Find Out More About The Friends | Biosphere Expeditions

The Friends of Biosphere Expeditions are people who feel passionate about providing continuous support to our critical wildlife conservation and research projects across the globe. By joining the Friends you can play a vital part in making a real difference to the survival of our planet’s endangered species and take part in international volunteer opportunities.

If you can't take part in a full-blown expedition yet, or if you have already been with us and would like to stay involved, or if you would simply like to be part of what we are doing, then become a Friend of Biosphere Expeditions today!

Help us to support critical wildlife conservation and research projects across the globe from a monthly membership fee starting at €10 | £10 | US$12 | AU$15. Depending on your country of residence, your membership fee may be tax-deductible (for example membership fees to our US 501(c)(3) charity, or our German e.V. charity, where we can issue tax-deductible receipts or German "Spendenbescheinigungen".

To join the Friends, just fill in the form below

Friends testimonials

My name is Steve Tredwell and I am a diving enthusiast. After having joined Biosphere Expeditions' dive projects in Honduras and Oman, I became a life member of the Friends and my £500 life membership fee was used to create an educational colouring book for children in Honduras, on marine resources and how to protect them. For me it was great to see that 100% of my membership fee went straight into a conservation project and I really liked being kept updated by Biosphere Expeditions.

I am Katie Bunting from London and have incredible memories of being on expeditions, where I have learned so much about the environment, wildlife and societies in remote locations. Being involved has opened my eyes to the importance of the work carried out in the field, and by being a Friend and a volunteer with wildlife I'm hoping to make a long-lasting contribution to the conservation of our planet’s wildlife.

My name is Sven Strohschein and I am from Hamburg in Germany. It was and is a great experience to be part of Biosphere Expeditions, even if it is 'only' as a Friend or a citizen scientist on their conservation travel projects. My memories include being woken up by elephants browsing trees just a metre away from where I was sleeping, witnessing a lion hunt in the middle of the night and talking to local people, discussing their problems face-to-face, all in a way you normally just see on television! Each time I join a Biosphere Expeditions team in the field it is definitely an all-time experience for me and I am very happy and proud to also support their work through my membership of the Friends and by helping with media enquiries in Germany.

Achievements and examples of what the Friends funds are spent on

Working for nature and conservation costs money. Please help us protect the planet for future generations. Here are a few examples of what we have achieved through donations via the Friends.

We have co-financed a field research station in Namibia, which is used by research bodies year-round. It functions as an important centre for conservation, providing training and a hub for researchers, as well as employment for the local community.

“I work at the Hanyini Research Station in the East Caprivi. My job is to run the station so that research assistants from Biosphere Expeditions can concentrate on research work that helps to protect the livestock in our communities and to manage predators. This is my first job and I am very grateful as there is little work in our area. I am also very grateful for the work that the people who volunteer with wildlife are doing. Since their arrival I haven’t lost any cattle to lions and hyaenas. My cattle are very important to me and for my family. Thank you for your support.”
Simon Naha, Caprivi delta, Namibia.

We have also helped to finance a field research station in Peru. This too is used by research bodies year-round as centre for conservation & research, providing training for researchers, international volunteer opportunities, as well as employment for the local community.

"My name is Aldo Ramirez Mejia. I am 21 years old and from the local community at Lake Sandoval. While I finish my studies in Puerto Maldonado, I work with the Tambopata Macaw Project studying macaws and claylicks, which is supported by Biosphere Expeditions. Traditionally, my family has fished, farmed and hunted, but thanks to Biosphere Expeditions and its ecotourism and conservation travel opportunities, I have been able to dedicate my time to my interest with the local wildlife with which I grew up, rather than hunting it. Thank you very much."
Aldo Ramirez Mejia, Lake Sandoval community, Peru.

On the Azores whales and dolphins project, we have provided our scientists with funding to attend an international scientific conference to present their findings, as well as with funding to purchase much-needed IT equipment.

“The Marine Mammal Society conference is the largest conference of its kind, with more than 1500 marine mammal scientists and policymakers from around the world in attendance. Biosphere Expeditions' support has enabled me to attend this conference to present our important findings. I would like to thank all Friends of Biosphere Expeditions who, through their donations, have made this possible for me.”
Lisa Steiner, Azores, Portugal.

"The Friends of Biosphere Expeditions have helped us tremendously in 2010 by funding the entire cost of two computers. These new machines will be used for research data entry and analysis of photo-identification pictures of our study species. They will also improve the facilities for team members on future expeditions in 2011, our 8th consecutive year of study and partnership with Biosphere Expeditions."
Lisa Steiner, Azores, Portugal.

