Volunteer in Environmental Project Vista Verde

  Ecuador

• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Pichincha,  Mindo

Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: All year through

Description: The Exchange and Volunteer Program of the Environmental Project Vista Verde is a community option for tourists for those persons who are interested in getting to know the biodiversity of Mindo, sharing with a local family, getting to know their customs and traditions, as well as improving their Spanish skills, while at the same time contribute with their specific knowledge to realize specific activities and works in the environmental and social field. There are individual work plans based on the time and experience of the volunteers.

We also support small villages in the surroundings of our community, inhabitated mainly by farmers dedicated to agriculture, milk products and life stock. We are carrying out the following projects: Trips to the countryside with students, elaborating didactic materials by recycling materials, organizing of vacation camps and dancing, music, theatre workshops, environmental education trips with the children of the Ecoclub La Verde Esperanza, paint aulas, build walls with children, organize social programs and workshops for art crafts with children and teenagers, drawing and painting contests, first aid, environmental and recreational courses at schools.
Pueblo Nuevo needs help at its school. Presently 4 teachers are teaching about 80 children between 5 and 13 years, and there are two volunteers.

Volunteer Work Activities:

We organize a work plan to suit the characteristics of the volunteers (interest in specific activities, know-how, interest in new projects, etc). All works are carried out with members of the organization to avoid any problems or accidents. It is important to have a basic knowledge of Spanish.

-Work at the farm: We have work agreements with educational institutions such as the Unidad Educativa Fiscomisional Técnico Ecuador de Mindo, who have a farm where agricultural work is being done. Here, the students produce vegetables, fruits and other commercial products of our community. Specific works are: prepare soil and sow, cleaning the orchards, building of farmyards for the animals, producing and harvesting vegetables and fruits, production and sale of chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables, works at the gardening.

-Community works: assistance to the villages in "mingas" (community work groups) for cleaning and educational establishment, installation of organic community orchards, production and sale of ornamental plants, training in selling food, production of cheese and other milk products, marmalade made of natural fruits, production and sale of native trees from the region, training in garbage recycling, building of composters, help in building new aulas and areas at schools, help in the construction of greenhouses for the production of ornamental plants, English and computer courses for children and teenagers, technical advising in agriculture and veterinary medicine (for those who are professional agronomists or vets), assistance in child psychology and basic medical services (for professionals in psychology or medicine).

-Training: English courses, IT, graphic design for children and teenagers in the training centers of the community, courses for the elaboration of didactic materials, assistance to the students from the schools and colleges in their homework, workshops for painting, drawing and music.

-Works at the central park in Mingo: general maintenance and cleaning of the park, walls, organizing of cultural events and exposition of the children's works, sow trees and flowers, elaborate information signs (places to deposit garbage).

-Environmental education center: This reserve is property of Amigos de la Naturaleza de Mindo. It is a communitarian environmental organization, and we collaborate with them in environmental education projects for schools and colleges in the region. At the same time we support the Ecotourism Program that takes place in this reserve. Activities are: Maintaining the infrastructure, construction and maintaining of bungalows, paths and bridges, maintaining of gardens with natural medical plants, monitoring and inventory of species, assistance to the local tour guides who do not speak English, help in the countryside trips with students, elaborate information signs for tourists, construction of places to rest or observe the species.

We work 5 days a week, between 6 and 8 hours depending on the activities. The rest of the time is free to enjoy Mindo's nature. A typical day would be: 7 am, go to the village by bus, 7.30 am: start classes. For instance, English classes can be held in the mornings and computer classes in the afternoons. You will have lunch with the children and you can help the mothers to feed their little kids and to clean the kitchen. 4 pm: get back to the village.

Highlights: Mindo is a village with about 2000 inhabitants, located in the north-west of the Pichincha province at a distance of 67 kilometers from Quito city, two hours by bus. It is a small village surrounded of mountains (cloud forest) with nice and friendly people and one of the world's greatest biodiversities. For the native population of Mindo, the protection of its natural resources is vital, because their way of life and their economic survival fundamentally depend on the forests.

Free Time and Recreational Activities
-Weekends are free. We organize tours to different appealing tourist sites, such as regates in the Mondo river and Cinto, visits to waterfalls, canopy, observation of birds, Butterflies and orchids, wandering tours and rapel in the mountains, one tour each weekend.

Services Close to the Community
-Internet: There is Internet access in Mindo (1 USD per hour).
-On weekends we organize tours to different tourist sites Mindo offers (orchids, butterflies, boat races, waterfalls, canopy, rapel, camping, trekking). In Mindo there is a basic health center to assist with first aid and a pharmacy. We also get support from a doctor from San Miguel de los Bancos (20 minutes from Mindo).

Qualifications: To help in our projects you do not need to have any specific profession, just time, creativity and motivation to help in works with the community and with nature, children and teenagers, basic computer skills, or knowledge in teaching children languages, environmental projects or elaboration of didactic materials; depending on your profession, we can organize specific courses and activities during your stay. It is important that you have basic Spanish skills so you can communicate with your host families.

Cost in US$: 300/month

*These costs do not include expenses for individual trips to other sites, nor transports to get to Mindo, nor travel insurance, health insurance and expenses, personal expenses, or administrative costs of our contact organization in Quito, Ecuador Volunteer.

Experience Required: yes

basic computer and Spanish skills, or knowledge in teaching children languages, environmental projects or elaboration of didactic materials

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ecuador Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of depending on activity

Application Process Involves:

• Other

Ecuador Volunteer Foundation's Mission Statement: We are Ecuador Volunteer, an international nonprofit organization founded in 1999 committed to the provision of volunteering opportunities in social, educational and community development in Ecuador. Voluntary work opportunities based around Quito and main programs offer experiences of cultural exchanges, work and help with local people. We arrange voluntary placements in the environmental or community area. The environmental involves working in nature on a wide variety of projects, the community works are about helping street children, elderly people and educating people. We dedicate ourselves to alternative solutions to these problems, to make a difference and create a better world in Ecuador.

Year Founded: 1999