EarthWatch, Global

Maybe you dreamed about saving the whales in college, but the closest you get to marine wildlife nowadays is watching PBS. At least you can fulfill your scientific fantasies for a week or two by helping researchers monitor the migration patterns of grey whales off the Baja coast, record details of Chinese village life, or figure out how to improve the ecological sustainability of Costa Rican shade-grown coffee. The Earthwatch Institute lets volunteers join with scientists on an exciting, diverse range of projects taking place all over the world.

For more information: EarthWatch