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The itinerary is flexible in that it can range from 2 weeks to 8 weeks, depending on how many of the locations you’d like to include in your trip. There are descriptions of each place below, which gives you info on where they are and what you can get involved in, so whichever you like the sound of just get in touch and we’ll put your trip together.
You could even combine volunteering with one of our other Ecuador adventures so that you get that perfect balance of work and play. Rest assured though, you’ll have plenty of spare time at the reserves to enjoy the surrounding areas and get to know your fellow travellers. You can see more details of free time shenanigans in our blog!
Located in the tropical wet forest of the Napor region, which connects the Andes Mountain Range and the Amazon River Basin, the Jatun Sacha Reserve has grown from just 200 hectares to over 2,200 of some of the most biologically diverse areas in the country. The name means ‘Big Forest’ in Quichua, the native language of the local communities and within this fascinating habitat there are over 250 different species of trees and 1500 species of plants, not to mention hundreds of species of amphibians, lizards and mammals, including large cats such as pumas and jaguars.
Climate-wise the area has approximately 200 days of rain per year and an average temperature of 25⁰C. The driest months are November to January and the wettest are April to July and the activities you’ll be doing may depend on the season – our travel experts can tell you more.
The reserve has a number of objectives that are focussed on day-to-day, as well as running a range of courses for national and international students. The aims are broadly split into two areas: to conserve and protect the natural environment and undertake biological research, which involves maintaining collections of endangered and important plants, developing reforestation and to improve the health and quality of living for the surrounding communities, which includes improving agricultural methods, researching alternative timber products for sources of income and improving the quality of life for the inhabitants of the surrounding areas.
There are three main projects that you can get involved in and during a typical week you’ll have chance to spend time on each one, ensuring that you get to experience a combination of the nature and social aspects.
This is an amazing botanical garden that houses live collections of important plants, including those used for medicinal purposes. You'll get stuck right in with collecting seeds, preparing soil, learning about tree nursery maintenance and also maintaining and constructing new trails through the gardens.
You'll be playing an important part in maintaining the unique plant life of the Amazon Basin, helping to keep endangered plant species alive and learning more than you ever could in a classroom! On top of all that, you'll be cultivating new friendships with like minded travellers and conservationists.
This project is more specifically for the benefit of the local communities and involves helping to develop an organic farm that provides an alternative source of food and protein as well as income. You'll be getting your hands dirty with soil preparation, compost maintenance (nose peg not included!) and veggie garden maintenance - they don't actually come from Tesco you know. You might also be involved in the maintenance or creation of pools for raising charapas (cute turtles) and caymans (the snappy amphibian, not the sleek Porsche).
Community Interaction:
Once a week you’ll have the chance to get involved in handicraft workshops with the Quichua community, where you might weave hats and baskets or make jewellery with seeds and tagua nuts.
Other miscellaneous projects may crop up during your time there and on Sundays you can get involved in handicraft workshops with the Quichua community, where you might weave hats and baskets or make jewellery with seeds and tagua nuts.Other activities may include getting involved in reforestation projects, collecting data on precipitation and temperature or helping with the maintenance of the station and its facilities. You may find yourself helping in the kitchen when there are groups visiting the reserve, which also gives you the chance to show off what you’ve learnt so far!
Other activities may include getting involved in reforestation projects, collecting data on precipitation and temperature or helping with the maintenance of the station and its facilities.
Located high in the Andes, at between 3,100 to 3,600 metres above sea level, Guandera Biological Station is in an area with the only remaining high altitude alpine forest – picture the misty green canopy and huge twisted and gnarled trees. It has a very unique eco-system due to the diversity of flora and fauna found at this altitude, including 250 species of plants, 60 species of trees, over 160 bird species and mammals including the Andean Spectacled Bear and pumas.
The climate tends to be cold and humid. Night time temperatures can be as low as 4⁰C and during the day it can reach 22⁰C - even if the cooler temperatures don't immediately appeal to you, remember that the climate contributes to making this amazing area what it is, so we reckon you learn to appreciate it when you see how amazing the landscape is!
The main objective of the reserve is the conservation of some of the last remaining Andean cloud forest. The biological station has a greenhouse area and tree nursery, where the native species can be grown and botanical gardens contain some of the most important plants found in the forest.
There is also an agro-forestry program that promotes the growth of organic fruit and vegetables and a hands-on environmental education course, both of which involves collaboration with the local community.
There is a great range of activities for you to get involved in at Guandera, so you can be sure to experience an interesting combination of conservation and community based projects.
This includes seed and data collection, nursery maintenance and transplanting seedlings of Andean trees and also working in the orchid garden. You'll really feel like your contributing to the conservation of this beautiful area of cloud forest.
This project is all about testing and promoting organic farming techniques, so you could find yourself preparing soil, planting seeds, weeding and harvesting. Once a week volunteers also visit local farms to help promote these methods, which can help the community to produce alternative food sources and incomes.
The station also has a number of Guinea Pigs, so if you prefer animals to plants you can look after these fluffy creatures and ensure their food crops are maintained – perhaps not recommended for those of you who had a bad experience looking after the school pets!
