Conserve and help protect the Galapagos Islands, an amazing bio diversity hotspot

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Program Overview
Life on the Program
Program Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

Travel to the Galapagos Islands, an extraordinary and diverse archipelago in the Pacific Ocean and join forces with local communities to conserve ecologically important forest habitats.

You will work on a biological reserve within this archipelago full of fascinating wildlife, some of which is endemic to the Galapagos. Your main focus will be on forestry conservation and reserve maintenance, protecting this amazing environment through the control of invasive species.

The reserve you will be based on is operated by the Jatun Sacaha Foundation, one of many biological stations placed all over Ecuador in critical and diverse forest ecosystems.

Life on the Program

In the Galapagos, you will live and work on the biological reserve on San Cristobal Island, actively participating in native plant conservation, reserve maintenance and nurturing and planting endemic species.

Your work takes place Monday to Thursday starting early and continuing through to late afternoon. The work can be physical and you should be prepared for an exhausting but rewarding experience. On your spare time you are free to relax on the base to get to know your fellow volunteers.

All accommodation is basic, but comfortable. You will spend your first week in Quito, the fascinating and vibrant capital, to immerse yourself in Spanish lessons and the Ecuadorian culture by living with a host family. On project, you will be in shared dormitory-style accommodation.

Program Details

For almost the last 10 years, this project has been focused on reforestation work, replacing exotic invasive plants with native species.

You will contribute to plans that look to construct a native plant corridor with the aim to develop organic processes for plants that are on the approved growing list for the islands.

The impact of invasive species is leading to the degradation of the natural ecosystem that is unique to the Galapagos and so the overall goal at the station is the reforestation of native plants to balance this fragile environment.

Volunteer Testimonials

Many past volunteers have had amazing experiences traveling with GVI. Read what they have to say here.

Latest from the Base...

Wherever you travel, our bases are places of profound discovery, awe-inspiring observations, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Find yourself at home in some of the most remote and pristine environments in the world.

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