Volunteer at our Working Hacienda Ecolodge

  Ecuador

• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Otavalo

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Throughout the year, Trimester, Winter 
Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: all year

Description: Wilderness Ecolodge is a working hacienda with a wide variety of produce, encourages environmental education in local schools and promotes community tourism. We are located in a rainforest reserve. This is a great option for travellers looking to combine a trip to the Ecuadorian tropical forests with a hacienda experience. The same family has owned the hacienda for over 90 years.

The Ecolodge has large rooms, spacious suites, a gourmet restaurant, a pool and is part of a working horse and cattle ranch. Activities offered include horseback riding, guided jungle hikes, mountain biking, white-water rafting, and an autoferro train ride. Hotel guests can explore the lush tropical surroundings and the many waterfalls through various excursions or participate in daily farm activities such as cattle herding or milking the cows. The ecolodge maintains an eco-friendly atmosphere by promoting local conservation, reforestation and responsible travel.

The forest reserve has primary and secondary forests, and guests can hope to see a variety of tropical birds such as parrots and toucans. The lush forests surrounding the hacienda contain the largest amount of flora and fauna per square meter than anywhere else in the world. The tropical forests are abundant in endemic species, epiphytes and orchids. An additional bonus is the proximity to good white-water rafting.

Wilderness Lodge donates computers to the local high school, and donates paint for the church and local school. At Christmas we invited all the children from the three communities around to the hacienda to experience the Christmas spirit with games, lights and presents. We are pioneers in the natural recycling and water treatment techniques in the area, our reputation presides us everywhere in the world by the experiences of our customers.

This project is part of Ecoteer - the solution to travel and volunteering on a shoestring.

Ecoteer is a unique volunteer opportunities agency - offering a directory of cheap volunteer work opportunities, volunteer jobs abroad and working holidays. Our volunteer opportunities are cheap because we have eliminated the middleman slashing the price to volunteer abroad for gapyears, careerbreaks and working holidays. Ecoteer is leading the way in a new type of volunteer work opportunities abroad and is changing the volunteer and working holiday industry back to what it used to be benefiting both the volunteer and the volunteer project.

We have other opportunities in ecotourism, conservation, humanitarian aid and teaching in other 50 countries.

To volunteer with Ecoteer you need to become an Ecoteer volunteer member which costs only £20 per year.

Visit our website to search more of our cheap volunteering opportunities.

Highlights:
Role of Volunteer:
We want volunteers who can help with environmental education at the local schools, first aid, tour guiding and general host and help at our lodge. We will adapt your stay to your skills.

Qualifications: None needed

Cost in US$: USD 100 per week

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18-80

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

Participants Travel to Ecuador Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post-Program Services Include:

• Job and Internship Network

Ecoteer's Mission Statement: To help locally run grass root organisations to achieve their aims via attracting paying volunteers and tourists. Plus we personally help develop and improve the projects we work with to help them to achieve their objectives.

Year Founded: 2005