Okay, sign me up! I SO want to do this.  Check out these volunteer vacations with Biosphere Expeditions and access your inner scientist while working side by side in the field next to real scientists to do hands-on research.  

1.    Track Snow Leopards In the Altai Republic: This award-winning volunteer vacation takes travelers to the remote mountains of the Altai Republic to follow in the tracks of the elusive Snow Leopards to conduct research that aims to protect an unprotected corridor of Snow Leopard movement from Mongolia to Russia where next to nothing is known about the numbers of leopards and their movements.

2.    Monitor Flatback Turtles in Western Australia: This volunteer vacation takes people to the strikingly beautiful coastline of Western Australia to conduct a survey of iconic Australian flatback turtles. While soaking in the stunning scenery, measure and tag turtles, and record data about nesting behavior. The research on this volunteer project meets objectives outlined in Australian state and federal management and recovery plans for Australian sea turtles.