• Volunteer in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru.
  • Make a difference in a variety of dynamic projects.
  • Flexible program options allow you to volunteer from one week up to six months, depending on the country.
  • Build your resume while gaining global experience in your field of study.
  • Take advantage of our fundraising guide to help you pay for the cost of your Volunteer Experience!
Volunteer Experience Latin America

Volunteer in Ecuador

Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in a program at one of five different biological reserves, contributing to biodiversity conservation, community development and sustainable use of natural resources.  Ecuador is a country of many geographical contrasts, extending from the Amazon rainforest of the Orient and the high altitude forests of the Inter-Andean region, to the forests and beaches of the northern lowlands and the Galapagos Islands. Biological reserves are located in each of these different regions, many in extremely threatened areas, where the land in the reserve is among the last remnant of an area high in biodiversity.

The principal aims of the reserves are the conservation of eco-systems and cultural diversity, environmental education, sustainable development projects, and research that promotes the improvement of the quality of life of people living in the zones of influence of its activities.

Program Options

Volunteers are not tourists and are expected to work full days like all other employees of the station. Interns should be able to undertake strenuous and sometimes tedious labor in a hot tropical climate under primitive living conditions.

Activities vary between the reserves and some activities are dependent on the season.  Volunteers may be involved in the following:

  • Plant Conservation: collecting seeds, reforestation, medicinal plant garden development, nursery work, and clearing areas of invasive species.
  • Community Work: teaching English in local schools, environmental education and community visits.
  • Sustainable Income Generation: implementation of sustainable agriculture and aquaculture projects, crafts and agro-forestry.
  • Supporting Local Research: assisting in collecting data for local research
  • Wildlife: monitoring projects with birds and bears.

There are currently six reserves available. For an overview of what each reserve offers, follow the links below. 

Amazon

The Amazon Biological Reserve in located in the province of Napo in Ecuador. Of the six stations, Amazon is the oldest, and was created in 1986 out of the need to have a conservation, investigation, and education center to host scientists and students interested in the tropical rainforests. The present size of this reserve is 2,000 hectares (200,000 acres), created by donations from various individuals and organizations concerned with the rapid loss of the tropical rainforests. This reserve is located in an Alpha Biodiversity Hot Spot, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. To find out more click here.

Bilsa

The Bilsa reserve conserves a critical remnant of Ecuador's coastal wet forest, of which less than 1% remains. Located in the Mache Mountains in the north western coastal province of Esmeraldas, this area has a unique composition of flora and fauna, internationally renowned for both its diversity and rarity. Rare animals found at the reserve include the Jaguar, several small cat species, the Long Wattled Umbrella Bird, the Giant Anteater and abundant populations of the threatened Mantled Howler Monkey. To find out more click here.

Congal

The Congal Biological Research Station was founded in 2000 in order to protect Ecuador's endangered coastal ecosystems. The Station features beach, estuarine, mangrove, wetlands, and wet tropical forest habitats, which account for the region’s high biodiversity and local endemism. The purpose of the Station is to develop projects in the fields of conservation, organic and environmentally friendly aquaculture, farming and forestry. To find out more click here.

La Hesperia

The 814 hectare (81,400 acres) Hesperia Biological Station is situated in the western lower reaches of the Andes.  More than three hundred bird species have been identified at La Hesperia; 19 are endemic to the region, and 7 are vulnerable or in danger of extinction. Although the area is extremely important for the conservation of biodiversity, deforestation remains a constant threat. To find out more click here.

San Cristobal

The San Cristobal Biological Station is located on the Galápagos Islands, off the west coast of Ecuador. The recently established reserve was established on a 200 hectare site (20,000 acres) in the highlands of San Cristobal Island. The objectives of the project are to reconstruct the original forests on the island, and to provide viable agricultural products for the local population to grow. Volunteers will work on habitat restoration and agricultural sustainability while at the reserve. To find out more click here.

Program Dates

Volunteer from two weeks to six months.  Volunteers can start anytime of the month, but all volunteers need to attend a half day orientation session in Quito before traveling to their reserve of choice. Orientation sessions take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only.

A special visa is required to remain in Ecuador for more than 90 days. Volunteers are expected to work 22 days per month. Volunteers are expected to work an average of 6 to 8 hours per day, depending on the activities they carry