Project Summary

This exciting program offers the opportunity for volunteers to work in the Alto Choco Reserve with organizations committed to pursing sustainable development projects that combat the recent threat of on the land due to the rise of mining expeditions.

The communities you will be volunteering within are attempting to set an example to other communities by demonstrating that it is possible to enjoy a high standard of living without harming the environment. Our volunteers play an integral role by becoming involved in their conservation efforts and coming up with new and innovative ways to develop their community in an eco-friendly manner. You will also have the chance to live and breathe this alternative lifestyle as an active member of the community.

At a Glance

Minimum Program Length:	2 weeks
Start Date:	Every Monday
Arrival Date:	2 days prior to your Start Date (Saturday)
Minimum Age:	18 years old
Volunteer Gender:	Male and Female
Accommodation:	Volunteers have the choice of living with a family within the indigenous community or being housed approximately 20 minutes away from the community in a volunteer dorm located in the Tropical Rain forest project. The volunteer dorm has 4 shared rooms and is located inside the reserve.
Food:	Three meals a day are included in the program price. Meals are prepared and served by women from the community who are a part of the cooking group. On Sundays everyone takes part in the community's work.
Pick-up Info:	A Volunteer Visions representative will be waiting for you at the airport in Quito and transportation will be arranged from the airport to your accommodation in Pucara or Santa Rosa. The coordinator will guide you to your project location the first day so that you become familiarized with the route to your destination. The coordinator will also introduce you to the staff of the project to ensure that you are properly placed in the program.
Project Schedule:	Half day: 8am - 12pm or 1pm - 5pm Full day: 8am - 5pm with a hour lunch break Project Closed Dates and Holidays :: December 22 - January 1 (Christmas Holiday) :: May 24 (Easter) :: August 10 (Carnival) :: October 9, Novemeber 2-3, December 5-6 (Guayaquil)

Your role as a Volunteer

Volunteers on this project will find themselves involved in a range of these exciting activities:

• :: Environmental Education: Reaching out to the children about the importance of preserving their natural habitat for the long-term health of their community.
• :: Reforestation and tree farming: Building out the tree population of a 90 hectare region through planting seedlings and collecting seeds for germination of future seedlings.
• :: English Teaching: Teaching English at the schools in the community and to the group of communitarian foresters.
• :: Botanical Garden: Identifying species found in the botanical garden; there are about 60 species of orchids and a similar number of bromeliads. Our volunteers role will also involve accompanying project personnel on walks within the reserve to observe and collect plant species not found in the garden.
• :: Trail work: Rebuilding trails that have been damaged and building new trails along trade routes
• :: Craft work: Gathering of the raw materials that the tribes women will use in the creation of their crafts and apprenticeship through the creation of these items
• :: Bamboo paper: Cutting bamboo, transporting it and storing it at a storage station for use in future projects. Such projects involve alternative energy generation with bamboo and the manufacturing of handmade bamboo paper.

Project Location

This project is located next to Intag; there are 2 local communities in the area Pucará and Santa Rosa. The reserve provides modern living conditions and facilities on the western slopes of the Andean cordillera. It is a unique area rich in culture and bio-diversity. This area is home to an extensive portion of the Andean cloud forest, a seriously threatened ecosystem.

Suggested Skills and Interests

This placement is for volunteers interested in the history and culture of the indigenous people of Ecuador. This is an opportunity for volunteers to interact directly and live amongst what is left of the indigenous community in Ecuador. Volunteers should be prepared to become involved in physically demanding work such as construction, reforestation, planting etc. Due to the remote nature of the project location, volunteers should be experienced or open to living without the common amenities.

Suggested Language Level

Supplementary Spanish language classes are offered at the local language school in Quito for volunteers interested in practicing and learning Spanish. The classes are run by certified ESL teachers and the groups are typically no larger than 6 students.

Although these classes are not mandatory, we suggest that you take these classes if you have little or no background in Spanish. Classes start at $70 for 10 hours of language instruction per week with additional hours of instruction per week available for $110/15hrs per week and $140/20hrs per week. These fees are added in addition to your program fee so if you were to participate in 1 week of language courses at 10hrs/week and 3 weeks of volunteering, your total fee would be the 4 week program fee plus the fee for 1 week of Spanish classes: $675+$70 = $745. If you are interested in enrolling in the Spanish course, please state this in the comments section of the final application form.

Suggested Donations

For any donations, please inquire with Volunteer Visions prior to your arrival at the project site.