Conservation and Ecotourism Volunteers

  Bolivia

Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: any - rolling programme

Description: Madidi Travel currently needs very motivated and committed volunteers to help consolidate Serere, a 4000 hectare area in floodplain (varzea ) rainforest, an area on the Beni river (Amazon headwaters) with four lakes, and a wide variety of eco systems, flora and fauna. The difficult work of exploring, establishing infrastructure, and protection, has advanced considerably. At this stage, with the help of good volunteers, we could make a great leap forward in consolidating services and empowering the local staff. Our staff is composed of indigenous people from the Madidi Mosaic, and some city youth which has undergone rehabilitation after traumatic youth experiences and has an opportunity to develop new skills and enjoy the healing powers of nature.

Volunteers are needed for the following:
1. Translation: our staff is made up of indigenous persons from the Madidi Mosaic who have deep knowledge of the rainforest, but who do not speak foreign languages. Translators are needed to accompany our guides in the tours to help them transmit their knowledge. Translators also help our staff to learn and maintain western standards of living (sanitation, setting tables, making beds, etc.), and help provide hosting services for our guests. If the volunteer can commit for an extended period, the volunteer could also teach English to the local staff.

2. Administration: volunteers are needed to help administer the lodges in the protected area as well as our office in the town of Rurrenabaque from which Serere is provided with all its needs. Volunteers rotate between Serere and Rurrenabaque.

3. Marketing: because the really strong part of our work has been in exploration, monitoring, and generating protected areas, all of which involve field work, our weakness has been in marketing which needs to be done in Rurrenabaque and La Paz. Volunteers are needed to help us develop our marketing nationally and internationally. We are particularly weak in the area of marketing through internet, so people with these skills could contribute enormously.

4. Protection, monitoring and inventory of flora and fauna, and re-introduction of fauna: volunteers are needed to monitor and inventory the flora and fauna of the reserve. Being a flood plain area with so many water systems, there is a considerable presence of reptiles including some in danger of extinction such as black caiman and anacondas. There is also an interesting variety of felines (jaguars, ocelot, jaguarondi, pumas, tigrecillos) which are very endangered and for which we need to develop a program of protection with the neighboring indigenous communities.

We are currently initiating a colaboration with the Senda Verde animal refuge so that we can re-introduce the fauna that is in condition for this to their natural habitat in Serere. Volunteers would get to know the animals and their management in Senda Verde, and then bring them to Serere where they would instruct our staff on their management and assist in their re-introduction to the wild.

5. Cooks: we are establishing a café/cultural center in Rurrenabaque with the objective of giving local youth more access to culture and healthier values, and we have food services in our protected area of Serere. We seek two cooks with experience in the preparation of healthy food, leaning toward vegetarian. The two cooks would alternate between Serere and Rurrenabaque so that they can each enjoy the best of both worlds.

Experience Required: no

Age Range: any

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Bolivia Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Resume

Madidi Travel's Mission Statement: Our mission is to support the conservation and protection of the Madidi Mosaic, one of the areas of greatest biodiversity in the world, through tourism.

Year Founded: 1999