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WEEKS 1 & 2 Volunteer Project

Each volunteer work project runs for the first two weeks and is operated in partnership with well-established conservation organizations including not-for-profits, government and non government organizations (NGOs), private industries, and local grassroots groups. Projects are based in various locations throughout Ecuador.

CONSERVATION & SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS

Alto Choco

The Alto Choco Reserve is located in the Intag zone of northwestern Ecuador. The Intag is part of the Choco-Manabi corridor, an ecological bioregion that stretches from southwestern Columbia through Ecuador and into Peru and has been declared one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. The Zoobreviven foundation, through the work of volunteers at the Alto Choco reserve, seeks to protect and restore 6,000 hectares of this crucial habitat through restoration and community education. Set in a remote location, nestled in a valley surrounded by Andean cloud forest, volunteers will engage in a diversity of tasks such as:

• Seed collection and preparation for the nursery
• Trail building and maintenance
• Monitoring for Spectacled bear activity within the reserve
• Teaching local children about the value of conservation
• Preparing corn feedlots for the local bears
• Creating crafts from bamboo
• Maintenance of the botanical garden

Campo Cocha Community Project

The community of Campo Cocha, on the bank of the Arajuno river, was founded in 1968 when 6 Quichua Tribe families settled in 460 hectares of land given to them by the Huoarani people for settlement, along with 2,452 hectares of primary forest earmarked for conservation. The community was not recognized by the government until 1998. Today, Campo Cocha is an autonomous Quichua community of 80 families, the local school is bilingual (Quichua and Spanish), and its members hope to develop a sustainability program that includes community-based tourism, organic farming, and management of the reserve. Volunteers will help Campo Cocha's program by:

• Remodeling the community center
• Teaching basic English to children in the community
• Making a communal medicinal herb garden
• Creating educational materials for visitors

Ilinizas Project Conservation and Community Development Program

The Ilinizas project is located in Chaupi, a small town of 1,000 people located at the base of El Corazon, Iliniza Norte and Iliniza Sur peaks. In 2005, the community approached ISV and asked for its support in an effort to raise environmental awareness and begin a conservation program. In 2006, ISV volunteers worked on remediation efforts of the local watershed, engaged local children in environmental awareness activities, and worked alongside community members in their farms. Tasks on-project include:

• Trail building and creating awareness signs within the reserve
• Reforestation of native species trees
• Teaching English and further developing the children's library at local schools
• River clean-ups and community garbage pick-up efforts
• Painting educative murals portraying themes of environmental ethics and cultural pride
• Local community workshops discussing the premises of environmental Conservation
• Working on local farms with the community's elderly

Rio Muchacho Organic Farm and Outreach Project

The Rio Muchacho Farm supported the development of the nearby Rio Muchacho Environmental School, helping build a future of environmental awareness and conservation through the education of local children. This school is the model for the Schools Outreach Program created especially for ISV volunteers, whereby nearby schools are selected to participate with ISV volunteers in extending the model of the Environmental school to surrounding communities. ISV participants have the opportunity to work with school children and their families recreating components of the model such as:

• Environmental education through play with community schools
• Furthering fundamentals of community development and cultural interchange
• Constructing playground equipment created from locally available and recycled materials
• Building or reinvigorating small school gardens
• Designing and painting ecological murals in the schoolyard

Farm life includes:

• Daily maintenance and feeding of farm animals
• Working in the kitchen to prepare traditional meals
• Elaboration of coffee, chocolate and artisan crafts
• Farm chores and light work in the organic garden

This particular region of the Ecuadorian coast has suffered from massive loss of mangrove forests to the shrimp industry. Canoe tours are available on days off to visit some of the remaining stands of this protected Mangrove habitat located on Isla de Corazon.

Puerto Machalilla Whale Research and Community Development Project

The coastal fishing village of Puerto Machalilla is located aside Machalilla National Park, internationally renowned as the premier whale watching center in Ecuador. The Association of Caba–as and Restaurants of Puerto Machalilla members united to develop alternative forms of economic sustainability based in tourism. ISV volunteers will further focus this trade on ecotourism, founded on the seasonal transmigration of the threatened humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) along the coast of South America. The goals of this project center on sustainable development and environmental education, specifically targeting the valuation of threatened species through scientific monitoring of whale activity. ISV volunteers will reside with local fishing families within Machalilla.

