Change by Doing Explore the world of volunteering and service

When you’re in paradise, being willing to put in some effort to preserve the physical beauty, culture, and history around you can dramatically affect your ability to stick around a while longer. Six Senses Resorts in the outrageously stunning Maldives is offering FIVE Free Nights for guests who volunteer during their stay. Their “Eco Season Package” (between June 1-October 12) provides 5 nights free of a 10-night stay in exchange for at least 5 hours of time donated to local community projects.

Guests can choose from the following areas of work to help give back to the Maldives:

Marine Conservation – divers and snorkelers will be taught how to boost coral reef recovery and learn more about how to protect the dwindling shark community.

Waste Management – learn how to create home-made compost, charcoal, and biochar, to encourage locals into self-sufficiency and thereby reduce importation of food that can be grown at home.

Carbon Mitigation – plant trees on nearby islands to give Soneva neighbors much-needed shade and to mitigate levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Youth Education – give local island schools a 30-minute talk on the importance of waste management and composting and discuss Western culture and geography. Guests are invited to share their own relevant expertise in whichever field they specialize.

Boost Local Island Income – assist local families by learning the skill of making cadjan roofing material to sell and public rubbish bins for raising awareness of waste management. This not only helps create revenue streams for the islands that struggle to find alternative methods, but also helps to keep their islands in pristine condition.