Environmental education
The main purpose of this program is to educate the community with its students, teachers, the general public etc. about the importance of conservation of these precious Islands. A population who understands the value of conservation in general, and benefits of conserving Galapagos in particular is indispensable.
More importantly, the people must clearly see how conservation issues related to their daily lives, society, culture and economy such as conservation consciousness will naturally lead people to become more proactive and therefore take greater responsibility in ensuring that wise, ecologically sound decisions are made in and about Galapagos.
To reach this goals a wide program of educational activities for the community, courses and training workshops for teachers and programmed activities for schools are developed day after day.
Eight didactic field guides for teachers as well as didactic support material specific to the Galapagos Islands created for a real environmental program are intended to increase the student's understanding and analytical capacity of important environmental topics.
Another part this project also means to check garbage and that people sort out their trash as they should. Its not the most glamorous job but its an important part as people need to be told if they do wrong in order to do it right in the future.
Depending on what needs to be done and where the volunteers work they might help with:
-Teaching students from the community about the importance of conservation.
-Help to prepare workshops about conservation for the people in the communities.
-Teach how to recycle garbage.
-Check that people in the communities are recycling in the right way.
-Arrange and go on hikes with students to learn about the nature.
-Prepare material to use when teaching students about the nature and conservation.
Getting there
Participants will after paying the $110 entrance fee to the national park in the airport on Baltra island travel on their own with local transportation over to Santa Cruz island and all the way down to Puerto Ayora where they take a taxi to the family who is waiting. The ones that continues to Isabela islands takea the boat in the harbor and on arrival to Isabela island the host family will wait for them in the harbor to take them to their home.
For the transportation the participants need to calculate about $10 from the airport on Baltra island to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz and another $65 if they continue to Isabela island and back again.
Participants normally leaves the host family in Quito at 07:00 and arrives to the family in Santa Cruz at 13:00 and 16:30 in Isabela at 16:30 (17:30 mainland time)
Accommodation
Participants will live in a host family that provides with three meals per day. They will have a shared room and a shared bathroom and to get to the project they will walk about 10 to 20 minutes.
Please remember that there are NO ATMīs or banks on Isabela island so participants need to calculate and bring money for their hole stay on the island from the mainland, after all Puerto Villamil is just a village on the beach.
Location
Isabela, Galapagos IslandsSanta Cruz, Galapagos Islands
Requirements
Advanced beginners or intermediate Spanish recommended.
Open-mindedness to live and work in a different culture.