Throughout the world travelers often discover meaningful, rewarding non-profit organizations which can benefit from donations of money and/or volunteer time.

When I was in Australia on a recent trip, I found two such organizations worthy of consideration for philanthropic contributions.
Lizard Island - on the Great Barrier Reef
I was staying at the P & O Resort of Lizard Island where there are just 40 lodging units and 24 beaches. This island, only 12 miles from the outer Great Barrier Reef, is about an hour's flight north of Cairns. A national park since 1939, Lizard Island has grasslands and rugged promontories fringed with acres of coral, making for great snorkeling and diving.

Captain Cook, landing here in 1770, climbed 1,180-foot Cook's Lookout (as it's called now) to find a passage out of the maze-like reef which had damaged his ship, Endeavour. He named the island for the harmless lizards that are still found here.

Resort guest activity choices include full and half day reef tours; guided bush-tucker walks; day and night scuba dives; Southern sky star gazing; and relaxing spa treatments.

Among the choices I opted for was a trip to the nearby research station aboard the resort's glass bottom boat, viewing corals in the lagoon enroute.

Lizard Island Research Station
The Lizard Island Research Station, established in 1973 as a facility of the Australian Museum, started with a few tents near the beach. It has developed into a well-equipped facility that provides ready access to the reef for up to 28 visiting scientists. About 60 research projects are carried out each year by scientists and postgraduate research students from Australia and overseas.

The extraordinary diversity of coral reefs are equaled only by rainforests yet very little is known about this treasure house. For example, the spectacular annual event of the mass coral spawning on the Great Barrier Reef was discovered only in the early 1980s.

Much of the groundbreaking work in the ecology of larval reef fishes has been conducted at Lizard Island and has important applications for managing valuable reef fisheries. Among other significant fields of research is the development of drugs from reef animals. "Just around Lizard there are over 300 species of coral, about 1200 species of fish, 60 species of starfish, and the giant clams" said Lyle Vail, Director of the Lizard Island Research Station. "Except for the northern and central part of the Barrier Reef, there's not another place you can go on the earth nowadays and see so many giant clams."
Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation
The Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation is a major source of funding for capital works at the Station that receives no direct government funding. The Foundation recognizes three levels of support:
Patrons appointed by the Foundation's board;
Members contributing $1,000 or more;
Friends contributing up to $1,000. An annual newsletter is distributed to all supporters. Members, who may attend a dinner each year at the Australian Museum in Sydney, are also entered into a raffle for a chance to win one of two prizes:
A four night holiday for two at the Lizard Island Lodge, courtesy of P & O Australian Resorts;
or
A stateroom for two on a four-night cruise aboard the Reef Endeavor to Lizard Island and the Great Barrier Reef, courtesy of Captain Cook Cruises.

Silky Oaks Lodge - A Rainforest Retreat A few nights later I found myself in a comfortable chalet at Silky Oaks Lodge surrounded by one of the world's few remaining pristine rainforests - the World Heritage Daintree National Park. When I dined here, no walls or windows separated me from the rainforest or restricted my views of the Mossman River below. Guests are free to do as much or as little as they like. Some relax in a hammock overlooking their own piece of rainforest. Others join a dawn cruise, take an aboriginal guided walk, or swim in the billabong. From Silky Oaks, the reef, the rainforest and the outback can all be explored.

Mareeba Wetlands Reserve and Foundation
I chose an expedition that took me across the Great Divide to the outback of the Mareeba Wetlands, only an hour's drive from Cairns. Five thousand acres of lightly timbered savanna grassland forms the Mareeba Wetland reserve, created by the Mareeba Wetland Foundation, a community-based membership organization.

Using "leftover" water from the Mareeba Dimbulah irrigation area, 300 acres of lagoons have been created at this sanctuary on the East Asian/Australasian flyway with its rich variety of birdlife.

Travelling only on dirt tracks in the dry safari bushland of the reserve, visitors see eastern grey kangaroos, agile and whiptail wallabies, wallaroos, possums and gliders. Special pre-booking arrangements can be made for early or late in the day tours or spotlighting after dark. Tours are led by knowledgeable and well-trained Savannah Guides, part of a network of professional tour guides with an in-depth collective knowledge of the natural and cultural assets of northern Australia's tropical savannas.

People who want to help with the ongoing expense of maintaining the wetlands and the conservation and education programs may join through a membership or sponsorship. Members receive Jabiru, the newsletter of the organization and have access to a regular program of members' events.

Siachra Kearney, Mareeba Wetlands Reserve Warden, said that backpackers and other especially hardy souls in good physical condition, volunteer to work for a month at this sanctuary in the outback.

Resources:
P & O Resorts:
www.poresorts.com
GPO Box 478;
Sydney NSW 2001;
Australia
In the U.S. & Canada: 800-225-9849

Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation:
www.austmus.gov.au/science/projects/lizard
c/o Australian Museum;
6 College St.;
Sydney NSW 2010;
Australia

Mareeba Wetland Foundation:
www.mareebawetlands.com
PO Box 175,
Mareeba, Queensland 4880
Australia

Books on Australia:
Watching Wildlife Australia
Lonely Planet
www.lonelyplanet.com

RainForests Discovery Travel Adventures
Insight Guides Resource list of organizations involved in conservation, some with volunteer opportunities.

National Geographic Traveler Australia

Bio: Award winning Ann Hattes has had travel articles published in English, German, Japanese, Arabic and Chinese. Her book, Country Towns of Wisconsin (NTC/Contemporary Publishing) was published in July, 99.

When not roaming the globe, Ann can be found at home in Hartland, Wisconsin.

Visit Ann on the web at http://www.execpc.com/~hattes/words/words1.htm.