Get involved
Ways to get involved
Give a morning or a season. Pick what fits your time.
- Shortest
- One morningA coastal cleanup.
- Nesting season
- December to MarchNight walks on the Coromandel coast.
- Training
- One sessionPlus one supervised outing.
- Languages
- Tamil and EnglishBriefings run in both.
Start here
Volunteer with us
The widest door
Six roles, one season
Train once, shadow a shift, then join the roster by name for the nights you choose.
- Walker
- Site captain
- Recorder
- Translator
- Media
- Driver
Then: training, once, and later site captain.
Or
Other ways in
One night
Join a walk
A guided night walk on a nesting beach, December to March. Book a seat and follow the night code.Book a walkAll year, anywhere on the coast
Book an awareness session
We come to your school, college, office or fishing village, in Tamil or English.Book a sessionOrganisations
Collaborate with us
Companies, colleges, schools and groups. Everything we do is voluntary.Collaborate
Or try one first
Join an event before you commit
Book a place, see how it runs, then decide.
Hatchling Farewell
Watch the hatchlings reach the sea at 5 pm.
International Coastal Cleanup
Monthly sweeps, plus International Coastal Cleanup Day every September.
Sand Sculpting
Turtles in sand, built by teams on the Chennai shore.
By time
Pick by the time you have
- One morning
- A coastal cleanup. A short briefing on the day is enough.
- One night
- Join a turtle walk. Book a seat and follow the night code.
- One season
- Walker or recorder from December to March, on nights you choose.
- All year
- Cleanups and awareness sessions. We need translators and drivers every month.
- Ongoing
- Site captain.
On commitment
Four nights you attend beat twelve you miss. A no-show leaves a gap on a dark beach.
Next steps
After you say yes
- Write to usEmail cleanbeach@saveaturtle.in with the role you want, the beach or city you can reach, and your languages. For a cleanup team, write to cleanbeach@saveaturtle.in.
- We reply with datesThe next training session and an outing you can shadow. No reply? Email again.
- Train onceOne session plus one supervised outing. What training covers.
- Sign the code and consentThe code of conduct and the consent and waiver. Under 18? A parent or guardian signs and attends.
- Shadow a shiftYou do the job alongside an experienced volunteer.
- Join the rosterBy name, for the nights you commit to.
Before you decide
What we never ask
- A quota of friends.
- Handling an animal, nest or egg.The Olive Ridley is Schedule I under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Only authorised people may handle it.
- Using your photo or name without asking.See privacy and DPDP.
- Walking a beat alone.
- Rounding up a number.Blank is a valid entry.
- A reason for leaving.Tell the captain and go.
Questions
Common questions
Do I need wildlife experience?
No. You need to turn up when you say you will, walk slowly and write clearly.
Do I need to speak Tamil?
No. Briefings run in Tamil and English. If you speak Tamil, tell us: we need translators most.
Can I bring my child?
Yes, to a walk, hatchling release or cleanup. A parent or guardian signs the consent and waiver and stays throughout.
I am not in Chennai. Can I help?
Possibly. Sessions travel, and cleanups run at several points on the Coromandel coast. Email us your location.
My company wants to send a team.
See collaborate with us or write to cleanbeach@saveaturtle.in.
What should I bring and wear?
Closed shoes, long sleeves, water and a charged phone. No white torch, no flash. Full list on the turtle walk page.
Is there a certificate?
Yes, from the volunteer portal for completed shifts.
Other questions: cleanbeach@saveaturtle.in or the FAQ page.
Read these too
Our terms
Rules
Our field code
The rules we walk by: timing, light, distance, vehicles, the sweep after.Read the field codeLegal
Consent and waiver
What you sign, what a guardian signs for a minor, and how to withdraw photo permission.Read the consent