There are a number of options in this area, including making biological inventories of the plant and birdlife during hikes through the reserve, collecting plants to go into the herbarium or participating as a research assistant in any specific projects that are being conducted at the time. It's even possible for you to undertake your own personal project, so if you are, or have been, a student in something biology or environment related then this could be an ideal opportunity to put your knowledge into practice.
All volunteers chip in and work together to ensure that all the facilities at the reserve are kept in good condition and improved on, which can include designing forest trails and making signs. Once you’ve got to know the pace well you may also have the chance to act as a guide for visitors to the reserve.
If you're a people person or just love the idea of being involved with the local community then you'll relish the opportunities available here. Part of the program involves collaborating with of Mariscal Sucre to talk to them about environmental topics and explain methods of organic and sustainable farming. Another community program involves visiting nursing homes where you can spend some time with older residents, who love having company. Remember that body language accounts for a large part of communication so don’t worry if you don’t speak much of the language!
This is an integral part of your time at Guandera and takes place in the evenings around the warm and cosy chimney. It's your chance to hear more about the history, culture and people of the area, not to mention share your own stories and get to know other volunteers.
This gives you a chance to explore some of the surrounding landscape with experienced guides, who will share with you a wealth of information on different subjects relating to biodiversity. Depending on the weather you could gaze over dramatic snow-capped volcanoes and beautiful waterfalls as you take in the serene atmosphere and marvel at experiencing this place first hand.
In a change from the other stations and reserves, Bilsa is located in the Mache Chindul Mountains in north western Ecuador, close to the coast, so it's a different experience in terms of the climate, landscape and projects available.
The nature reserve covers around 3,600 hectares and accounts for the 1% of coastal wet forest that remains. Thanks to the rugged landscape, rising between 300 to 800 metres in altitude, the varying moisture levels and high amount of rainfall, the area has a unique ecosystem that consists of thousands of different plant species, hundreds of bird species and many mammals and reptiles, including anteaters and howler monkeys.
There are a number of objectives being fulfilled at Bilsa and include projects concentrating on reforestation and the study of wildlife. More specifically, there are a number of bird and amphibian investigations being run to monitor numbers, identify species and collect data on the locations of the wildlife in the reserve.
A typical weekly schedule involves spending two days on reforestation and maintenance, two days of hiking along the reserve trails and one day participating in handicraft classes with a member of the local community. This is the ideal location if you want a combination of active and observational tasks.
You'll be getting your hands dirty with seed collection, planting, replanting trees and maintaining the paths and gardens around the cabins and main building. You could also be involved in looking after the fruit trees, medicinal plants and banana plantation (the latter involves the use of a machete, so no messing around!).
There are many other tasks that you might get involved in, such as making booklets on plant collections, recording bird sightings, studying the seasons of specific fruit trees and even some carpentry - will you be confident enough to sit on a chair that you've made yourself?!
There is a system of ten trails around the reserve and the nature hikes, led by the knowledgeable reserve staff, are a fantastic opportunity to see this unique area of coastal forest and understand the importance of preserving it. Along the way you will get to see an amazing array of plants, trees, frogs and snakes, as well as the possibility of catching a glimpse of howler monkeys, sloths, armadillos and birds such as Toucans and Umbrella Birds. You can even take a night hike, which provides a totally different experience - just don't freak out if something scuttles across your feet!
Situated in western Ecuador, in a region that is the world's fourth priority Biodiversity Hotspot, Congal Reserve incorporates a diverse range of habitats, including beach, estuary, mangrove, wetlands and wet tropical forest. It offers volunteers the chance to see and experience different types of ecosystems to those visited at the other reserves.
The primary aim of the station is to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly methods of aquaculture that not only helps to maintain a healthy coastline but also to teach local communities about these methods with a view to improving income and living standards. In addition to aquaculture organic farming is also a big part of the projects, as is reforestation and general conservation.
You'll be getting your hands wet rather than muddy here, with tasks such as shrimp and fish harvesting, pond monitoring, organic fertilisation and oyster culture, all of which helps towards the aims of the centre.
You have the opportunity to work in a variety of habitats, from mangroves and tropical forests to beaches. Your tasks are likely to include looking after planted trees, working in the nursery, producing inventories and maps of reforested areas and beach monitoring to observe turtles, collect oyster shells and drift wood.
If you fancy yourself as a tropical farmer then you'll love this aspect of the volunteer work! From harvesting fruits, such as tagua nuts and bamboo to planting and maintenance of organic cacao, you'll have plenty to do. Each week there is also a trip to Congal Island (by speedboat - the easy option, or in canoes - a bit more effort required, but great scenery on the way) where you can have a go at clam harvesting and pineapple growing.
All volunteers pitch in and help with keeping the buildings, paths and gardens shipshape. If you have any carpentry skills, that's great, but if not don't worry, you can learn how to thatch a roof, build stuff with bamboo and repair fences. Your dad would be proud!
This is where you get a chance to really interact with the local community, either at Bunche Village or Muisne Town. Whatever your interests, there are activities to suit you, from helping out in a health care centre to working with local farmers or women’s groups. You don’t always feel the love when working with plants, so it’s nice have some human contact!
Gap Year Travel with us is all about adrenaline travel: exciting adventure travel programmes, offering you genuinely exciting alternatives to make the most of your gap year.
