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.