Work on the Reserve - 2007

Male Masked Trogan (Trogan personatus)

Butterfly

Purple-crowned Fairy (Heliothryx barroti)

Forest in Mindo

The main focus of the Mindo volunteer program is to improve of quality of life of the local community and to conserve the area's extraordinary biological diversity.

Environmental projects
Community projects
Life on the reserve

Environmental projects

Native Tree Nursery - starts May

• Construction of a nursery for the cultivation of native tree species and fruit trees.
• Collect native trees from the reserve for the nursery.
• Weed the nursery.

Native plant and tree collection - starts May

• Collection of native plants and seeds for cultivation in the nursery.

Reforestation - starts May

"A single tree absorbs a ton of carbon during its lifetime"

• Clear the land to be reforested
• Prepare the area for replanting
• Transplanting trees
• Weeding

Construction of a butterfly area - starts July

Construction of a butterfly farm where butterflies can be breed, studied and released into the wild.

Establish an organic farm - starts May

• Clearing land
• Build a seed bed
• Plant vegetables, fruit trees and bushes and medicinal plants
• Ongoing maintenance and cultivation

Wormery construction - starts May

• Wormery construction
• Wormery maintenance
• Making worm feed

Feeding Station - starts May

Prepare food for butterflies, hummingbirds and other birds at the Mindo Valley Research Station.

Orquidarium Construction - starts May

Gather orchids in the forest and construct an orquidarium.

Ecotourism Project - starts May

Marking and maintaining trails.

Bamboo Bird Museum - starts July

The world's only bamboo bird museum will be located in Quito's Parque Metropolitano. The museum will display bamboo models of Ecuador's 1,680 bird species.

• Process bamboo
• Help make bird models
• Help paint bird models

Work with the local community

Maintenance of local schools - starts in June

• Paint school buildings
• Repair tables, roofs etc.
• Miscellaneous repairs

Health Campaign - starts May

• Visit local people to give medical advice, medication to treat parasite and information about healthy eating.
• Help with the area's health campaign at the local health centre.

Energy-saving Campaign - starts May

"Replacing a normal light bulb with a low-energy light bulb will prevent the emission of 400 kilos of carbon dioxide a year"

Volunteers will visit local people and give them advice about energy conservation. This will include information about the economic advantages of energy conservation as well as its impact upon climate change. As part of the project volunteers will distribute low-energy light bulbs.

Recycling Campaign - starts September

"The emission of 1,000 kilos of carbon dioxide can be prevented by recycling half of one person's rubbish"

• Advise each family about how they can recycle their rubbish.
• Build containers for recycled materials and put up posters about recycling.

Environmental Education - no set timetable

Educational activities with local school children, either at the field station or in local schools.

English Teaching - no set timetable

English classes in local schools.

Accommodation

While you are volunteering you will be staying in shared accommodation which sleeps up to 26 people. The lodge has flush toilets, hot showers, a kitchen, electricity and is accessible by road.

Health

Mindo has a health centre and there are excellent hospital with English speaking doctors 2 hours away in Quito.

Volunteers must have their own health insurance and will be asked to sign a form resolving Zoobreviven of responsibility in case of accident or illness.

Access

Travel from Quito to Mindo is by road and takes around 2 hours. The return journey costs $3 US.

Weather

There are 2 seasons; the wet season and the dry season. The dry season is roughly from June to September and the rest of the year is the wet season. During the dry season there's plenty of sunshine. In the wet season although there may still be warm sunny weather, there is also mist and rain and it can get quite chilly.

What to Bring

• Torch/Flashlight
• Batteries
• Rubber boots
• Sandals/flip-flops
• Sun hat
• Warm clothing in the wet season
• Waterproofs
• Sleeping bag
• First aid kit
• Water bottle
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Work clothes
• swim suit
• Small pen-knife
• ziplock bags to keep binoculars, camera etc. dry

Conduct on the reserves

• Ecuadorian culture and the culture of the communities around the reserve is different from your own
• Please respect the differences. Please maintain a respectful attitude towards members of the local communities, other volunteers and the reserve personnel
• Don't make promises to people or to the community if you are not sure you can keep them
• The staff on the reserve will provide any help you need. If you have questions or special requests, consult Zoobreviven staff
• Minimize the foreign products you bring on to the reserve
• Reuse plastic, metal and glass as much as is safely possible
• Help separate rubbish generated during your stay in the two waste receptacles provided for inorganic and organic waste.
• Participate in keeping the reserve clean
• Take all rubbish away from places you have camped or walked on the reserve. Disposing of waste is everyone's responsibility
• The use of drugs and excessive consumption of alcohol is prohibited
• Keep the lodges facilities clean

About Ecuador

Considering its size of 230,000 square kilometers, Ecuador has an incredible natural, cultural and racial diversity. Along with Brazil and Colombia it is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet. This is due to its location on the equator and the presence of Andean Cordillera. These factors lead to a surprising diversity of ecosystems, including the amazon jungle, cloud forest and paramo. The Galapagos Islands, famed for their unique natural history are also within Ecuadorian waters.

Ecuador also has much to offer in terms of outdoor activities, hiking, rafting and diving are all possible throughout the year.

Ecuador is small enough that it is possible to have breakfast in amazon jungle, take a 30 minute flight to Quito, visit museums and colonial churches in the afternoon and with another 30 minute flight to the Pacific Coast, watch humpbacked whales in the evening.

The Ecuadorian population is composed of indigenous peoples, Afro-Americans and Mestizos. Each with its own distinct culture and traditions.