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Volunteers
Volunteer Opportunities
The Golondrinas Foundation welcomes anyone who wishes to participate in
our volunteer program, whether you have experience or not! We only suggest
that you have the motivation to work, the adaptability to a rural environment
and the willingness to make the best of your time with Golondrinas and
to learn a little about village life in the Ecuadorian Andes.
Our volunteer program’s main objective is that applicants
understand the socio-economical and ecological problems in the zone of
influence of our
project in the Lower Rio Mira Valley, proposing the application
of sustainable agricultural alternatives to be able to improve the standard
of living
for the local people in the short, medium and long term.
Volunteer participation is very important to the organization. Their physical,
emotional, psychological and economic efforts allow us to continue our
plans and established programs to reach our proposed goals and thus build
a better future for the area.
The Golondrinas Foundation offers this volunteer program as a rare opportunity
where you can learn about, understand and experience other ways of life,
contact with nature, and the balance between humans and their environment,
and to be able to contribute to the betterment of our country.
Volunteer Program Cost
The Golondrinas Foundation is an NGO (non-governmental
organization) which receives no governmental support and because of the
difficult economic
situation of our country, we ask that volunteers make a financial
contribution. This money is used to cover the volunteer’s food and transportation costs
and it allows the organization to manage the various activities it’s implementing,
especially the environmental education courses, cloud forest protection
and maintenance of the demonstration sites.
The contribution for international volunteers is $280 USD per month with
a minimum stay of two weeks. However, we prefer that volunteers stay for
one month to be able to fully connect with our projects and have a wider
understanding of what we do.
We accept volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60. We do offer discounts
to those who choose to stay more than two months or who apply to a specific
volunteer position.
Areas of Work
The Cerro Golondrinas Cloud Forest Conservation project consists of three
areas (see map): volunteers generally live in the village of Guallupe,
but they also spend part of their time in the higher mountain areas.
Subtropical Zone: Guallupe-La Carolina
Guallupe is located in the Lower Rio Mira Valley
at 1,000 meters altitude. Situated in this area is the demonstration
farm Peña Negra where agroforestry
methods, conservation techniques and soil improvements are being
developed. This site also has a nursery and farm work.
Lodging:
The Foundation owns a home in the center of the village with electricity,
running water, phone and access to the Health Center.
Cloud Forest Zone: Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is located in the Golondrinas Valley
at 1,650 meters altitude. To arrive, you take local transportation from
Guallupe to the village of
Las Juntas. From there, you hike approximately 1.5 hours to Santa
Rosa. This is a demonstration site owned by The Golondrinas Foundation
in secondary
forest where we carry out experimental demonstrations of blackberry
crops, naranjilla (Solanum quitoense), uvilla (Physalis peruviana), and
a nursery
of native species. We have also installed a hydraulic turbine
that serves as a model for farmers and loggers of the importance of caring
for one’s
natural resources and the benefits they can provide.
Here, alternatives are practiced to help counteract the destruction of
the forest due to indiscriminate logging and to create opportunities for
a higher standard of living for the inhabitants of the area. The Center
for Training and Scientific Research is also located at Santa Rosa. Its
function is to house the varying activities related to the protection of
nature since not only farmers but people in general should know the importance
of their natural resources.
Lodging:
At Santa Rosa we have a basic cabin that can sleep
30 people. It has running water, electricity and shared rooms. We have
made this cabin available
to governmental and non-governmental organizations and all those
interested in learning about The Golondrinas Foundation’s activities.
The Foundation can also facilitate the hiring of
horses to carry visitors’ luggage.
Primary Forest Zone: El Corazón
El Corazón is located in the Cerro Golondrinas Protected
Forest Reserve in primary forest, an abundant zone. Due its fragility,
only low-scale
maintenance is undertaken in this sector.
Lodging:
We have a very basic cabin at El Corazón with running
water and shared rooms that can sleep 14 people.
Specific Volunteer Opportunities
The Foundation is seeking volunteers who wish to participate on specific
projects and who have a good understanding of Spanish. We prefer that these
volunteers stay a minimum of three months or more with the organization
and that they be responsible, creative and easily adaptable to the location.
We need volunteers to help with classes including subjects such as the
environment, ecology, nutrition, handicrafts and English. We could also
use volunteers in administration, project development and marketing.
For those who need to improve their spanish we can recommend an excellent
Spanish teacher in Quito who frequently works with us.
We do offer special discounts based on the length
of stay and on a volunteer’s
abilities and skills which may benefit The Foundation.
The Golondrinas Cloud Forest is one of the richest
areas of biodiversity. Some of the species are endemic. It is also one
of the most exposed areas
to deforestation. There are endless opportunities for research.
The region includes three different ecosystems: the páramo (3,800 – 4,200m), mountainous
forest (1,500 – 3,800m) and premontane forest (less than 1,500m) in the
Chocó bioregion.
Below is a list of researchers and their studies on flora and fauna statistics
in these different ecosystems.
- . Maike Potthast, "Useful tree species"
- . Keith Willmott, "Butterflies"
- . Hermann Antonn, "Bushes and Trees"
- . Niels Krabbe, "The Birds of Golondrinas"
. The Foundation welcomes scientists interested in contributing their knowledge
and work to the improvement, conservation and study of the area. We have
decided on the following as research possibilities.
- . Aspects of forest conservation such as germination, growth
conditions, soil texture, growth of secondary forest, and water
management.
- . Study of different existing tree species as well as the recuperation
of both regional flora and fauna species that are about to become
extinct.
- . Sustainable development in both the cloud forest and the Lower
Rio Mira Valley.
- . Alternatives to using the area’s natural
resources. This includes permaculture, agroforestry, reforestation,
nurseries, fruit
orchards, beekeeping and ecotourism.
The Golondrinas Foundation’s Scientific Studies,
Thesis and Practical Program allows both national and international
undergraduate or graduate students to conduct a project that
contributes to the knowledge of the socio-cultural and ecological problem
in the
region of influence where The Golondrinas Foundation carries
out its activities (Lower Rio Mira Valley) and offers feasible alternatives
to
improve the situation in the area. Consequently, the Foundation
makes its demonstration sites from the mountainous area of the Cerro
Golondrinas
Protected Forest Reserve, Santa Rosa, and Las Juntas to the
Peña Negra
Demonstration Farm available to carry out the varying studies
related to the research subject.
If you are interested in doing a study or research project, please send
us your curriculum vitae.
Health Precautions
Malaria is not a problem in the area. However, you should get all other
vaccinations and take the precautions recommended for a visit to Ecuador.
Things you will need for a comfortable stay: rubber boots, canteen or
water bottle, mosquito net, sleeping bag, light clothing, pants, long sleeved
shirts, sandals, adequate shoes for a tropical climate, flashlight or torch,
knife, hat, bug repellent, work gloves and first aid kit.
We also have a list of birds, mammals, butterflies and trees at your disposal.
For more information about doing research, please do not hesitate to contact
us at rnaturaleza@hotmail.com or fgolondrinas@yahoo.com
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