FARMS

This project consists of several tropical fincas (farms) and is situated in and around Puerto Quito, a village at 140 kilometers Northwest of Quito, about 3, 5 hours by bus. About 300 bird species can be found in the valley of Puerto Quito. The fincas are situated in an area with tropical rainforest at the Caoní River. Main ingredients of your stay at those fincas are relaxing and learning all about nature. Main reason for most of the travelers (mostly backpackers) from all over the world to come to Puerto Quito is to make excursions to one of the many waterfalls that can be found in the area, the primary rainforest and the tropical farms where you can taste different sorts of tropical fruits (arashá, zapote, papaya, pipa, cacao, orange, pineapple ....). There is also a possibility to make your own chocolate from the cacao bean and to eat it afterwards.

Volunteers can work at different places: at the tropical fruit farm where they will teach you how to grow pineapple, coconut, papaya or ginger. At another farm you can help out with the reforestation, maintaining the forest, etc. At the chocolate farm you can make your chocolate but also work in the tropical garden and teach at the school nearby. In the village Puerto Quito itself you can help out in the community: teaching all different aspects and point out the importance of nature to the local people. When you stay for 1 week, you could choose the finca of your preference to work at (if there is enough work that is) when staying longer than 1 week you'll rotate to the different fincas.

What can you do as a volunteer at Fincas Tropicales?
- Help at the fruit farm
- Braid reed roofs
- Maintain the garden with medicinal plants
- Help to cook
- Learn how to make chocolate
- Learn how to make jewelry from nuts
- Go with excursions for a special price

Basic information:
Minimum:                    1 week
Spanish:                     Average - good
Working hours:          8 hours a day (Saturday: 4 hours) off on Sunday
Traveling time:           3, 5 hours by bus, North West of Quito

The Bospas Forest Farm is situated about 200 kilometers North of Quito, a journey of about 4, 5 hours. Bospas is a family farm with a strong belief in perm culture philosophy and practice. The owner, Piet Sabbe, is a Belgian who came to Ecuador in 1990 as a technical assistant to an indigenous project in Otavalo. Now, after about seven years of tree planting, he has turned 15 hectares of barren, abandoned land into an island of vibrant green. He has a passion for hiking and exploring new trails in the surrounding mountains. His wife, Olda Gabriela Peralta, is a native Afro-Ecuadorian from the coastal port city of Esmeraldas. She is an excellent cook of local exotic dishes based on banana, peanut, coconut and corn, flavored with the many tropical fruits produced on the farm.

They have two cute little daughters. Both Piet and Olda are pioneers of nature conservation in the Río Guallupe watershed, which they combine with tourism. They are also members of a farmer organization "El Progreso" and involve the local community in their activities. The area is malaria-free with an average temperature of 22ºC

What can you do as a volunteer at Bospas Forest Farm?
- Seeding, planting, weeding, etc.
- Giving education about perm culture, agro forestry, erosion control, watershed management
- Help out with construction
- Constructing roads
- Cutting weeds with the machete
- Harvesting bananas (you'll get a diploma afterwards!) and pineapples
- Fighting the leafcutter ants
- Maintaining the irrigation system

Basic information:
Minimum:                    4 weeks
Spanish:                     Basic – average (Piet speaks English)
Working hours:          Monday till Friday from 7 am till 12 am and from 2.30 pm till 4 pm. Saturdays you'll work from 8 am till 12 am
Traveling time:            About 4, 5 hours by bus from Quito

The jungle-town Misahuallí is situated at about 7 hours of traveling south east of Quito. One hour from Misahuallí lays the more known town Tena (capital of the Napo province) that is slightly bigger. A lot of jungle tours start from Misahuallí because it's situated near the river Napo (a branch from the Amazon River) over which you'll go down into the jungle by canoe. The village is very laid back and has, besides the approximate 400 habitants, wild monkeys walking around the town square and along the riverside. People swimming or washing themselves in the river is also a common sight.

What can you do as a volunteer at the Butterfly Farm project?
- Teaching at the local school in Misahuallí or in one of the communities around Misahualli
- Prepare your classes for the next day
- Work at the butterfly garden in the afternoon
- During the high season you can also help out at the hotel: serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, selling drinks behind the bar, selling souvenirs, etc are just a few of the possibilities

The school in Misahualli is two streets away from the hotel where you'll sleep. The other schools are in the communities of Muyuna, Puyuna, and Chiripuna. To Muyuna you will usually go by canoe, a 5 minute trip and to the other 2 communities it is a half hour walk. Teachers, children and parents will be utterly thrilled about receiving (English) classes, especially in the communities.

