Environmental Work Down Under

Hi everyone. My name is Kaveri Sharma and I'm a 4th year medical student at Northeastern Ohio Medical University in Akron, OH. I have signed up with a group called International Student Volunteers ( link below) to volunteer for environmental work in Australia. I have chosen a project that allows me to restores natural habitats in Australia for the local fauna. I will be cleaning up parks, re-planting trees and other shurbs, and helping out at animal sanctuaries. I will be traveling in late May to early June 2013 for 2 weeks. 

Any amount raised will used to the cost of the program and a flight to Australia only. All other expenses will be covered by me.

I have been working non-stop in medical school for the past 4 years and am set to graduate this coming May. This trip to Australia initially was supposed to be just for fun, but I realized that I want to still give back. I have done a medical mission trip in the past to the Navajo region in Gallup, New Mexico to help do developmental screenings and physical exams for toddler age Navajo children. I went with a group  known as Young Orthodox Christian American Missions Adventures (YOCAMA)  in July 2011. I fell in love with doing medical mission work and plan to do it in the future when I graduate.

I've always had an interest in international work. I plan on working with Doctors Without Borders and other programs to deliver healthcare to disabled children in places that really need it.

At this time, I wanted to do something different and do some volunteering for an environmental cause. Caring for our environment has always been near and dear to my heart. I routinely recycle my items, try to compost my leftover if I don't finish them, and even pick up worms that have been washed out in the rain and put them in dry soil ( I really do do that!). 

This is my last time to be able to travel freely before I start residency and would like to give back to the global community. I appreciate even a single penny towards my cause. I can promise that I will be giving back to those in need with my clinical skills in healthcare for the rest of my career. Being able to do something for our environment would also mean a lot to me. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. May everyone be blessed with happiness and joy.

P.S. Here is the link for International Student Volunteers:  http://www.isvolunteers.org/