Guest Worker

  Canada

• British Columbia: 
Vancouver

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: May 09-Oct 09

Description: Great Bear Nature Tours is seeking a highly adventurous candidate to volunteer as a Housekeeper at our ecotourism lodge on the central coast of British Columbia. We host people from around the world to see the grizzly bears of the Great Bear Rainforest. The lodge accommodates a maximum of 10 guests, thus providing a very personal experience.

Description: Come and experience the beauty and wonder of the Great Bear Rainforest! We will transport you by floatplane to our remote lodge, where you will live full-time for the duration of your stay. Enjoy the unique experience of living in a floating cabin while you explore a remote, uninhabited river valley. Spend time watching bears, eagles, seals, otters, wolves and other amazing wildlife on a daily basis. As Volunteer Housekeeper, you will spend five hours a day maintaining the cleanliness of the lodge and the comfort of the guests in exchange for all of these wonderful activities! This position offers a unique opportunity to work in customer service in the area of ecotourism while living in a spectacular wilderness setting.

Your duties include:
* All housekeeping tasks for the guest lodge. Those tasks may include changing rooms following guests departure, washing dishes, sweeping docks, cleaning windows, washing floors, etc.
* Acting as a welcoming host to the guests when they take breaks from wildlife viewing by greeting them and providing warm drinks/snacks.
* Assisting the Lodge Chef and Head Housekeeper in beverage and meal service and clean-up.

We are a small team and occasionally you may be called upon to assist with other tasks that are outside of this job description.

Highlights: Details:
* Our season runs from the beginning of May through until the end of October. The length of your stay will be 3-4 weeks. We will have more than one Volunteer Housekeeper during the course of the season.
* Work schedule is 5 hours a day (1 pm-6 pm), 6 days a week. This is not a paid position, however, room and board are provided at the lodge, as is transportation between Port Hardy and the lodge. You will also have regular wildlife-viewing opportunities.
* Port Hardy is the nearest town, which is small by most standards. It is 6 hours by car from Victoria and 8 hours by car and ferry from Vancouver.   
* At the lodge, you will be sharing a room in the staff bunkhouse. The bunkhouse is limited in terms of amenities, but is comfortable.
* We work in a rainforest. It can rain daily for two weeks. It can also be sunny for two weeks.
* You will be living and working on a small floating facility, which feels like living and working on a large boat.
* Communication options include limited internet access, and use of the satellite telephone.

Background:
Great Bear Nature Tours has been providing quality wildlife viewing experiences with a strong emphasis on natural history interpretation and minimum ecological impact since 1999. We are fortunate to live and work in a beautiful ecosystem and our goal is to share this special place with guests from all over the world in a sustainable manner. The wildlife call this place home, we are merely guests in their valley.

Qualifications: Minimum Position requirements:
1. Strong interpersonal skills, clean professional appearance
2. Driven to provide excellent customer service and exceed customer expectations on a daily basis.
3. Ability to work cheerfully and independently in a remote lodge, working and living very closely with other staff members and guests.

Highly Desirable additional qualifications:
1. Working verbal ability in any of the following languages: German, Italian, French, Spanish, or Japanese.
2. FoodSafe certification, or other certification for food handling.
3. First Aid training.

Additionally Successful Candidates will:
1. Be self-starters with a strong work ethic.
2. Be independent and respectful of other staff work obligations and personal space.
3. Savor life in a remote wilderness setting with limited access to communication or traditional social life.

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18-65

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Canada Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Resume

Great Bear Nature Tours's Mission Statement: Great Bear Nature Tours has been providing quality wildlife viewing experiences with a strong emphasis on natural history interpretation and minimum ecological impact since 1999. We run an eco-tourism lodge on the central coast of British Columbia and are fortunate to live and work in a beautiful ecosystem. Our goal is to share this special place with guests from all over the world in a sustainable manner. The wildlife call this place home, we are merely guests in their valley.

Year Founded: 1999