VOLUNTEERINGAlthough the Flor de la Amazonía Animal Rescue Group is not based at a particular site at the moment, we are still working in the Amazon region of Ecuador helping to assist other environmental conservation projects and wild animal rescue centres which have the same aims and objectives as us. Our main concern is making sure that all of the opportunities offered through the Flor de la Amazonía Animal Rescue Group are "not-for-profit" and are solely focused on the appropriate support and care of the endangered animals, plants and environment of Ecuador. There is no doubt that we still need volunteers' helping hands during this period. Immediate opportunities to assist involve working with our partner environmental projects and animal rescue centres in the Pastaza region. For volunteers this is a unique opportunity to work with and help a large number and variety of wild animals and plants while living in spectacularly beautiful areas in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. The Flor de la Amazonía Animal Rescue Group, along with all the hard working volunteers that help us all year round, strives to continuously work towards improving the quality of care given to wild animals undergoing rehabilitation in Ecuador and keep working towards developing plant conservation strategies. Our efforts so far have been accomplished essentially with the volunteers’ and the locals’ assistance, few funds, pre-existing facilities, and without government financial support.
OPPORTUNITIES - PARTNER PROJECTS
MERAZONIA ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRE (www.merazonia.org)We are currently working closely with the Merazonia Animal Rescue Centre, a promising animal rescue centre based near the town of Mera, in the Pastaza province. Merazonia requires a great deal of assistance at the moment to build up its resources. It is located in a stunning area between rainforest and cloudforest. Regularly volunteers are able to see wild animals in the area around the Centre - Armadillos, Anteaters, Parakeets, Parrots and Tamarin Monkeys, other wild birds, amongst others. They are developing new enclosures at the Centre and are continuing to work with the local Department of the Environment, and Environmental Police in connection with rescuing more animals to be placed here. We believe that the experience offered here is an excellent opportunity for volunteers.
StatusMerazonia operates with the required Animal Rescue Centre Permit, given by the Ecuadorian Government. Aswell they have direct support of a nonprofit 501 c 3 organization based in the US called Save Ecuador's Animals (SAE) (www.seanimals.org)
CostsMerazonia Centre currently requires a contribution of $85/week/person (includes food, lodging and contribution towards foodstuffs, basic medical equipment and building materials for the development of the centre). Note that Merazonia (just like Flor de la Amazonía) is a non-profit organisation and these fees are to ensure that the centre is able to achieve their objectives, and offer the rehabilitation and conservation programmes that the rescued wild animals and plants of Ecuador need in order to survive.
AccommodationThe accommodation is very basic: gas for cookers, oven and hot showers, generator for a few hours of electricity every day, dry toilets, dormitory style rooms, kitchen with fresh drinkable water and lots of beautiful areas outside to relax after the hard work! It is possible to do small quantities of washing by hand on site, but the easiest is to take washing to a laundrette on weekends (in Mera or Puyo).
What to bring – The WeatherIn tropical forests you can expect it to rain everyday and so wet weather gear is important to have. As it cools down at night, a sleeping bag and some warm outfits are necessary, although there are spare blankets for volunteers to use and the centre provides sheets. A mosquito net is recommended! It is recommended you bring at least four changes of work clothes, as you will become dirty (and wet!) and sometimes clothes are hard to dry. When the sun comes out it can become very hot, so make sure you pack some light clothes and hat of some sort. You will need to bring a torch (flashlight) and wellies (gum boots) to use daily at the centre. Sundays are big market days in Puyo, when families go out shopping, and shops stay open (including Sundays) till 7-8pm. You will find rubber boots easily ($7) in Puyo and Mera -except for the big sizes!
Other useful informationIt is highly recommended that you pack as light as possible and travel with a rucksack -getting to the Merazonia site involves a half hour walk through the (beautiful) jungle surroundings! The week’s food shopping is done on weekends or Mondays, bringing general stocks for the whole group of volunteers back from Puyo and/or Mera. Some volunteers bring back extra stocks at weekends of items like chocolate, biscuits, milk, sodas, alcohol, etc. If you think you will want any of these then please bring them with you!
Working at Merazonia Rescue CentreThe volunteers are responsible for the daily caretaking of the animals that are at the centre. Regular duties are the daily cleaning of all the enclosures and exterior areas where the animals live and the preparation/distribution of the food to all the species of animals sheltered at the centre. Activities vary each week a lot depending on the needs of the animals and the centre. All volunteers have to participate in the wide variety of projects planned for the centre, from building bigger and better enclosures for the animals (a continuous all year round task), improving access paths to enclosures, continuous animal observation, maintenance work, etc. Every day is an adventure! Sometimes there is also the opportunity to assist the resident vet with small veterinarian procedures. Usual working hours are from 8.00 am till 5.30 pm (with regular breaks).In general volunteers have a couple of days off a week. It is highly recommended to spend this time visiting places close to the centre. The most common destinations are Puyo, Baños and Tena. Even so sometimes volunteers prefer to stay at the centre and relax or organise a walk, which is also very enjoyable. You will be required to have a basic level of fitness, as generally most of the tasks consist of carrying heavy loads, using tools like shovels and machetes and walking up and down the jungle surroundings. The minimum age requirement is usually of 18 years of age, unless accompanied by parents or a tutor. For more information about this opportunity please Contact us by e-mail or by phone.
LAS ORQUIDEAS BOTANICAL GARDEN (www.jardinbotanicolasorquideas.com)Las Orquideas is an amazing botanical garden located in the Ecuadorian Amazon just outside the city of Puyo. The garden is a small forest reserve where for thirty years they have been restoring orchids and endangered plants of the Amazon and studying the restoration process in this sample plot of Amazonian forest. Today, the garden is now a healthy functioning forest, complete with almost all levels of the food chain. Orchids flower throughout the year, incredible arrays of spiders and insects come every night to pollinate the flowers and hunt their prey, and occasionally you even spot otters, armadillos, and monkeys. Every morning the staff at the gardens are woken up to parrots, tanagers, and hummingbirds fluttering around the edges of the park. The Tello family started to work on this project in 1980 and now have an incredible interpretative museum on site where visitors can learn about the importance of recovering the natural balance of the surrounding forests.
HelpLas Orquideas needs help all year-round and welcomes volunteers and scientists to come and give a hand maintaining and extending their forest aswell as doing research in botany, ecology, entomology, and ecological restoration.
Activities for volunteers and interns-- Help with an ongoing research project of orchids and their pollinating insects, including photography work -- Assist in maintenence of plant collections, nurseries, and gardens -- Prepare compost, maintain trails -- Look for birds registered on the garden´s bird list -- Design teaching materials for kids and student groups
CostsLas Orquideas asks for a contribution of $80 USD per week for room and board, which includes three meals a day and lodging in a small cabin at the garden.
Basic RequirementsVolunteers and interns should be able to speak an intermediate level of Spanish, and have some experience in biology. It is recommended that volunteers and interns stay a minimum of one month in order to get the most out of their stay. If you are interested email Las Orquideas a letter of interest detailing your experience and reasons why you want to work there. For more info or to send letters of interest send an email to jblorquideas@gmail.com
NATIONALITIESTo date the Flor de la Amazonía Animal Rescue Group is proud to have received the help of volunteers from: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel, South Korea, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Turkey, Holland, Italy, Poland and India. As volunteers are internationally based – and the vast majority use English and/or Spanish as first or second language- during work at the centres you will be expected to understand and speak either of these.
|
|