Why not help protect animals and their homes?

It’s no wonder that this sanctuary splits its time between protecting the environment and animals because the futures of both are interlinked. The other similarity is that both will wow you when you first set foot here! The Parque Amazónica La Isla intends to replicate the Amazonian ecosystem and is full of flora and fauna as well as monkeys, tapirs, macaws, toucans and caymans. If you’ve got a passion for animals you’re probably keen to protect their habitats too, and this project gives you experience of both as well as guiding tourists around the centre. In your spare time you can also enjoy all the other pleasures of jungle life like white-water rafting, hiking and kayaking. 

 

Project details:
Working with one of the two largest NGOs in Ecuador. Its first station now protects about 2,000 hectares (4,940 acres) of tropical wet forest, of which 70% is primary forest and the remainder is secondary growth. Field research has demonstrated that the forest is also among the most biologically diverse areas on the planet. In 1993, the International Children’s Rainforest Network declared Jatun Sacha the 2nd Children’s Rainforest of the World. There are 18 staff, who are all very welcoming and keen to help volunteers whenever possible.

The Station is located on the southern bank of the Upper Napo River, at an altitude of 450 meters above sea level, in the Province of Napo. The average yearly temperature is 25 degrees C, it rains close to 5,000 mm per year on an average of 200 rainy days. The lowest Rainfall is during the months between November to January and the highest occurs between April to July. June is normally the wettest month of the year.

There are approximately 250 different species of trees in one hectare, and close to 1,500 species of plants in the same area. 17 new species were found within the reserve. There are 112 species of reptiles and amphibians, 222 species of orchids, and 51 species of mammals (among them pumas and jaguars), so far.

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:
There are a large number of conservation activities that you could get involved with. Typical examples of activities could include:

Planting seeds, re-potting, weeding, cutting roof material, and constructing habitats (for example, a new pond for fish, cayman and turtles). Work here is structured and varied. A typical timetable might be:

• 2 days a week: organic farm project
• 2 days a week: centre for conservation of Amazonian plants
• ½ day per week: handicraft project
• 1 day a week: trekking into the jungle
• 1 day a week: lecture on a specific subject

Additionally, everyone generally takes a turn at spending a day on kitchen duty and going into the forest with the park guards.

Where the project is based:
The biological reserve is located near Tena, in eastern Ecuador. Tena is 30km from the biological station. It is a city with access to a post office, internet café, restaurants, travel agencies and banks. It takes 2 bus journeys which total around 6 hours to get to Tena and a further hour to get to the station but the journey is worth it when you reach your destination.

Accommodation is in cabins on site and is basic but comfortable.

You will need to arrive at Quito International Airport (UIO) on the specified start date.

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 orientation accommodation in Quito, this will be in a comfortable homestay and likely to be a shared room with another volunteer. You will have a group orientation meeting with the in-country coordinator on the Tuesday morning, and a trip to Mitel del Mundo in the afternoon.

Travel to your placement will occur on Wednesday morning and you will start work either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday monring.

If you choose to take the language lessons add-on you will spend the remainder of the week in Quito - please contact the us for more information on what this involves. You will then start your placement the following Monday, travelling on Saturday.

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 your orientation accommodation. One additional night accommodation is included in this payment; if you require more than one night please inform the team.

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 60.00