VOLUNTEERING

A typical day :

7:30 a.m : breakfast for the team and volunteers
8 a.m : disinfect and cut animal food
9 a.m : the center opens its doors to visitors
10 a.m : various activities: cleaning paths, building toys and infrastructure for animals (environmental enrichment) , cleaning the house, cleaning animal feeders, distributing water to animals, etc.
1 p.m : meal
3 p.m to 4 p.m : resumption of previous activities
4 p.m to 5 p.m : second distribution of food for the animals
5 p.m : the center closes its doors to visitors

Examples of special tasks: caring for baby and sick animals, assisting animal caretakers with the care and deworming of animals each semester, administering treatment to sick animals, etc.

The house is located inside the park itself and can accommodate up to 18 volunteers at a time. Located in the heart of the forest and close to the animals, it is well equipped with an industrial kitchen, a washing machine and a dryer, a rest area, showers with hot water, a desk, a library, WI-FI and a video projector for resting times. The rooms consist of dormitories for 6 people.

The center provides volunteers with a bed and 3 meals a day, but does not provide luxury products such as sweets, chocolate, etc. However, the village is only 10 minutes away by taxi (cost $4) and it is easy to get these products there.

Every day, the volunteers receive instructions from the coordinator for the different tasks to be done during the day. You will also receive a lot of informations on each of the animals, their ecology, their behavior and their current conservation status.

Work tools and disinfectants are also provided, but they must be used responsibly.

At the end of the stay, the volunteers receive a legal certificate attesting to their collaboration, with stamp and signature, which they can add to their resume.

Volunteers have one day off per week, which they can dedicate to different activities such as hiking in the jungle or meeting indigenous communities. The city of Puyo offers several entertainments such as botanical parks, a walk on the banks of the Rio Puyo or even the tasting of local food. The nightlife in Puyo is lively, walking through the streets you will find cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Near Puyo is the town of Baños, where volunteers can experience extreme sports such as rafting, bungee jumping, mountain biking or trekking, as well as enjoy the thermal waters during their visit to the magnificent and imposing Tungurahua Volcano.

At the center we speak 3 languages : Spanish, French and English. It is not essential to speak Spanish to come and help us, although it can be useful to know some basics.

Volunteers should bring comfortable, waterproof clothing to work in the sun or in the rain. Rubber boots will be very useful for working in the park and to avoid mosquito bites.

At least a week.

We recommend that you ask your doctor about the possible illnesses that you can contract in South America. During your stay, you should always keep in mind basic rules, such as not consuming food or fruit juice sold on the street.

Only the tetanus vaccine is recommended.

Malaria is absent from the upper part of the Amazon, where the Paseo de los Monos is located.

The cost for a week of volunteering is 175$ USD . This money is used to cover the costs incurred for the volunteers and 30% of this sum is invested in the project.

Payment can be made when booking, through the bank account of the Los Monos Selva y Vida Foundation, or directly on the day of arrival at Paseo de los Monos.