Airbnb Searching for Five Volunteers for The Antarctic Sabbatical

After running a successful Italian sabbatical for four travellers over the summer, Airbnb is now giving five volunteers the chance to go on a research mission to Antarctica. By partnering with Ocean Conservancy, Airbnb will be offering five people the chance to join Antarctic Scientist Kirstie Jones-Williams in her research into humanity’s impact on the Antarctic ecosystem. With no formal qualifications required, Airbnb is simply looking for passionate and adventurous volunteers.

The Antarctic Sabbatical comes alongside Airbnb’s recent partnership with the Adventure Travel Trade Association, which pushes for climate-friendly education and travel, along with donations to the ATTA Climate Action Fund for every Airbnb Experience led by an ATTA community member. As even remote locations like Antarctica are being affected by plastic pollution, Airbnb’s Antarctic expedition will be studying the pathways microplastics take in these remote regions. While many travellers associate Airbnb with easily bookable vacation homes for relaxation, the company warns that the sabbatical will be hard work, requiring scientific rigour in unforgiving winter conditions.

As part of the one-month long expedition, the chosen volunteers will start by attending an immersion training in Punta Arenas, Chile, studying glaciology and field sampling along with lab work and equipment practice. From here, they’ll fly to Antarctica and begin collecting snow samples from the Antarctic interior in order to study them for foreign microfibers and discover how pollutants made it this far across the world. The volunteers will also get to visit the South Pole and other Antarctic sites before returning to Chile where they’ll return to studying their findings. 

As part of the application, aspiring citizen scientists will need to provide a write-up on why they want to travel to Antarctica and be free and able to travel to Chile and Antarctica from November 18th to December 16th of 2019. Applicants will also need to be in good shape, as they’ll be walking for several miles at high altitudes, and staying in remote field camps with extreme temperatures. Aside from these requirements, Airbnb is simply looking for passionate and environmentally conscious individuals willing to learn and put in the work necessary help this Antarctic research study. 

Applications are open until October 8th of 2019, with up to 50 applicants chosen for individual phone and video conference interviews, before they’re narrowed down to the final five. To find out more about the Antarctic Sabbatical and submit your application, visit Airbnb’s Antarctic Sabbatical page.