Besides giving classes at the communities you can also help them with other projects like a botanic garden, giving information about hygiene and health, starting small tourism projects to earn some more money, etc, etc.

In general you'll be rotating between the different working places. You can for example work at the schools in the morning and at the butterfly garden in the afternoon. A thing like a work itinerary doesn't exist; you'll decide your workload per day. In any case, discuss the work with Pepe and / or Margarita. Please keep in mind that life in the jungle is going slow!

Basic information:
Minimum:                    4 weeks
Spanish:                     Reasonable - good
Working hours:           About 7 hours per day, free in the weekends
Traveling time:            7 hours from Quito

Rio Muchacho is an ecological farm at the coast of Ecuador, close to Bahía de Caráquez. Río Muchacho is also a small village with nice wooden houses for the volunteers. They have a main building with a kitchen and room where the volunteers can relax. At the project you can find horses, chickens, pigs and guinea pigs. At the farm they grow maracuya (passion fruit), pineapple and bananas in an ecological way. Rio Muchacho also has social activities in the weekends in communities close by. And in the weekends it is possible to visit the laid back village of Canoa to enjoy sea, sun and beach. Rio Muchacho is a project where you have to work hard in difficult circumstances, like working the whole day in a warm, tropical climate. You learn a lot about nature and how you can maintain yourself in these circumstances. Rio Muchacho is not a malaria area. Usually you will be here with other volunteers but sometimes also with groups of tourist.

What can you do as a volunteer at Rio Muchacho?
- Work at the farm and the plantations
- Take care of the animals
- Give guidance to and show around tourists that come to visit the farm (are not always there)
- Teach at the school that is being maintained by Río Muchacho
- Help the family with cooking for the volunteers

Basic information:
Minimum:                 4 weeks
Spanish:                  Reasonable
Working hours:       8 hours per day, Saturday afternoon and Sundays free
Traveling time:       From Quito about 9 hours

This project takes place in a reserve and at a farm. The reserve is managed by a family (that lives on the farm) and is located in the cloud forest, in an ecological hotspot in the world. Main objectives for the reserve are to minimize agriculture, forestry and tourism activities. The farm is in the same valley and has a botanical garden, a tree-nursery and beginnings of an organic coffee plantation. The surrounded area is well known for tourism. Nature conservation is the main subject in this project. Interesting is that you will learn about yourself as well besides the daily work in the reserve and at the farm. There are also side activities concerning education and networking and thus more socially.

What can you do as volunteer at “el Quinde”:
- Activities in tree-nursery
- Activities at the coffee plantation
- Being active in the botanical garden
- Organising educational activities for visitors and groups
- Guide visitors
- Educate guides

Basic information:
Minimum:                    4 weeks
Working hours:           In discussion with the project
Travelling time:           1, 5 hour from Quito

This hacienda is a family owned touristy and agricultural hacienda (farm/ranch). It is located 3 hours south of Quito and 45 minutes north-east of the city of Baños, focused on tourism, at an altitude of 2700 meters. Natural environment, organic agriculture and sustainable tourism come together within this farm. Along with the wonderful gardens surrounding the main house, the hacienda encompasses an area of 200 hectares of protected primary cloud forest. At Hacienda Manteles you also work together, in the development of projects, with the community of San Jorge. This community is located 10 minutes away from the hacienda.

Working activities/program:
- Recycle program
- Creation and maintenance of trails and ecological signs within the cloud forest reserve
- Organic agriculture
- Taking care of horses
- Irrigation channel
- Reforestation program
- Environmental, English and computer education
- Tourism internships
- Construction of a house for volunteers

Basic information:
Minimum:                    4 weeks
Accommodation:        At the hacienda
Meals:                        Three meals provided by hacienda Manteles

This is a family owned hacienda located in the North of Ecuador in the province of Esmeraldas, nearby the town of Rio Verde at the sea. The family Arroyo who is also the contact person owns the area of this project. This project is started to protect the rainforest. Within this rainforest many different species of tropical birds, animals, plants and trees are found. They are working on finding ways and manners for a sustainable protection of the environment. Besides this they are also searching for manners to develop agriculture in a way that it won’t cause damage to the environmental aspects and to grow different vegetables and fruits in best ways possible. Another fact is that they work with the people of the nearby community to help them improve their education.

Working activities:
- Research within the different species of birds, plants and trees in the rainforest
- Growing fruits and vegetables
- Organic agriculture
- Construction
- Educational activities in one of the small community schools

Basic information:
Minimum:                   4 weeks
Spanish:                    Reasonable
Accommodation:        At the hacienda
Working hours:          In discussion with the project
Traveling time:           7/8 hours from Quito