Volunteer in Galapagos

Description

The Galapagos Islands are located on the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, about 960 km from continental Ecuador. The islands have a volcanic origin, and consist of 13 large islands, six smaller islands, and forty-two small, barren islets.
Millions of years ago, continuous under-sea volcanic eruptions produced huge masses of submarine rock, which pushed upward to the surface of the sea. The submarine volcanoes gave origin to these islands, which comprise one of the most amazing places on Earth.

The Galapagos Islands were declared a National Park on 1959, and were designated a World Humankind Patrimony in 1979. The islands are also a Marine Resources Reserve (since 1986), a Whale Sanctuary (since 1990), and a Marine Biological Reserve (since 1996).

The Galapagos Islands have been an Â?evolution laboratoryÂ? since the English scientist Charles Darwin visited them on 1835. Darwin spent five weeks studying the unique flora and fauna of the islands, and this remarkable place became one of the cornerstones for his revolutionary book about evolution, Â?On the Origin of SpeciesÂ?.

The islands are inhabited by widely diverse fauna such as giant turtles, sea lions, penguins, land and marine iguanas, gulls, blue-footed and red-footed boobies, masked boobies, and finches (of course!). Viewing these beautiful creatures in their natural habitats makes visiting the Galapagos an unforgettable experience.

During the 1960Â?s, the first tourism operations started in the Galapagos Islands. Since the beginning, the delicate environments have been responsibly and carefully protected, but the popularity of the islands has been the development engine for the ecological tourism industry. Today, tourism accounts for 80% of the income for the islands, and is the major base of the economy. Other sources of income are fishing (6%), cattle (5%), general merchandise (4%), crafts (3%), and general agriculture (2%).

Requirements:
Minimum 18 years old

Requirements

Group Minimum and Maximum

4 - 10

This volunteer opportunity is situated on a farm with 50 hectare plot of land located in the tiny 15 family farming community on the island of San Cristobal in the Galapagos.
The plot of land itself is extremely impressive, as it borders the national park and affords astounding views of the native forests of the Galapagos all the way down to the islandÂ?s eastern and western shorelines.
However, the farm is so much more than a plot of land with a view. The farm is defined by the work that the volunteers accomplish. The mission of the farm is to strengthen the environment and community simultaneously. Virtually all volunteer programs in the Galapagos focus solely on the environment and neglect the problems that the local people face. The small number of organizations that do address social issues pay no attention to the environment. This farm is different. It is the only volunteer project in the Galapagos that combines environmental concerns together with those the social issues faced by the local community. The volunteers on this project tackle social and environmental issues as one translating the farmÂ?s mission into action.

How Do Our Volunteers Make The Island A Better Place?
·Reforestation � The Galapagos are under siege from invasive species. Invasive species overrun small farms destroying livelihoods and they choke out the endemic forests which Galapagos tortoises, mockingbirds, and finches depend on for survival. Our volunteers spend much of their time removing invasive species while planting and nurturing native and endemic species in their place.
By 2020, the aim of the farm is to rehabilitate all of the 50 hectares, which covers three endemic ecosystems Â? the transitional zone (between the arid lowlands and the upper moist zones), the miconia zone, and the escalesia zone. Once all the land is restored, Galapagos tortoises will be reintroduced.
Furthermore, volunteers help local farmers clear invasive plants from their farms. All the farm asks in exchange is the farmersÂ? promise that they will care for a portion of their land where the volunteers will plant native and endemic vegetation.
·Community Work � Every month, children from INFA (the local equivalent to family services) come to the farm to hike, horseback ride or play games with the volunteers. At the same time these children are enjoying the outdoors, they are taught to value the environment through educational efforts. The hope is that these educational efforts will manifest into more sustainable habits, livelihoods, and ways of thinking as the children mature.
Each week, one day of labor is dedicated to the ongoing replacement of the 8 km water pipe that provides water to the community.
·Self and Community-Sustainability � The volunteers maintain their own organic garden, milk their own cows, and grow, dry and roast their own coffee. Because more product is produced than can be consumed, the remainder is donated to INFA.

Cost (per person)