Cloud Forest in Ecuador

  Ecuador

• Quito: 
Quito
• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Nanegalito,  Mindo

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks

Description: Teaching English

Eco Volunteer UP gives you the opportunity to have a experience with a different ecosystem and culture in the Cloud Forest of Ecuador. Passion for English language develops due to the rapidly growing tourism industry, and country's desire to get access in to the global economy. A country blessed with cultural and natural majesty, tourism emerges as an increasingly viable means of generating income. Knowledge of English might be helpful to attract more tourists and expand the horizon of tourism business in many English speaking audiences. Many local schools requested to send English speaking volunteers and help them to achieve their goal of speaking English in native way. Our English teaching projects in Ecuador are located in the Las Tolas village, a village surrounded for by picturesque landscapes and beautiful Cloud Forests. Teaching English in village and staying at Urcu Puyujunda allows volunteers to experience the wonder of this country whilst making positive impacts on the future of children. Volunteers will have the opportunity to explore villages, local life, culture, and to learn Spanish. Most of the volunteers working in English project work as a teacher in a public school with children and artisans of town. Responsibilities of volunteers include: teaching simple English and practice conversation English. Additional help on game, health, sanitation, nutrition and extra curricular activities might be requested.

Work on Urcu Puyujunda Organic Farm

Rising health problem and idea of sustainable development making organic farming popular agricultural practices in Ecuador. Work on Urcu Puyujunda Organic farm in Ecuador offers volunteers opportunity to live and work on an organic farm located the beautiful village of Ecuador. Volunteers support ongoing organic farming program aimed develop socially and ecologically sound organic farming practices for and learn more about areas organic farming, reforestation, and environmental issues in Ecuador.

Conservation Project

The slopes of the Andes are dressed with a wonderful dense ecosystem: the Cloud Forest. This ecosystem, also called "Andean eyebrow" due to its generous vegetation, is one of the most diverse in the world. Many of its characteristics are similar to the rain forest. However, since it's not flat but on a slope, the sunrays are able to penetrate deeper inside the forest, thus giving place to exuberant and unique life forms. Work as a volunteer in a Cloud Forest offer you exceptional opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this place and help to preserve the amazing natural resources of Ecuador. Working in the natural place will give volunteers an exceptional life in the clouds. Volunteers will involve improving the existing infrastructure of this invaluable forest and protecting existing flora and fauna. Works include: planting tree, maintaining trails: cleaning them of plants with a machete, improving trails: building stairs or fences for safety and constructing new trails.

Environmental Researches

Ecuador reminds one of those mystic and mysterious places that are very difficult to find in developed world, therefore Ecuador is the perfect destination for people who love nature and adventure, its natural beauty cannot be compared. The hospitality people and marvelous history turns this place in the perfect spot for spending your volunteer.
Urcu Puyujunda is considered one of the world's tops-five biodiversity hotspots. There are many species of plants as ferns, orchids, bromeliads and epiphytes. Also may species of Fauna. The volunteers and Scientifics that are interesting to start any project for their own, we are very open and help to all information that they need.

Accommodation
The volunteers that choose any of these projects in Cloud Forest will stay at Urcu Puyujunda Eco-lodge. The place counts with 6 cabins, each cabin has a private bathroom with a balcony for watching birds and bedding provide.

The volunteers can stay from 15 days to three months at any time of the year because community needs support. The volunteer can choose any of the projects or Urcu Puyujunda provides you a determined project. There will be a native guide all the time which help you for all your necessities. The schedule is about 4 or 6 hours per day. You have day off for traveling or share with the local people. The food is healthy and very good prepared for the cooker of Urcu Puyujunda.

Highlights: Volunteer in Cloud Forest

The volunteer program in Cloud Forest is located in Urcu Puyujunda Eco-lodge, 3km from Las Tolas village near to Mindo, with 350 species of birds. Urcu Puyujunda areas also offer the world richest bird biodiversity, unexplored wilderness, natural and archaeological remains, and vibrant landscapes with 80% of native forest and 20% of organic farm for the milking of the cows. It is a small place with 200 inhabitants; they came from other towns to this area for better conditions of life. The community was dedicated to cultivate sugar cane, actually they dedicated to the cattle rising, to craft and to exploitation of woods. People of town are very friendly and helpful. They have a little school, a communal meeting and a church; most of the community is catholic.The Yumbos culture lived in the northwestern from 13th to 16th centuries, one of the archaeological remnants of this culture are the Yumbos pool (located in Tulipe town at 9km of Urcu Puyujunda).

Some people is worry about exploitation of the woods and the waste contamination in the forest of Ecuador especially in Cloud Forest, this problem has many ecological disasters; other people think that they can not do anything about it or the problems are big that escaping from their hands, therefore we need people worry to save the Cloud Forest and to teach English to the children community of Las Tolas town. Volunteers or scientists are very welcome.

The volunteers of the project can benefit from the experience of and learn about a different ecosystem and culture (local life) They can improve their Spanish language and also play traditional sport with the community, two days of the week you can camp, hike, fish and explore the Cloud Forest and play. The volunteers will receive a certificate at the end of the programme. Overall it's a great experience.

Qualifications: Volunteers which wants to conserve the forest and share with the local community.

Cost in US$: 2 weeks: $240, 3 weeks: $330, 4 weeks: $430, 6 weeks: $625, 8 weeks: $795, 10 weeks: $980, and 12 weeks: $1150

All the prices include transport in, lodging with private bathroom in a single and double accommodation, all meals, activities, guide and tax.

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ecuador Independently Or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Resume

Eco-Volunteer Urcu Puyujunda's Mission Statement: Urcu Puyujunda is an organization designed to help people and disappearing Cloud Forest near Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Our main objective is to help the children, who are the future of the country, especially those with the fewest economic resources. Urcu Puyujunda is also involved in conservation of 'mother-earth' (pacha-mama), and is working to save the planet one step at a time. There are many orphanages, special Institute for disabled children, they need help, so the volunteers who are interested in these projects are very welcome.

Year Founded: 1999