Wildlife conservation expedition to the Amazon
| country: | Ecuador |
| departures: | 2010: 8 Jan, 12 Feb, 2 Apr, 7 May, 25 Jun, 30 Jul, 1 Oct, 5 Nov |
| price: | From £1345 (5 weeks) - £2245 (10 weeks) excluding flights. We can offer advice on flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Have you ever wanted the chance to work in a truly unique environment? We can offer you the opportunity to live and work in the Yachana reserve in Ecuador, a private land reserve owned by the Foundation for Integrated Education and Development FUNEDESIN. Located on the might Napo River, the largest major tributary of the Amazon River, you can take part in biodiversity research programmes, studying rare and endangered species as well as working alongside local communities and aiding them in environmental education and basic English lessons.
The Amazon rainforest is one of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems, being the home to 30% of all known plant and animal species, as well as a variety of indigenous cultures and settlers who make their living in this seemingly inhospitable terrain. Joining this Amazon adventure in Ecuador takes will take you into the heart of this lush and remote part of the world to help protect the precious rainforest and aid community development initiatives. Volunteers support wildlife conservation by conducting research and scientific investigation work, and work on community projects, including facilitating the learning of English as a foreign language. In addition, the project runs a number of exciting adventure side trips that give volunteers the chance to further explore and experience this thrilling part of Ecuador.
The reserve encompasses over 1500 hectares of primary rainforest and you will spend your time divided between developing a comprehensive species list of amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals of this biologically 'super' rich habitat and assisting the local community and our local project partners in developing a long-term sustainable eco-tourism project and to initiate environmental education programmes.
Volunteers will spend the majority of time working on the various scientific research projects to collect and collate scientific data. You will also be involved in working directly with students and teachers on education (environmental and teaching English) and construction projects. The initial couple of weeks will be hard as you will have to adapt to the change in environment and learn the different skills needed to do research.
We collaborate with FUNEDESIN to operate a year-round field science and biodiversity research station. The Ecuadorian rainforest is being cut down at an alarming rate and so by working in conjunction with local community projects and research findings will help to effectively manage and conserve this endangered habitat.
A typical day starts before dawn. After a quick breakfast, you will be split into teams and set off into the jungle. The forest is still dark and you will walk in silence using your head torches to find your way. The birds start singing as you walk towards different areas of our research site. The sounds of the forest waking up are unforgettable and at times you may hear sounds of Howler monkeys bringing the new day in with their haunting calls.
The Point Count team stop at their first destination to record the dawn chorus before moving on to another station where they carry on recording. Meanwhile, the amphibian and camera trap team have walked to a different point recording all amphibians seen as well as checking the camera for any new captions.
A trail clearing team will be in another part of the research site, starting work to expand the transect system by creating new trails and tagging them to aid navigation. Returning back to the camp for lunch, some groups will remain behind to analyse all of the data collected earlier that morning whilst others will head back out into the jungle to conduct vegetation mapping or start preparing English classes for their weekly teaching groups.
The end of the day is culminated with a refreshing wash in the river to clean off the days grime and to cool down. This rounds off the day in a relaxing manner and is a great opportunity to chat about the days events. After dinner you will pack your bags and prepare yourselves for the next day, another day of adventure in the jungle!
Throughout any given phase, our science and teaching routine is interrupted at times for short excursions to places of interest and adventure experiences. These may include survival and bush craft weekends, camping out in the jungle at satellite camps and trips to ‘monkey island’.
The Amazon rainforest is one of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems, being the home to 30% of all known plant and animal species, as well as a variety of indigenous cultures and settlers who make their living in this seemingly inhospitable terrain. Joining this Amazon adventure in Ecuador takes will take you into the heart of this lush and remote part of the world to help protect the precious rainforest and aid community development initiatives. Volunteers support wildlife conservation by conducting research and scientific investigation work, and work on community projects, including facilitating the learning of English as a foreign language. In addition, the project runs a number of exciting adventure side trips that give volunteers the chance to further explore and experience this thrilling part of Ecuador.
The reserve encompasses over 1500 hectares of primary rainforest and you will spend your time divided between developing a comprehensive species list of amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals of this biologically 'super' rich habitat and assisting the local community and our local project partners in developing a long-term sustainable eco-tourism project and to initiate environmental education programmes.
