Caribbean and South America

Volunteers needed to help with maintaining and supporting an animal sanctuary in Costa Rica.  There are a few different types of volunteering opportunities

Kids Saving The Rainforest are a Costa Rica based Wildlife Sanctuary. They aim to care for and rehabilitate all the animals of the rainforest.

As a day long volunteer you will be given an informative tour after which you will be guided in helping the sanctuary create enrichment for the animals.

Volunteers can sign up to be a long term volunteer for up to a month which will allow you to get much more involved and actually work with the animals.

Charitable Travel can help you plan your next trip to Costa Rica, and can tailor your stay to allow time for you to get involved in this project, which you will need to arrange directly via the link below.

Volunteers are needed to assist with the research and rehabilitation of Turtles in Costa Rica with the Latin American Sea Turtles Project (LAST).

LAST, based in Costa Rica are looking for volunteers to help with several research projects, involving turtles and their habitats to inform future conservation efforts, as well as rehabilitating injured or ill turtles at their rehab centre in San José, Costa Rica.

LAST want to create a future where all inhabitants of the Costa Rican coast, human and sea turtle alike, can live together in balance; where healthy populations of sea turtles fulfil their ecological roles and economic potential; and critical natural habitats are sustainably managed. With close to thirty years’ experience working with Costa Rican sea turtles, LAST Staff are experts when it comes to sea turtle population management, community-based conservation, coastal management and volunteer assisted research.

Volunteers will need to pay a fee to cover lodging, meals, orientation, and training. Find out more about how you can get involved whilst enjoying a trip to Costa Rica via the link below.

Charitable Travel will help you plan and book your next holiday to Costa Rica and can tailor your trip to allow time for you to get involved in this project, which you will need to arrange directly via the link below.

Volunteers can, for a fee, support a local sustainability project, teaching the community and its visitors how to reduce the negative impact on our environment and work with nature, rather than against it.

This 4-week programme combines the chance to volunteer on a working farm with learning about the principles of organic farming and permaculture. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about new and exciting farming methods that are on their way to changing the world in terms of self-sustainable living and food production!

During the program, you will get some first-hand practical experience and knowledge of volunteering in the Ecuadorian countryside, close to the Pacific coast. Seeing the fruits of your labour after a good day’s work in the field is extremely gratifying.

Please note: In addition, there is a part-time permaculture course available.

Volunteer Tasks
Duties are split between the morning and afternoon. Typical morning projects focus on agriculture, sowing seeds, planting, weed, and pest control, fertilizing, composting, caring for the animals, and recycling organic and non-organic waste.

Typical afternoon projects focus on construction, administrative tasks, and work within the local community. Duties include carpentry or construction, mural painting, organization of information panels, maintenance of infrastructure, upkeep of paths and trails, production of foods such as marmalades, sauces, and kinds of vinegar, and communication, and social networking (Depending on your skills and interests).

Working Hours
You will work from Monday to Friday between 8.30 am – 12 pm and 1.30 pm – 4 pm. Wednesday afternoons are “cultural Afternoons” where you are welcome to join a great selection of cultural activities including chocolate making, hikes, shrimp fishing, clay face mask making, crafts with palm seeds and gourds, or just rest in one of the many hammocks and read a book!

A month at this Sustainable Living Project will cost 960 pounds, but it includes all meals, accommodation at the farm, transport to the project, a pre-arrival pack, and 24-hour support. Volunteers are welcome to extend their stay.

NGO Taxi is an organisation helping Latina American NGOs and grassroots organisations to reach their goals.

Volunteers can, for a fee, help at an exotic animal rescue centre in the Amazon.

NGO Taxi is an organisation helping Latina American NGOs and grassroots organisations to reach their goals. One such NGO is an animal rescue centre in the Ecuadorian jungle that is looking for volunteers to help combat widespread illegal animal trafficking.

Illegal animal trafficking in Ecuador is far-reaching, the trade is the fourth most profitable illegal activity in the world. In 2014, the number of trafficked animals rescued by authorities was approximately 8,000. Most exotic animals are taken from their natural rainforest environment in order to be sold on the domestic or international market. Animals most at risk from trafficking are being sold as pets, including monkeys, parrots, different reptiles, and insects.

In recent years, several non-profit rescue centres have opened in Ecuador with the aim to rehabilitate, care for, and release back into the wild captured exotic animals. Although wildlife trafficking is now officially an illegal activity, the law can be hard to implement, especially in the outlying regions of the Amazon, therefore these important shelters are at the leading edge of the fight against illegal trafficking.

Volunteers at NGO Taxi can
– Work closely with vulnerable animals under the supervision of the centre.
– Learn about the process to rehabilitate different breeds of animals.
– Rehabilitate animals and teach them how to survive in their natural habitat.
– Inform both the local population and visitors on issues concerning illegal trafficking.
– Create a lasting relationship between the community and the environment.

Volunteers should stay at the project for at least 4 weeks, to ensure integration and a lasting impact. They can either stay at the project in shared rooms or in a jungle lodge nearby for an additional charge. Meals are included as well as 24-hour support during your volunteering placement.

This is an intense volunteer placement, you will be working with local people at the project 5 days a week. However, it will be a life-changing, authentic experience, as you will interact with amazing animal and plant species in the unique environment that is the Amazon rainforest, as well as immerse yourself in the local culture.

Examples of daily activities are:
– Preparation and distribution of the animals’ food on a daily basis.
– Assisting in constructing and/or maintaining cages when necessary.
– Occasionally helping with the medical treatment of animals.
– Observing & reporting on animals’ health and general welfare.
– Help to clean the general compound.
– Act as a guide for any visitors to the centre.
– Assisting with monitoring tasks by filing reports.
– Collecting daily food supplies, running errands, and other administrative tasks.