Volunteering with monkeys in Ecuador. Helping Dreamers Do

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£775

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14 Days excluding flights

More info:£775 for 2 weeks. Extra weeks £140 p/w. Includes airport transfers, 2 nights in a guest house in Quito, bus transfer transfers (private can be arranged for extra), accommodation, food for preparation, training

Tailor made

Description of Volunteering with monkeys in Ecuador

Help to look after over 60 monkeys and other Amazonian creatures in this monkey sanctuary, based on the beautiful edges of the Amazon rainforest.

This animal haven provides a loving home to a wide variety of rescued primates, including spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, woolly monkeys, squirrel monkeys and tamarins. Many of these creatures were previously kept as pets or were being trafficked in the illegal pet trade. Sadly, due their familiarity with humans these monkeys cannot be released back to the wild. Instead, this jungle sanctuary has been created for them to roam free and live a life as close to the wild as possible.

This project is an inspiring conservation initiative, aiming to give these mistreated animals a natural retirement home. The sanctuary could not exist without the volunteers, and so you will be put to good use and expected to work hard. Prepare to get mucky and stuck in – and to do everything under the watchful eye of your primate friends.

This project is largely hands-off, in order to encourage these monkeys here to become more wild. Sadly this is not possible for all of them and there are a few who have been so humanised that they are lonely without human presence. They are encouraged to live in nature during the day, but there are times when they come to interact and play with the volunteers when necessary. Occasionally orphaned baby monkeys come in to the sanctuary, and these require around the clock care such as bottle feeding and simply allowing them to sleep on you for warmth.

Accommodation and food
At the heart of the sanctuary is the volunteer house, where you will be sharing a dorm room with 4 - 6 others. There are two bathrooms with western toilets and hot and cold showers. There is a large living and dining area, and a kitchen where meals are prepared. All food is provided however volunteers take it in turns to rustle up something for the group at lunch and dinner time. This is a real highlight as you can taste cuisines from around the world.

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Arrival day to Quito is usually a Saturday. You will be transferred from the airport into a central guest house for your first night.
Day 2:	Today you will be collected and taken to the main bus station for your transfer up to the project.
Day 3-13:	Volunteering at the monkey sanctuary with one day off per week
Day 15:	Bus transfer return to Quito and overnight in a guest house
Day 16:	Transfer to Quito airport for your flight home

Hello. If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.

01273 823 700 rosy@responsibletravel.com

Departure information

This trip can be tailor made throughout the year

Vouchers

Accepted

Responsible tourism

Responsible tourism: Volunteering with monkeys in Ecuador

Environment

Conservation:
This project is all about conserving animals and enabling them to live with protection in their natural environment. Everything that is done at the sanctuary is done to maintain the environment for these rescued primates. Without this sanctuary there would not be a suitable environment for these rescued and abused monkeys to go.

Environment:
We send out comprehensive pre-departure briefing, which includes a section on protecting the local environment. In particular we advise participants to take care with water, which is scarce in many of our destinations. We recommend they avoid unnecessary washing, using hand wash gel where they can. We also instruct them on how to dispose of waste properly, not to litter and, where possible, to avoid using plastic water bottles which are not easy to dispose of environmentally. Those going trekking are advised to keep to marked footpaths so as to prevent further erosion of the landscape.

Our company is an environmentally responsible one that operates recycling and reusing of waste products. We also offset carbon emissions in our office (gas, electricity, business mileage) and encourage all participants to offset their flight emissions via a carbon offset scheme run in conjunction with Tree Aid.

Community

Meeting local needs:
In addition to helping to protect primates and other abused animals, this sanctuary plays an important role in protecting the local economy. This rural area relies on conservation and wildlife for tourism as there are no big cities nearby. The sanctuary brings volunteers to the area and has created jobs for local people, both directly at the sanctuary and indirectly through using taxi companies, supermarkets, markets and restaurants. By helping at the sanctuary our volunteers are ensuring its survival and allowing it to expand the number of animals it can help.

Cultural sensitivity:
We emphasise the importance of showing respect for local people and their customs in our briefing material. Participants will work alongside permanent staff, forming close bonds and getting an insight into real life in rural South Africa. Our policy is to send people to the developing world in small groups or individually. This minimises the environmental and social impact that the participants have on the destination and helps them to integrate into the local community. We really emphasise the value of learning some Spanish before departure.

All of our participants receive comprehensive pre-departure briefing. This covers topics on how to be culturally sensitive, how to best look after the environment when in the country and how to stay safe as well as up to date information on the political situation. They are also briefed on how to dispose of waste properly and where possible, to avoid using plastic water bottles as these are not easy to dispose of environmentally.