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How You Can Make a Difference:
Unfortunately, Ecuador has the distinction of having the highest deforestation rate and worst environmental record in South America. Oil exploration, logging, and road building have had a disastrous impact on Ecuador's primary rainforests, which now cover less than 18 percent of the country's land mass. From 1990 to 2000, Ecuador lost an average of 197,600 hectares of forest per year. In total, between 1990 and 2005, measuring the total rate of habitat conversion (defined as change in forest area plus change in woodland area minus net plantation expansion), Ecuador lost 19.2% of its forest and woodland habitat.
Watch how you can make a difference....
Internship Available at La Hesperia Biological Reserve and Station
Assistant Reserve Manager: Position available for a minimum of three months and six months is recommended. Qualified and motivated person will assist the reserve manager with her duties and with compliment the volunteer coordinator in his work. Room/ board and a stipend are offered. Call or write for details. This position may qualify as study abroad for credit. (Read more)
FONMSOEAM - THE SMALL SCALE CACAO FARMER'S ASSOCIATION
Great Wilderness is offering an internship for one or two individuals to assist FONMSOEAM, an association of small scale cacao farmers located in the Choco Bio region of northwestern Ecuador. Activities include support to farmer with organizational capacity building, grant writing and computer literacy. Additional, interns will assist farmer's organization in their post harvested daily routine such: bean's fermentation, sun dried, quality assessment, beans classification, storage, etc. Become part of a team working to create a market-based solution to poverty in the poorest province in Ecuador. This group of cacao farmers lives in ancestral communities, some of which are in the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve (REMACH). Write to
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for more information.
Research Assistant and Internship Opportunity Available in the Llanos of Venezuela.
Behavior and demography of the Green-rumped Parrotlet (Forpus passerinus)
Four field assistants are required, two from 1 June – 15 August and two more from 1 September -
Wildlife Conservation- The Endangered Orinoco Crocodile
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2012!
GW supports the Tropical Conservation and Education Center (TCEC) at Hato Masaguaral (HM) in the Llanos of Venezuela. HM is a private preserving reserve whose main mission is the conservation of the endemic neo-tropical fauna such the Caiman del Orinoco and ecosystems of Los Llanos of Venezuela. Both the HM and the TCEC function as one unit promoting active stewardship of the local and international community through various ongoing activities. Such projects include environmental education and awareness programs in local communities and schools, captive breeding and reintroduction programs of endangered species such the Caiman del Orinoco, and local involvement as a strong voice for the protection of the environment in Los Llanos de Venezuela and the region.
Interns will be expected to:
1. Assist in the care and maintenance of endangered Orinoco Crocodile. Interns will be responsible for understanding the specific needs of all enclosed individual within their captive environment.
2. Assist in wildlife interpretative tasks for Masaguaral visitors and tour groups e.g. handling and exhibiting a young crocodile to visitor while relating its life history, present conservation status and answering questions about the specimen.
3. Be involved in ongoing wildlife conservation programs at the HM such as the forpus project, caiman breeding center, monitoring, reintroduction program, etc.
4. Contribute to exhibit design and enrichment; this includes the betterment of animal enclosures, enhancement of viewer experiences and visitor, enhancement of activities and positive enrichment for the crocodile center, improvement of the environment for the animals and landscaping of trails, paths and signs within the hato masaguaral.
5. Assist the HM’s manager with daily activities at the Hato.
Environmental Education
Interns will be expected to:
1. Be actively involved in introducing visiting school groups to the caiman breeding center and Hato Masaguaral i.e. the Masaguaral’s mission and objectives as well as its importance and specific function towards the conservation of ecosystems, and to help in the development of posters, signs and slogans promoting the conservation and protection of endangered caiman del Orinoco.
2. Help in delivering and developing environmental education and awareness lessons to visiting school groups to the hato and caiman center, and to participate in the brainstorming of ideas to better educate the local and international community about the importance of the masaguaral for the conservation and development of stewardship in the local and international community.
3. Participate in community outreach programs currently being held by the Hato Masaguaral and caiman center. Read about our current and past volunteers: (Here)
Map of the Biological Reserves and Research Stations in Ecuador
3. La Hesperia 4. Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve (Fonmsoeam) 5. Guandera Biological Reserve and Research Statiion - Tropical Andes 6. Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve and Research Station- Amazon
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Our goal is to support, strengthen and enhance our partner’s conservation program by sending people who are interested in working and supporting the protection of Ecuador’s native forests and ecosystems. We will supply correct and accurate information about our local conservation programs in order to maximize the volunteer experience and enable Ecuadorian non profits take full advantage of the resources each individual brings to the effort.
Ecuador, despite its small size, is among the sixteen most bio-diverse countries on Earth. Ecuador has over 1,500 species of birds, more than 840 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 341 species of mammals. Of these, 14.2% are endemic meaning they exist in no other country of which 10.2% of these are threatened. Ecuador is also home to over 19,000 species of vascular plants, of which 20.7% are endemic. 
