mass awareness activities for the applicable time period
• Volunteers will be provided with a village home stay, with all meals (traditional Bengali food served upon request)
• If desired, we can arrange for additional wildlife viewing expeditions as part of the experience

Gangetic  Dolphin Conservation

What Do We Do?

Gangetic dolphins were once abundant in the Ganges but are now, due to human activities, endangered.  The remaining populations that we have identified in our work area are threatened due to fishing activity.  We work with the fishing community to raise awareness of the dolphins’ importance and address misperceptions that lead to human/dolphin conflict.  We also conduct boat surveys to observe, document and photograph the populations.

What Can You Do?

• Join with iREBEL members for dolphin awareness campaigning among locals
• Accompany us on boat surveys for dolphin documentation and behavior study

How Does It Work?

• iREBEL will make arrangements for volunteers to join its ongoing survey or mass awareness activities for the applicable time period.
• Volunteers will be provided with a village home stay, with all meals (traditional Bengali food served upon request).
• If desired, we can arrange for additional wildlife viewing expeditions as part of the experience.

Health Checkup Camps

 What Do We Do?

Rural villagers, especially those who are poor, lack access to medical care. i REBEL periodically sponsors  health checkup camps in villages in our work area and provides basic medicines at no cost.

What Do We Do?

As a Registered Medical Practitioner with specialization in any field, you can take part in the camps with i REBEL members

How Does It Work?

• iREBEL will organize medical camps in Belun and surrounding villages after arranging availability with volunteers
• Volunteers will be provided with a village homestay, with all meals (traditional Bengali food served upon request)
• If desired, we can arrange for wildlife viewing expeditions as part of the experience