Overview

Why not visit one of the new Seven Wonders of the World?

Cut adrift in the Pacific Ocean 1000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador, volcanic forces deep under the sea have thrown up a unique wildlife paradise that’s so popular the Ecuadorian government are about to limit the number of visitors dropping anchor on its unique shores. This makes it the best time to visit this amazing island for yourself, and remember to take a camera so people believe your stories! You’ll be based in a fascinating biological station whose aim is to help preserve the natural habitat of the island and introduce new organic farming methods to the islanders. Tasks include planting new crops, assisting in light building and helping maintain island trails. You can also take advantage of your colleagues’ expertise on various hikes to the island’s lagoons, forests and villages and learn about the ecological and human dynamics of Galapagos.

Trip Highlights:

Itinerary & Details

Project details:
The Jatun Sacha Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation which has been running since 1985. The Foundation is dedicated to the research, conservation, and management of ecologically important habitats, as well as environmental education and community development.

Consistent with past work, one of the objectives of this Jatun Sacha station is to develop the technology to reconstruct the native habitat in the highlands on San Cristobal, and to serve as a centre for similar projects in the highlands on other populated islands in the Galapagos chain. In addition the foundation will be working collaboratively with local landowners to develop clean agricultural alternatives for the production of vegetables and fruits to sell to local universities, restaurants, and hotels.

The habitat restoration consists of eradicating invasive species of plants, especially a certain type of raspberry, in order to plant native trees and vegetation. Currently, the reserve is implementing a biological corridor going from 150 meters above sea level to 550 meters above sea level to demonstrate the different native vegetation at different gradients of the island.

Why the project needs volunteers:
The highland forests of the populated Islands in the Galapagos chain have been greatly altered due to the introduction of exotic and invasive species of animals and plants. Highland conservation, development and poverty issues have been almost completely neglected by conservation, development and government agencies. As a result of the lack of fruit and vegetable production on the Galapagos Islands, boats from the Ecuadorian mainland unload fruits and vegetables to hotels, restaurants, and markets on a daily basis. Quarantine regulations are consistently ignored and at least two exotic and/or invasive plant or faunal species enter the islands each day. Importantly, the local population, lacking most government services and suffering high unemployment levels, is almost completely excluded from working in and benefiting from the tourism industry: tour operators do nearly all their business from their boats, ignoring business possibilities with local Galapagueno's.

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

Your role as a volunteer:
You will work on both the habitat restoration and agricultural components while at the reserve. In addition, foundation staff will lead you on 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 be developed.

A typical week for volunteers might be as follows:

• 1 day work with reforestation with native and endemic species in the reserve and in local farms (collecting seeds, classifying, nursery work, out planting within the reserve or nearby areas, help maintain reforestation lines, etc.) 
• 1 day on environmental education with local people and schools 
• 1 day station maintenance (trail maintenance, sign elaboration for trails, basic construction activities, help clean fresh water supply, help in kitchen, etc.)
• 1 day organic agricultural activities and vegetable production (help maintain and secure food production for the station)
• 1 day guided hike throughout the reserve and/ or nearby related areas (learn about biodiversity themes, natural history and ecology)
• 1 to 2 kitchen duty turns per week, where you will help the staff in the kitchen for the different meals.

There is also the possibility of working on mini projects, although these will not be full days, such as the following;

• Petrels observation: nest finding, clearing around the nests to facilitate the mother’s entrance, birds behaviour.
• Fenology studies and flora inventories: observation and classification of native endemic and invasive species.
• Birds observation at the reserve to determine if they are native, endemic or invasive.
• Germination project: determine the most effective method for germination in vegetable production and other species.
• Coffee production to see the possibility of exportation coffee.

You will be working Monday to Friday for approximately 7 hours per day, weekend work is also available. Occassionally you may need to work a half day Saturday.

Where the project is based:
This reserve is located in the highlands of the island, 45 minutes by truck from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on a 200 hectares site, where there is still native vegetation. The reserve is mainly an organic agricultural and habitat restoration project.

The flight from Quito to San Cristobal is about an hour, this flight will be booked for you and the cost added to your statement at the time of booking. The project is then a 30 minute taxi ride from the airport.

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 fora 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 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 project then a 60-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 team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams 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 team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals 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. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly 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 from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do. 

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

Next Steps

What we will do after you've booked:

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.  Your flight to the Galapagos will be booked to leave on Wednesday morning and arrive in to start your project on Thursday.

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 if outside of Quito.

Flights & Insurance

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.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

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 a

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 72.00