14 Volunteer Vacations Where You Can Help Animals & Explore Amazing Places

11. Arctic Fox Monitoring – Hornstrandir, Iceland

Accessible only by boat, Hornstrandir is Iceland’s wildest peninsula—home to Arctic foxes and little else. Volunteers here live off-grid, tracking fox dens, collecting scat samples, and monitoring behaviors. The work involves hiking vast tundras and glacier valleys in all kinds of weather. In return, you get Northern Lights, midnight sun, and silence that resets the soul. There are no shops, no roads, and no distractions—just you, the foxes, and the rhythms of untouched wilderness. It’s demanding, but for the right person, it’s unforgettable.