VOLUNTEERING IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

ENVIRONMENTAL: This project is aimed at reforestation, and is assisted by technical support of the Parque Nacional Galapagos Scientific Station. Its main impact is to reduce the damage caused by the introduction of new species of plants on the island of San Cristobal, restoring the native forests in the area of La Soledad and the Port of Baquerizo Moreno. The volunteers work in the area controlling and eliminating the new plants, in order to allow the planting of native trees in the future. They also look after the plants in the nursery. One day a week a scientist of the Parque Nacional Galapagos comes to supervise and to give a talk about the importance of this project. The personnel also assign projects on short notice and provide follow up guidance. COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The volunteers work together with the families in monitoring plants introduced in the area, and encourage people to plant local vegetation in their garden rather than the newly introduced plants which are damaging the local environment, and in particular demonstrating that local plants can be very effective in decorating gardens. Furthermore, the volunteers help to collect fruit from the estate to take to the canteen at INNFA. This allows volunteers to get to know the poorer children in the community. They also sow local plants with the children, and are in charge of encouraging children to care for the environment. In the school, the volunteers help in the teaching of English. In classes with special needs children, they are especially involved in conducting lessons of the language in question. As a way of teaching the children to care for the environment and of interacting with them, the volunteers will take guided walks with students in the area to demonstrate the environmental projects and use the fresh air to give more dynamic lessons. HYPOTHERAPY For this project we are looking for volunteers who are therapeutic physicists or who have some knowledge or experience of working in this field in the past. Volunteers will work with children with special needs, look after horses, construct their own project with special needs children, and assist with the logistics of bringing the children from INNFA in the port to the estate. * Timetable of work: Monday to Friday: From 09:00 am to 12:00 and from 15:00 pm. to 17:00 pm.