Role Overview
Since the discovery of the Galapagos Islands, giant tortoises have been exploited by almost every group of people who have visited (whalers, pirates, and scientists), as well as the people who live there. Between 100,000 to 200,000 giant tortoises were removed and killed in two centuries. From hunting, to habitat alteration, to the current biggest threat - the introduction of animals now acting as predators and competitors, the giant tortoise population was almost wiped out on Isabela Island. The Giant Tortoise Breeding Center was started in 1990 in attempts to recuperate the giant tortoise population through its program of breeding, care, and reintroduction to the wild, as well as through education programs for tourists and local people. These reptiles, emblematic of the Galapagos, are imperative to the unique Galapagos ecosystem. The Breeding Center depends on volunteers to work with caretakers, experts, and educators to repopulate this species.
As the Galapagos Tortoise Center conservation volunteer, you will work with staff the Galapagos National Park at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center on Isabela Island. You will work primarily outdoors in the shaded tortoise enclosures. This will include:
Building New, and Improving Existing, Infrastructure: renovating a classroom for program use, maintaining, and painting the center.
Providing Education: local schools participate in field trips to the center, instilling stewardship for the environment in the nearly 600 K-12 children who attend school on the island; creating a junior park ranger program that promotes scientific learning while promoting a sense of ecological agency and care among young people.
Requirements:
Accommodation
Accommodation is provided by one of our carefully selected host families or in our volunteer housing. In both types of housing, volunteers have their own room, a fan, bed, desk, dresser, and bathroom, as well as warm water and drinking water. In our volunteer housing, breakfast is not included, but you have access to our fully equipped kitchen facilities to cover your needs. Lunch and dinner is provided at your choice of various restaurants in town, which are usually open-air seating with local cuisine. You simply sign for your meal and we’ll pick up the bill at the end of the month.
Our host families have experience with outside culture and international living and provide an amazing immersion experience. All host family houses are nearby the IOI offices and the local schools in the beach town of Puerto Villamil. Homes are fairly simple, clean, and welcoming. You will have breakfast and dinner with your family. Lunch is at the above mentioned restaurants.
We at IOI pair you with your host family, and we are available at any time to help if any issues arrive with the restaurants, your host family, the volunteer site, if you get sick and need to visit the doctor, etc.
Participation Fee
The program fee is necessary to cover your cost of living and logistics. Our overhead is covered by other means so 100% of any funds that exceed your direct cost will go towards the project you participated in.
To book you need to pay a Reservation Deposit.
That deposit WILL BE DEDUCTED from your program fee.
What’s Included
Cost includes food, full room and board, permits, Transient visa, local coordination and training at respective facility, local transport, full access to our facilities, etc.—everything minus personal expenses, travel insurance, and your airfare to Galápagos.
**To safeguard our host local communities, staff, and other participants, IOI requires all participants to be fully vaccinated within the past 12 months. If by your project start date it will have been over 12 months since your full-scheme vaccination, you will need to show proof of a COVID booster**
Schedule
Schedules are based on a 25 hr/week commitment, and can voluntarily be extended to a regular 40hr/work week. Typically Monday-Friday 7:30AM-12:30PM. May be subject to change depending on the tasks at hand.
After breakfast with your homestay family or in our volunteer housing, you will start the morning at 7:30, cleaning the tortoise enclosures and feeding the many tortoises at the center. Work directly with park staff to learn about tortoise care, help in the incubation and hatching center, and interface with visitors to the center.
On Galapagos you can live a Pacific Island life. This means you can choose between a lot of free time activities including surfing, soccer, beach volley, etc.
Cost includes food, full room and board, permits, Transient visa, local coordination and training at respective facility, local transport, full access to our facilities, etc.—everything minus personal expenses, travel insurance, and your airfare to Galápagos.
The program fee is necessary to cover your cost of living and logistics. Our overhead is covered by other means, and thus, 100% of any funds that exceed your direct cost will go towards the project you participated in.
Accommodation is provided by one of our carefully selected host families or in our volunteer housing. All our rooms have a private Bathroom, warm water, a fan, a bed, and a desk/dresser. Many of the host family housing include A/C.
In our volunteer housing, breakfast is not included, but you have access to our fully equipped kitchen facilities to cover your needs. Lunch and dinner is provided at your choice of various restaurants in town. You simply sign for your meal and we’ll pick up the bill at the end of the month.
Our host families have experience with outside culture and international living and provide an amazing immersion experience. You will have breakfast and dinner with your family. Lunch is at the above mentioned restaurants.
Arrivals are on Mondays and departures are on Saturdays or Sundays. Project staff will pick you up and drop you off on these days. Please ensure this works with your travel plans.
Assistant in a Giant Tortoise Breeding Center
Work with national park staff in tortoise care, from new babies to adults. Work with public education of visitors to the Breeding Center.
$704/week
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