Volunteers will work locally to further environmental education and sustainable development goals through the following activities:

• Collaborating with Pacific Whales in the collection of whale activity data and contribution to an international photo catalogue for whale identification purposes
• Utilizing local family fishing boats to monitor whale activity
• Community environmental education through play activities with local schools o Development of the shore side Malecon district
• Basic English classes with community members and local school children
• Building educative signs targeting Humpback Whale awareness
• Designing and painting ecological murals with local children to raise environmental awareness and further the development of the Malecon shore side district

Fundacion Pro-Bosque; Protected Area Cerro Blanco Conservation and Community Development Project

The distinctive tropical dry forest, which comprises Protected Area Cerro Blanco, is unique to the private organization's location on the western coast of Ecuador, outside of Guayaquil. Foundation Pro- Bosque's mission is to manage government designated protected areas with emphasis on reforestation, agro forestry, environmental education and eco- tourism. The end result being to aide in the conservation of the biodiversity within the tropical dry forests of coastal Ecuador. The principal objectives target protecting and rehabilitating this significant habitat. In 1995, the foundation outreached to the nearby community of Puerto Hondo, which maintains a protected area of mangrove swamps known as the Manglares El Salado, in order to further their economic diversity and community development through environmental education and extensive training. ISV volunteers are accommodated in family home stays throughout the humble town of Puerto Hondo.

Volunteers will help meet these goals by:

• Feeding birds and mammals and helping with other maintenance chores at the Animal Rescue Center of Cerro Blanco
• Maintenance of the nursery which contributes to reforestation efforts
• Working with community children and juveniles at the Puerto Hondo Ecological Club
• Teaching English to adults and juveniles
• Help build two puppet theatres to teach children the basic principles of environmental education
• Building a jungle gym, made of locally available materials, within the reserve

Cantalapiedra — Alandaluz Conservation and Community Development Project

Located on the Southern Coast of Ecuador, next to the nationally renowned Machalilla National Park, Cantalapiedra has operated as a private wildlife sanctuary for 18 years. The name signifies "So that the silent rocks may return to sing again", which points to pro-active reforestation efforts as a means to retain and return water to once desiccated stream beds. The motto of Cantalapiedra is based in the belief that ecologically viable living yields economically feasible results. The organization has worked closely with nearby communities in upholding this motto by initiating sustainable development efforts. The canopy zip lines strung across the reserve offer an exhilarating perspective on the work you will undertake in Cantalapiedra.

ISV volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in the following work tasks:

• Each ISV group will take part in remedying a portion of the new Cantalapiedra children's environmental learning center
• Each ISV groups will be tasked with completing a portion of a new "ISV 2008 Trail" leading from the environmental learning center to the reserve
• Work on the organic farm including maintenance, harvesting and processing fruits and vegetables for the reserve's self-sustenance
• Signing the many endangered species plants and trees in the reserve along with various trails
• Maintain the butterfly pavilion

Forest Reserve Network and Conservation International Projects

In 2007 ISV, Conservation International, and the Network of Private Forest Reserves in Ecuador recognizing the need to support private conservation initiatives in the Choco-Manabi corridor agreed to work together on 5 projects that will need volunteers to:

Inty Llacta Reserve: This family owned reserve seeks to preserve stands of cloud-forest and restore land used for pasture through reforestation and agro forestry efforts. The goals of the reserve are to achieve sustainability through both agriculture and ecotourism. A mile-long canopy tour of the reserve provides a unique bird's-eye-view of the cloud forest contained in the reserve. As part of the Inti Llacta management plan, the community of Bellavista is included in educational and community building activities.

Participants will volunteer in tasks such as:

• Helping lead Canopy tours for local tourists
• Agro forestry research
• Local flora inventories
• Teaching at the local grade school
• Restoration of the Bellavista community cente

Ecological Reserve Bombolli: Considered an Ecological Farm, this reserve was originally purchased as an investigative effort in how best to recuperate a zone impacted by monoculture farming and deforestation. Decades of reforestation and conservation efforts have proven a success in the recovery of primary and secondary forest. The family owned farm hopes to transmit their experiences with ISV volunteers through the practical knowledge of working on an eco-farm while instilling an appreciation for the wonder of this Montane cloud forest.

Volunteers will participate in tasks such as:

• Eco farm planting and harvesting
• Reforestation of endangered species plants and trees, especially rare orchid species and epiphytes
• Milking of cows and basic livestock maintenance
• Producing milk products such as cheese, yogurt, butter and caramel
• Developing their basic medicinal plant knowledge
• Participation with local school children in volunteer work at the reserve
• Building live fences throughout the reserve as a means to preserve available resources

Maquipucuna Reserve: Located in the cloud forests of the Chaco-Andean bio region, the Maquipucuna Reserve strives to contribute to conservation efforts and responsible management of natural resources through investigation, protection, education and production based in principles of participation and equity.

