Getting Ready to Go and Booking Conditions
Booking a place on an expedition
Contribution
The price of participating on an Earthwatch expedition is called a contribution. Contributions for a particular expedition may vary depending on the team start date. The contribution is subject to change without notice. Earthwatch cannot guarantee a contribution until a non-refundable deposit has been received. Discounts are available.
Deposit
Your booking is accepted upon receipt of a £175 or €210 non-refundable deposit, except when booking is made 90 days or less from the team start date, at which time full non-refundable payment is required to accept your booking.
Final Payment
If you have made a deposit, final payment is due 90 days prior to the team start date. Please refer to your booking confirmation letter for the specific date on which final payment is due. If you have not paid in full by this date, your booking will be cancelled and your non-refundable deposit will be retained by Earthwatch.
Payment Options
Participants living in the UK: We prefer to receive your deposit and final payment by debit card, e.g. Maestro, Delta. You can also pay by cheque payable to "Earthwatch Institute (Europe)."
Participants living outside the UK: We prefer to receive your deposit and final payment by debit card or bank transfer. See our bank details. Unfortunately, we cannot accept cheques in Euros.
We are charged a 2% fee for each credit card transaction. If the options above are not feasible, we will accept payment by credit card, but will add 2% to the payment amount. Please note that booking terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.
After you have booked
Briefing Pack and Forms
You will be sent a Briefing Pack which will contain a booking confirmation letter stating when your final payment is due (unless you have already paid in full). You will receive a copy of the Expedition Briefing document for your chosen expedition with your Briefing Pack unless you book more than four months before your team start date. In these instances, your Expedition Briefing will be sent to you separately, approximately four months before your team start date. You will also receive (and can download online) a set of forms to complete, including a Health Form*.
All required forms must be returned to Earthwatch for screening no later than 90 days before your expedition start date. This date will be specified in your booking confirmation letter. Earthwatch cannot accept any volunteer on an expedition without satisfactory completion of all forms by the due date. We reserve the right to cancel your booking if we do not receive your completed forms 90 days before your expedition start date.
* Please ensure that you are clear about the physical demands of the expedition BEFORE you make your booking, as some expeditions are more strenuous than others. Your Health Form must be completed and signed by a doctor or nurse (to whom you are not related). We strongly recommend that you make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you have a confirmed booking.
Arranging Travel
You need to book your own travel to and from the project rendezvous point (found in your Expedition Briefing document) directly with your chosen bus, train, airline, or travel company. We recommend that you make your travel reservations as early as possible. Try to make sure that the tickets are refundable or changeable, bearing in mind that there is always a slim possibility that expedition dates or rendezvous times might change.
Earthwatch partners with three travel agencies who understand the needs of Earthwatch volunteers and have access to expedition rendezvous information:
Fly for Good: www.flyforgood.com. Please contact Earthwatch staff for details of how to register. Details also available in your Expedition Briefing.
Key Travel: Tel: +44 (0)161 819 8912. Email: yellow@keytravel.co.uk Web: www.keytravel.co.uk
WEXAS: Tel: +44 (0)20 7838 5858. Email: Urvi.Kotecha@wexas.com Web: www.wexas.com
Visas and Passports
Volunteers are responsible for securing any necessary visas. Your expedition may be based in a country for which you need a visa. You may also need a visa to travel through a country en route to your expedition. If you are unsure about this, check with your travel company or the relevant embassy. If you have to apply for a visa for your expedition, allow plenty of time and always ask for a tourist visa (unless stated otherwise in the Expedition Briefing). In most cases, your passport is required to have a minimum of six months validity from the date of return from your home country. Please check this with the relevant embassy.
From 12th January 2009, the US Department of Homeland Security will make it mandatory for travellers to the USA from the UK and other European countries to submit biographic information online three days before flying to America. Nationals of these countries will need to receive an electronic travel authorisation prior to boarding a US-bound aircraft. This will mean completing an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) form online. It is recommended that applications are submitted at least 72 hours prior to travel.
Vaccinations
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have received all necessary vaccinations. Your Expedition Briefing document will provide advice on which vaccinations you might need, but please also check with your doctor or nurse. Please note that you may require certification of some vaccinations to enter the host country of the expedition. For more information from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, visit www.thehtd.org, or call the Travellers Healthline Advisory Service on +44 (0)20 7950 7799.
What to Take
Every Expedition Briefing document has a full list of items that you will need to take with you. Certain expeditions may require camping equipment, while others may specify clothing for certain types of climatic conditions or activities.
Earthwatch Policies
Expediiton Transfer Policy
You may transfer from one expedition to another 90 days or more before your expedition start date unless in order to earn a discount you elected to pay in full at the time of booking on a non-refundable, non-transferable basis. For each original booking with a deposit, you are allowed one free transfer. For each additional transfer, you will be charged £175 or €210. You may not transfer less than 90 days before your expedition start date.
Cancellation by Earthwatch and Refund Policy
On rare occasions, your expedition may be cancelled by Earthwatch. This sometimes occurs if the expedition does not meet the minimum number of volunteers required. If Earthwatch cancels your expedition for this or any other reason, we will refund 100% of what you have paid at the time of cancellation.
Please note that Earthwatch can take no responsibility for any cancellation or amendment penalties that your bus, train, airline, or travel company may charge you if you have to change your travel plans as a result of cancellation by Earthwatch. Your travel arrangements are subject to the terms and conditions of the bus, train, airline, or travel company through which you make your booking.
Travel and emergency medical evacuation (MedEvac) insurance for your Earthwatch expedition is automatically included in the cost you pay to Earthwatch, provided you are away from your home for less than 31 days. This policy is provided by Sutton Winson. This includes cancellation cover to protect you against cancellation or amendment penalties imposed by you bus, train, airline, or travel company. It also includes cover for baggage loss, delays, and cancellation (due to illness etc).
Details of the insurance policy included in the contribution you pay to Earthwatch will be included in your briefing pack. Any queries regarding this policy should be directed to Michelle Ralph at Sutton Winson, email: michelle.ralph@swib.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1444 251164. We will not offer you any reduction in your expedition contribution if you have insurance cover with another provider.
Please note that, due to new Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulations, which came into force on 1st January 2009, Earthwatch staff are no longer able to answer questions on the insurance policy provided by Sutton Winson since Earthwatch is not regulated by the FSA.
Cancellation by Volunteer and Refund Policy
If you wish to cancel your booking, cancellation must be made in writing (email is acceptable) to Earthwatch. Your cancellation will be confirmed in writing by Earthwatch and you should not consider your expedition place cancelled until you have received this confirmation.
If you cancel less than 90 days before your expedition start date, Earthwatch will retain 100% of your contribution. If you cancel 90 days or more before your expedition start date, your final payment will be refunded, but your non-refundable deposit will be retained by Earthwatch. If, however, in order to earn a discount, you elected to pay in full on a non-refundable basis, if you then cancel at any time before your expedition start date, you will not receive a refund.
Note: Any funds retained due to cancellation are considered a charitable donation to Earthwatch.
Right of Refusal Policy
Earthwatch reserves the right to refuse bookings on its expeditions. Refusal is an unusual event and is normally due to an applicant's failure to meet the relevant health and fitness requirements of a particular expedition or if Earthwatch is concerned about disruption of team compatibility. In the event that your booking is refused, we will refund 100% of what you have paid at the time of refusal.
Right of Dismissal Policy
Earthwatch will support the right of the expedition staff to dismiss a volunteer from an expedition once in the field should that volunteer's behaviour compromise the safety, research objectives, or general performance of the team. If you are dismissed from an expedition for any reason, you will not be entitled to a refund.