Volunteer in Sacred Valley of Cotundo
Placement number:
Location: Ecuador
Preferred Languages: English and German is spoken but all volunteers need to know basic Spanish
Date: All year
Minimum Period: 4 weeks
Ecolodge:
The lodge is a beautiful and original complex of bungalows located in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region within the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve. It is only a 4 hour drive (by private car) away from Ecuadorīs capital Quito.
At Huasquila we have 6 comfortable cabins built by native people that live in close-by communities. They are constructed in Kichwa style in harmony with nature.
Huasquila's restaurant has a beautiful view of the protected Amazon Jungle "Reserva Antisana".
At Huasquila you can enjoy the beauty of the Amazon while getting closer to the Kichwa culture and its secrets. We are located in the Sacred Valley of Cotundo, home of Shamans, with its ancient knowledge and fascinating discoveries.
For adventurers we offer rafting and kayaking on the Amazon rivers, one of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of the Amazon Jungle. We also organize expeditions to explore the caves close by and their underground tunnels and water sources.
Project:
Since being an ecolodge, we have looked for ways to contribute to the conservation of nature and culture ot the region. We have designed a Volunteering program which mainly aims at reforesting with native plant species and teaching English to children and teenagers of Cotundo for them to have better job opportunities in the tourism sector.
Our lodge is reforesting a total area of 20 ha. 5 ha will be reforested replicating the natural forest, 5 ha will have natural regeneration. The other 10 ha will be a botanical garden with the main species of the amazon and some tropical interesting plants (mainly fruits). The work is coached by the president of the kichwa community who works with us and who has the knowledge regarding native plants and their uses, with special emphasis on medicinal plants. The goal of the project is to develop a knowledge center for the children of all kichwa communities, whose knowledge is getting lost due to the influence of external agents (television, cell phone, etc). We also want to create a model for other persons to show that it is possible to reforest in the area and which species are the best ones to choose in a reforestation program. The idea of planting fruits is to attract more birds to secure them a space free of hunting and develop the interest of the community in bird's conservation.
Role of Volunteer
The volunteers work is divided in three areas:
1.
Plant and seed collection in the jungle and nursery establishment
2.
Transplantation to the field and maintenance of the planted areas
3.
Special area of interest for example archeology (petroglyphs), community development, etc.
The volunteers who stay over 8 weeks are expected to teach English to the children of the community.
Plant and seed collection in the jungle
: the volunteers will be taught how to distinguish different seeds and the techniques they have to use to transplant these. This means the times in the year, weather conditions, etc. They will establish the nursery with this seeds and take care of the plant until it is ready to be transplanted. They will also take care of the nurseries that have been already established and build (if needed) new greenhouses and beds.
Transplantation to the field
: when the plants are ready the volunteers will plant them on the field. This work includes carrying the plants, caving the holes, preparing the soil and planting. After this the care of these plants is also a duty of the volunteer and also to take care of the plants that have been planted before by other volunteers.
Special area of
interest
: we expect self initiative from the volunteers, meaning that they will choose one are to develop. For example, the petroglyphs are stone carvings that represent the culture of the native kichwa people, the volunteer can either study and lis them, socialize the petroglyphs or research more on their origin and meaning.
Another area is for example bird conservation: to make a catalog of the birds found, to promote birdwatching or establish new spots. Another area can be community development like helping the community to improve their own agriculture practices (pesticide use, organic agriculture, etc). If the volunteer doesnīt develop an own area we can help guiding and giving alternatives. If the volunteer is not interested he/she can decide to specialize in plant and seed collection or transplantation.
The idea is to give every person the chance to learn about nature and culture while helping us to protect the environment and help the community to develop in a sustainable way respecting their own traditions and customs.
Cost
We charge volunteers a daily fee of US$6
for food and US$6 for accommodation.
We have a Volunteer house with 4 rooms, 2 rooms with capacity for up to 5 Volunteers each, and two single rooms. Beds are very comfortable, blankets are provided. Also there is a basic kitchen for volunteers to cook their own food. If we have more than 5 Volunteers at the same time all 3 meals will be provided. If there are less than 5 Volunteers, lunch will be provided, Breakfast and dinner will have to be taken care of the Volunteers themselves. We provide the food.
Travel
Since we are located 4 hours from the airport mariscal sucre de Quito we do not offer this service. However we can give detailed descriptions as how to take the bus from the central bus terminal to Cotundo. We do offer pick up from the bus terminal in Cotundo for free. The cost for the bus ticket is 6 USD one way (2007).
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