Volunteers will spend the majority of time working on the various scientific research projects to collect and collate scientific data. You will also be involved in working directly with students and teachers on education (environmental and teaching English) and construction projects. The initial couple of weeks will be hard as you will have to adapt to the change in environment and learn the different skills needed to do research. We collaborate with FUNEDESIN to operate a year-round field science and biodiversity research station. The Ecuadorian rainforest is being cut down at an alarming rate and so by working in conjunction with local community projects and research findings will help to effectively manage and conserve this endangered habitat.
a day in the life of a volunteer
A typical day starts before dawn. After a quick breakfast, you will be split into teams and set off into the jungle. The forest is still dark and you will walk in silence using your head torches to find your way. The birds start singing as you walk towards different areas of our research site. The sounds of the forest waking up are unforgettable and at times you may hear sounds of Howler monkeys bringing the new day in with their haunting calls. The Point Count team stop at their first destination to record the dawn chorus before moving on to another station where they carry on recording. Meanwhile, the amphibian and camera trap team have walked to a different point recording all amphibians seen as well as checking the camera for any new captions.
A trail clearing team will be in another part of the research site, starting work to expand the transect system by creating new trails and tagging them to aid navigation. Returning back to the camp for lunch, some groups will remain behind to analyse all of the data collected earlier that morning whilst others will head back out into the jungle to conduct vegetation mapping or start preparing English classes for their weekly teaching groups. The end of the day is culminated with a refreshing wash in the river to clean off the days grime and to cool down. This rounds off the day in a relaxing manner and is a great opportunity to chat about the days events. After dinner you will pack your bags and prepare yourselves for the next day, another day of adventure in the jungle!
Throughout any given phase, our science and teaching routine is interrupted at times for short excursions to places of interest and adventure experiences. These may include survival and bush craft weekends, camping out in the jungle at satellite camps and trips to ‘monkey island’.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
 The Pavacachi reserve is assisted in its management by ONSHIPAE, an Ecuadorian NGO for indigenous people. The expedition is a biodiversity research expedition working in conjunction with local community projects and Research findings will help to more effectively manage and conserve this endangered habitat. Local people are employed at the camp, and food is sourced locally. Volunteers will be heavily involved with liaising with the local communities and setting up education initiatives. The rainforests of the world are home to two-thirds of all the living and animal species of the planet, absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide, and are often referred to as the ‘world’s largest pharmacy’ because of the amazing natural medicines they hold. Yet these precious and invaluable natural resources are under threat from mankind. The Ecuadorian Amazonia is listed by the IUCN and WWF as one of the world’s ‘Centres of Plant Diversity’ – the most important global sites for conservation (CPD 1998), but in the last 35 years the Amazon rainforest has been reduced by two-fifths. By joining this wildlife conservation expedition to work alongside young people from various indigenous and colonist (settler) communities in 1,800 hectares of mostly primary rainforest, you will help to reduce the effects mankind has on the Ecuadorian rainforest. This field research and community education project aims to help students from local, agricultural and disadvantaged communities to build a sustainable source of income from ecotourism, conservation and sustainable agriculture. This provides an alternative to the highly destructive practices of forestry or petroleum production, increasing the conservation value of the area and enabling local capacity building for future management. We support the Yachana Foundation and local efforts to preserve the rainforest and its extraordinary diversity of plants and animals. The field research program involves creating species-lists of targeted animal groups, such as mammals, birds and amphibians, and determining the distribution and abundance of these groups in the Yachana’s private land reserve. There are numerous plant and animal species in the Amazon rainforest, the identification of which provides a strong basis for the conservation and preservation of local forests. The number of species is also overwhelming, for example over 420 species of bird have been identified in previous years of research. The Amazon is also home to river turtles, caiman, a number of snakes, and a great variety of monkeys, macaws and butterflies. The region has the highest plant diversity in the world, and many new species have been found during the course of previous research. Through scientific research and community projects, we will greatly enhance learning opportunities for students who may go on to work in the fields of ecotourism, sustainable agriculture and conservation, in addition to providing them with an invaluable opportunity to practice their developing English language skills and work alongside foreign visitors. Some 50% of Ecuador’s tropical rainforests have been lost to destructive industrial practices, including oil and gas drilling, mining, farming and forestry. This environmental degradation, along with poverty, disease and a poor quality of public education, are all inextricably linked together. To address these issues, our expedition works towards achieving the following aims:
All of our projects and expeditions issue the participants with clear guidelines on responsible tourism and ecotourism, all specific to the particular environment / region. These cover a number of issues, ranging from waste disposal in remote areas, recycling materials and buying from local businesses to not exploiting the area’s wildlife or harming the environment. |
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