Colorado native Will Mahoney, who returned from a recent expedition, has a long-standing interest in earth science and in the Arctic in particular. He enjoyed the long runs of sunlight and quirky warm temperatures of Arctic summer days. Mahoney was also fascinated by his team’s diverse makeup. “We had some scientists,” he notes, “but there were mostly laypeople—a British barrister, a Washington, D.C., schoolteacher—drawn by their personal commitment to sustainable development.”

Another volunteer, Rob Crooks, worked on the Arctic Edge project alongside an ex-president of Costa Rica and the former CEO of the World Economic Forum. To Mahoney, the variety among voluntourists sends an important signal: “It suggests that we’re all moving in a direction that might be more positive for Mother Earth.”

Slide Show: Exotic "Voluntourism" locales

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