Voluntourism: What is volunteer tourism and how does it work in Yosemite?

Tom Breathnach recounts a week of volunteering in America’s favourite National Park

Call it the ultimate call of the wild. As post-pandemic tourism numbers return and travel hotspots heat-up across the world, I’d long wanted to join one of the growing number of international voluntourism programmes to tackle the woes over-tourism. So last month, I signed up for the ultimate altruistic adventure by channelling my inner park ranger (or perhaps lumberjack) and headed to California’s wilderness wonderland, Yosemite National Park, to volunteer.

Day 1