These projects preserve some of the few remaining tracts of tropical forest from extinction and give you the chance to enjoy the amazing diversity of nature and wildlife. Conservation work in Ecuador involves a variety of activities, including jungle hikes, reforestation activities, maintenance and weekend visits to villages in the area. Stays longer than four weeks include rotations among a variety of reserves. You can also request conseravtion on the Galapagos Islands as part of your rotation, (please contact the i-to-i office for availability).

Project details:
We currently provide volunteers to several reserves across Ecuador: three in the cloudforest on the mainland and one on San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands. All the reserves are part of Ecuadorian non-profit, non-governmental organisations. We have also recently joined with a coastal conservation project based in Parque Nacional Machalilla that focuses on eco tourism and reforestation.

Why the project needs volunteers:
With deforestation being Ecuador's largest environmental problem, a huge effort is now being made by both national and private reserves across the country to preserve what remains.

Much of the work at these reserves is dependant on having the necessary labour. That is not to say that it would not get completed without i-to-i volunteers, but it would certainly take much, much longer!

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
General fitness and lots of enthusiasm is definitely needed for all the reserves. Volunteers also need to be ready to take on any tasks that may be required of them, and to get dirty in the process!

Your role as a volunteer:
While there are a large number of conservation activities that are broadly similar across the reserves, each has its own unique aspects. Typical examples of work that could be required at the specific reserves are as follows:

• La Hesperia: Sustainable agriculture, reforestation, collating biological inventories, community integration, and COB eco-construction are all typical activities at this project. You will also get involved in educational activities and eco-tourism and will have the opportunity to participate in hikes and workshops, as well the opportunity to teach English to local children and project staff.
• Alto Choco: Native tree nurseries, reforestation, botanic garden, environmental education in community schools, organic orchids.
• San Cristobal: Habitat restoration and agricultural components, various hikes to a nearby lagoon, native forests, beaches, and local villages to explain the ecological and human dynamics of Galapagos. Opportunities to work on group research and monitoring projects will also be developed.
• Trees nurseries, reforestation, Organic Farm, worm projects, feeders, Orchid Garden, Eco Tourism, environmental education with the school and community, Ecotourism, Health Campaigns in the Community.
• Andaluz and Cantalapiedra: Garden and farm maintenance, community work with children or teaching English to the Adults, working in the wildlife sanctuary, reforestation and eco-tourism guidance.

Where the project is based:
Depending on the length of the project booked, it is common for volunteers to visit more than one reserve as part of a rotation, spending four weeks at each. You will be allocated to the project with most need at the time of your arrival, however if you have a preference please get in touch with your nearest i-to-i office, you will need to specify if you wish to include the Galapagos islands as part of the rotation as there is a supplementary fee to join.

La Hesperia is approx 2 and 1/2hrs west of Quito in the Pichincha province. Please note that in order to reach the reserve you will have to walk for between 20 and 40 minutes both up and down hill. Work with the communities requires a similar amount of walking. The nearest main town to the reserve, Santo Domingo, is 45 minutes away and buses run past regularly throughout the day.

Alto Choco is approx 5 hours north of Quito. The facilities are more basic here and the project a little more remote.

The project on the Galapagos is based on the island of San Cristobal and will require a flight from Quito which is not included in your placement fee and will be added to your statement at the time of booking.

Mindo is located approx 2hrs from Quito on the lower flanks of the western Andes in the province of Pichincha. You will be staying in a guesthouse on site.

Alandaluz and Cantalapiedra are based in the Parque Nacional Machalilla on the coast of Ecuador about 300km South West of Quito.

You will need to arrive at Quito International Airport (UIO) for all placements and after spending two nights in Quito for orientation you will travel onto your project.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching or Community Development project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

Having arrived on the Monday, you will be taken to your accommodation in Quito. You will have a group orientation meeting with the in-country coordinator on the Tuesday morning, with your placement starting on the Wednesday. If you choose to take the language lessons add-on you will spend the remainder of the week in Quito - please contact the Latin America Team for more information on what this involves. You will then start your placement the following Monday, travelling on Saturday if out of Quito.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

If you have already booked but still need insurance then you may still be able to take our tailored policy. If, however it was more than a few days ago then try the links below:

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to the orientation accommodation. Accommodation payment for any extra nights will then be made in country directly to the accommodation (approx 14 USD per night) or for the accommodation upgrade (approx 30 USD per night).

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 41.00