4.9
23 reviews
Monday-Friday: 9:00am–5:30pm
During expedition season, our office phone is manned 24 hours.
Overall costs vary depending on your group's location, destination, group size, and travel dates.
2-week expedition: £1,825 (as of Sept 2026)
5-day UK field course: £795
This covers food, accommodation, transfers around the site(s), participation in research projects, training, diving and dive training, and on-site medical support.
There is one free teacher place for every 8 students, calculated on a pro-rata basis.
In addition to the expedition cost, groups will need to budget for international flights, travel to the expedition start point, park fees, dive equipment hire, insurance, and travel costs for accompanying teachers. We're happy to provide a full package quote on request.
£10,000,000
Operation Wallacea runs biological and conservation research expeditions in remote locations around the world, giving students the chance to take part in real conservation research alongside working field scientists.
Our surveys have contributed to over 700 publications in peer-reviewed journals, led to the discovery of over 80 new species to science, and levered $2 million in funding to set up best-practice conservation management at our study sites.
Groups of sixth form/high school students can join our biodiversity survey expeditions for two weeks, led by their own teachers, working on live conservation research and gaining experience well beyond the classroom. Students work alongside field scientists and academics, take part in a lecture series covering key concepts in biology, geography and environmental science and have the opportunity to learn to dive (PADI or SSI accredited) as part of the programme.
Our expedition sites run during the summer months, with locations across the Bay Islands, Croatia, Honduras, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, Peru, Romania and South Africa.
We also run a 5-day field course in the UK at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, giving students the chance to learn current field survey techniques and network with like-minded peers. This course is open to groups led by teachers, or to individual students.
We also offer shorter expeditions, bespoke itineraries, and classroom resources, so all students can benefit - whatever the scale of involvement.
Beyond the expedition
The skills and experience students gain are valuable well beyond the field. Past participants have used their expedition work to strengthen UCAS personal statements and university applications, support Extended Essays (EE) and Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ) and build a foundation for careers in conservation, ecology, research, medicine and environmental science.
For more information, or to book an informational meeting, please email schools@opwall.com or call +44 1790 763194
View some of the most commonly asked questions by visitors.
The expeditions are two weeks long, and you generally spend one week at a terrestrial site and then a second week at a marine site. The dates of your expedition do not include travel time.
Yes, we can nearly always adjust the itinerary to suit your group. Please contact us for a chat about what we can do!
Yes - we can book your international flights and travel within the destination country. The only thing you have to worry about is getting to the airport in the UK!
Please contact us for a full package quote.
Nearly every student who attends an Operation Wallacea expedition has to raise part of the money needed to attend. We have a fundraising team who will be able to come and speak to your students about the best ways they can do this be it grant writing or running an event. We can provide as much support as you need!
For students that can't make it we also have a range of resources we can share with you, from data sets to free courses.
View the latest reviews, ratings and statistics from previous visitors.
4.9
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3rd Jun 2026
Operation Wallacea were outstanding from beginning to end. The whole experience was amazing (Mexico jungle and marine ecology A level residential) and this was down to their expertise and organisation.
3rd Jun 2026
Operation Wallacea were outstanding from beginning to end. The whole experience was amazing (Mexico jungle and marine ecology A level residential) and this was down to their expertise and organisation.
30th Sep 2024
A working conservation trip where students collected lots of data alongside scientists who were all specialists in their fields.
Wallace House, Keal Hill, Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, PE23 4EX 
