What to Expect on an Earthwatch Expeditions Adventure

Arrival & Orientation

You arrive at an active field site and join a research team led by a principal investigator, often working alongside local scientists and field experts. You’ll be introduced to the study, the questions driving it and how your role fits into the work ahead.

From the start, you’re part of a working research effort with a clear purpose.

Training & Skill-Building

Before entering the field, you’ll learn the methods used to collect reliable data. The team will train you in observation techniques, field protocols and how to use the tools required for the study.

Do the Research

You’ll spend time in the field carrying out the tasks that support the study—observing wildlife, recording behaviors, measuring conditions, collecting data, etc.

Research Sets the Daily Schedule

Each day is planned around the needs of the research. Field sessions align with wildlife activity, environmental conditions and study design.

Plans may shift, timing may change and locations may vary because the priority is collecting meaningful, consistent data.

Work With Real Data

After fieldwork, you’ll log observations, organize data and see how information is prepared for analysis, gaining a clear view of how field observations become part of a larger scientific record.

Understand the Science

Throughout the expedition, scientists explain what you’re working on and why it matters. You’ll learn how the data fits into broader research questions and how findings contribute to conservation efforts.

Experience the Environment

You’ll spend time in ecosystems selected for their scientific importance—encountering wildlife, moving through varied landscapes and sharing the experience with a small team.

There is time to take in the setting, encounter wildlife and learn more about the place where you've come to conduct research.

Be Part of Ongoing Research

When you leave, the research continues.

The data you helped collect becomes part of an ongoing study, contributing to long-term datasets and scientific outcomes.

Our Trips

Earthwatch Expeditions
Explore Expeditions
Amazon Riverboat Churchill Polar Bears Costa Rica Sea Turtles Kenya Habitats Belize Sharks Mongolia's Wildlife Iceland Orcas Acadia National Park Costa Rica's Pollinators Arizona's Forest Owls African Wildlife Baja's Marine Life View Nat Hab's Nature Journeys

Questions? Call 800-543-8917

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Hours
Mountain Time

  • 8 am to 5 pm, Monday - Friday

  • 8 am to 3 pm on Saturday

  • Closed on Sunday

Call 800-543-8917
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