"My uncle used to work as a look-out for the whaling industry, spotting whales for the whalers and he taught me how to spot them. With whaling now banned around the Azores, I can do this job of spotting whales for Biosphere Expeditions and its research teams. It's a great way to use my skills, keeping them alive for future generations and helping the whales."
Miguel Simões, Horta, Faial Island, Azores.

On our Honduras coral reef expedition we have purchased buoys and markers to delineate the protected area to make clear where the no-fishing zones start.

"With the Friends of Biosphere Expeditions' donation we will be able to keep the buoys system up and running that demarcates our Marine Protected Area. Thank you so much for this!"
Adrián E. Oviedo, Executive Director, Honduras Coral Reef Foundation.

"I was born and raised in Cayo Cochino Menor. The island I once played on as a boy, I now work to protect as a boat captain for the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation. I know these waters like the back of my hand and enjoy sharing our marine treasures with the team members from Biosphere Expeditions. I am a certified rescue diver, in large part inspired by watching the teams work here. I am proud of my country and these islands and feel very lucky that researchers from Biosphere Expeditions are helping to conduct research that help in the conservation of the area. Thank you!"
Alex Solis, Cayos Cochinos Islands, Honduras.

In Oman we have purchased camera traps to help local researchers in their Arabian leopard conservation work. We have also funded an Omani ranger to join our Caprivi expedition as part of his training and opportunity to work with international volunteers with wildlife.

"My work on Arabian leopard conservation began with the Oman Office for Conservation of the Environment in 2002 and since 2006 I have been assisting Biosphere Expeditions in survey work on the Arabian leopard and prey species in Oman. Trhough my work with Biosphere Expeditions, I have had the chance to meet people from different cultures from all over the world and I also gained invaluable information & experience on how to conduct conservation research by working with experienced scientists from Biosphere Expeditions. Through the Office for Conservation I am now studying for a conservation degree in the UK, something I always dreamed of. When I finish my studies I look forward to continuing my work with the conservation of the Arabian leopard".
Hadi al Hikmani, Dhofar, Oman.

On many of our expeditions & conservation travel projects, we have produced and distributed information and educational materials to local children and adults, about the importance of wildlife, natural resources and how to protect them and their livelihoods. The picture shows an Omani boy looking at a an Arabian leopard information booklet with a pull-out poster of an Arabian leopard in the middle.

Membership benefits

As a Friend of Biosphere Expeditions, your benefits will include:

Biosphere Expeditions magazine

Biosphere Expeditions magazine: The annual Biosphere Expeditions magazine contains results and stories from the expedition frontline, research and conservation achievements, expedition and media reports, an outlook for the year ahead, news about new expeditions in the pipeline and much more. This will be sent to you as a hardcopy once a year and you will also have access to a softcopy, of course.

News and updates on how your membership fee is making a difference to our conservation work in the field

Whenever we make a significant expenditure on one of our conservation projects from the Friends' fund, for example by training up a local person, spending on essential research equipment or supporting an educational campaign, we will let you know in a clear and transparent way. Example of a financial report 65 Kb

Expedition and event discounts: "activate" your membership

Activate your membership and enjoy a reduced rate on all expeditions and projects. As a Friend you will also receive notification of and discounts for Biosphere Expeditions events.

First notification and preference for last minute expedition places

We sometimes have significantly reduced last-minute places for expeditions, which are in need of one or a few more team members. As a Friend you will be the first one to be notified of such international volunteer opportunities and have preference over others in securing them before they go out to the general public.

Biosphere Expeditions reports

Whenever an expedition report is published, we will send you a notification. You can then access the report online or request a hardcopy in the post, so you can see how your membership fee is making a difference in the field.

Biosphere Expeditions eNews & field diaries

Every few months you will also receive our eNews with the latest information about what's been happening at Biosphere Expeditions as well as special offers and expedition updates. You will also receive regular updates from our conservation work in the field via our expedition diaries.

Where does my membership fee go?

We guarantee that 100% will go into supporting conservation.

We can do this because we are a small and flexible conservation travel organisation with no steel and glass headquarters to maintain or bureaucratic dinosaurs to feed. Whenever we make a significant expenditure on one of our conservation projects from the Friends' funds, we will let you know in a clear and transparent way. For example, we may spend some of the fund to enable scientists from different projects to present the findings of their Biosphere-supported projects at international conservation conferences, or we may spend some of the fund on printing education materials for local people, or on training local conservationists under the guidance of our project scientists, or creating placements on our expeditions for local students and people. Have a look {sliderlink achievements}above{/sliderlink} for recent examples of what the Friends’ funds were spent on. You can also look at an pdf example of a financial report 65 Kb