Biological Reserve

Placement number:  0112
Location: Ecuador
Preferred Languages: Spanish or English
Date: All year
Requirements: None
Minimum Period: 2 weeks

The reserve is located in the Intag Zone of the Imbabura Province, Northern Ecuador. It is part of the Ecuadorian Chocó bioregion, which is one of the ten BIOLOGICALLY MOST IMPORTANT ZONES (HOTSPOTS) IN THE WORLD, according to international organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund and the World Bank.

The Reserve has diverse altitudinal levels, ranging from 1,800 to 4,000m, with temperatures that range between 5 and 23º centigrade. The Reserve covers 2,500 hectares, about 1,500 of which are comprised of cloud forest, the remaining areas are secondary forest, paramo and pastures.

To the Northeast, the Reserve borders the Ecological Reserve Cotacahi-Cayapas, which encompasses 204,429 hectares. The reserve has a wide range of fauna including Andean (Spectacled) bears (Tremarctos ornatus), Dwarf deer (Pudu mephistophiles), and the Cock of the Rock (Rupicola peruviana). There is a great diversity of plants, especially orchids and native forest species such as the Cascarilla (Cinchona succirubra), Arrayán (Eugenia sp.), and Sisin (Podocarpus sp.).

The seasons are not defined but can be described as a very rainy season from February to May, a rainy season from October to January and a dry season from June to September.

Role of Volunteer

We have a conservation project at the reserve, and work with community, the activities of volunteer in the reserve are:

1. Monitoring the reserve to control the damage in the forest or animal in the zone.
2. Reforestation with native species
3. Nursery tree with native species
4. Work with native trees
5. Work with native bamboo.
6. Work with worms
7. Work in small organic farm
8. Work in botanical garden
9. Building of bears sanctuary
10. Monitoring of old ways of bear and pumas in native forest
12. Environmental education with children of community
13. Plantation of corn for bears
14. Teaching in local schools

Volunteer stories

Find out what our past volunteers thought of this placement!

Stephanie Davenport, July 2005
"I have made so many new friends, from the old woman who runs the local shop in the Santa Rosa community to the man with scary dogs who lives down the road from the reserve and tells me to marry an Ecuadorian man so I can live there! All of these people are blessings in my life and I will never forget my amazing month in this spectacular country filled with such culture and spirit for life."

Kate Gustafson, July 2005
"One of the major benefits to volunteering, of course, is the deeper, more meaningful exposure to local people, customs and issues that a work-related commitment makes possible. Along with the beautiful surroundings and the chance to meet new and interesting people, my experience was further enriched by seeing firsthand the challenges that the reserve faces."

Cost

Food                          US$200 monthly
Accommodation         US$150 monthly
Travel                        US$30

Travel

We will wait in the airport for the volunteer, then they stay in a family house for one or two, it depend of number of volunteers, and if the coordinator is in Quito. In the next day, the volunteer goes to the reserve with the coordinator by bus, it take about 4 of 5 hours to Alto Choco station.