Volunteers will participate in tasks such as:

• Trail building and maintenance
• Work in the orchid, fern and organic farm
• Community work with a women's artisan group
• Teaching English classes
• Environmental education instruction
• Harvesting and producing coffee

Host Organizations/Communities:

• Zoobreviven
• Rio Muchacho Organic Farm
• Nuevos Horizontes/Campo Cocha
• Puerto Machalilla
• Fundacion Pro-Bosque; Cerro Blanco
• Alandaluz-Cantalapiedra
• El Chaupi Community
• Red de Bosques with Conservation International

WEEKS 3 & 4 Adventure Tour

Day 1: Arrive in Quito (D)
You will arrive in Quito from your volunteer project. After checking-in at the hotel, you will visit the middle of the world village, stand in front of the Equator Monument, straddle the equatorial line, and enjoy a local meal.

Day 2: Quito to Otavalo (B)
Otavalo is home to the largest native market in South America and the ideal stop to purchase souvenirs. You will have the chance to observe a true Andean market and try your hand at haggling. Back in Quito, it's a night out on the Mariscal district where tourist and locals mingle at street-side cafes and venues.

Day 3: Quito to Sigsipamba (B)
A short drive south of Quito will take you to the crags of the Sigsipamba climbing area. A twenty minute walk through a quaint family community brings you to the foot of the rock. Professional guides will have beginner and intermediate climbs set up. Half the group will warm up bouldering and trying their moves on the local rock face, while the rest of the group hikes through the lush foothills of the Andes. Later that afternoon, we will continue on our road south to the Tambopaxi lodge for a night of acclimatization.

Day 4: Cotopaxi (B, L, D)
An early departure for the group to the Cotopaxi Glacier at over 13,000ft! The park encompasses Andean grasslands, locally known as the 'Paramos', and the Cotopaxi Volcano (19,460ft). You will strap on crampons and grab an ice ax for professional instruction on glacier travel by local qualified guides. After a serious day in the mountains, we will stay at the beautiful Tambopaxi mountain lodge.

Day 5: Baños to Amazon, Rafting/Biking (B, L, D)
Travel to the adventure capital of Ecuador. On this action packed day, you will ride a bicycle down a winding mountain road. After the bike descent, the group will board rafts for an exciting run down the Pastaza River. At the end of the rafting trip the group will transfer to one of the world's most precious bioregions, The Amazon.

Day 6: Amazon Jungle, Hike/Canoe (B, L, D)
The day will start with a morning hike to a secluded waterfall led by a certified naturalist guide. Another hour by canoe will bring us to the confluence of the Pastaza and Puyo rivers. Tonight's jungle lodge is owned by a local Shaman. Afternoon and evening activities will include swimming and a night jungle hike led by our local guides.

Day 7: Baños, OAP Waterfall Rappelling/Puenting (B, L, D)
On this day participants will fill their adrenaline quota by rappelling down 150 ft waterfalls in secluded cloud forest canyons and by going 'Puenting'. 'Puenting involves jumping off a 100 ft bridge for a 30ft fall and a 100ft arc pendulum over a mountain river.

Day 8: Baños, Horseback Riding (B, D)
As an OAP participant, you will horseback ride through the cloud forest and across streams and canyons. The "healing hot springs" of Ba–os are famous throughout Ecuador. Enjoy winding down below the spectacle of a cascading waterfall!

Day 9: Baños to Montanita (B)
Today the group travels from the eastern slopes of the Andes to the lazy beach town of Montanita, known as the ultimate surfer's destination in Ecuador. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the local shops and cafés, walk on the beach, or catch up with some well deserved rest. The night is free to enjoy the surf/beach atmosphere of the town.

Day 10, 11: Montanita (B) OAP Whale watching, snorkeling / surfing (B, L)
The group taking the OAP will travel 35 miles by boat to the 'Isla de la Plata'. Along the way participants will have the chance to see the Antarctic Humpback whale population arriving for their mating season; and then jump in to snorkel with tropical fish. The following day you will head to the beach for 2.5 hrs of surfing lessons by local professionals.

Day 12: Montanita, Surfing II (B)
This OAP activity will allow you time to hone your new surfing talent as you move up to surfing level 2. Spend the day catching waves with style and finesse!

Day 13
Finally! A day off to rest from all your adventures and enjoy the beach and some last minute shopping before the transfer to Guayaquil and the amazing Iguanazu hostel for a night of billiards, fussbal, and swimming pool fun.

Day 14
Time to say farewell or better yet "hasta pronto" to Ecuador and take your experience home!