Bear Tracker Volunteer Tasks

Bear Tracking

Bear Tracker on the job By far the most common task for a volunteer bear tracker! We have several wild bears fitted with radio collars that are currently roaming the cloud forests of Intag. Volunteers head out on hikes each day (Monday through to Saturday) to track these bears using specialised radio equipment. At each pre-determined land-mark (referred to as stations) we take a compass bearing in the direction of the loudest signal. A days worth of such readings are then combined using triangulation to work out where our bears are located.

We are currently the only project in the world tracking bears in this way on a continual basis. As such, the data we are gathering on the activity of the bears (whether they are moving or stationary), on the size of their home ranges and on the type of habitats they prefer is all new information. As a volunteer the data you gather will be used to help advise both government and non-government organisations on how best to establish and maintain forest reserves for the Andean bears.

Please be aware that in an effort not to disturb our bears (and possibly unnaturally influence their movements) we take most of our readings at a distance. Bears are masters of the art of concealment and even on the few occasions where we are close enough to hear our bears and see bamboo move as they brush past, we very rarely see the bears themselves. By far the most frequent sightings are when the bears enter corn fields during the corn season (April to August) and this is the best chance you will have of seeing a bear in the wild.

Where we hike depends completely on where our bears move to (as much as we'd like to, we can not direct the movement of our bears!). Walks differ greatly in difficulty, terrain and scenery. For a more detailed look at the walks we use, check out the bear tracker walks section.

Night Monitoring

Cage Monitoring

We have several cages positioned around the forests near the Volunteer House. These cages are how we catch our wild bears so that we can then fit them with radio collars. The cages are made of large steel plates and contain some form of bait in them (usually the leg of a cow). When the bear pulls on the bait the door drops shut trapping the bear inside.

When a cage is triggered it begins emitting a radio signal to let us know that it has caught a bear (or a jaguar, or a curious dog). It is vital that volunteers check for this signal as often as possible as the longer a bear is left in a cage the more agitated it will become and may possibly injure or even kill itself in an attempt to escape.

Monitoring the bear cage takes only ten minutes and is generally done once in the morning before setting out and once in the evening when we return. If possible we will also check the cages while on a Bear Tracking Walk, depending on whether the cage is in range or not.

In the case of a cage being activated volunteers will assist experienced, full-time staff in immobilising the bear in the cage. This may involve hiking very quickly to the cage location (usually deep in the forest), helping with the tranquillisation of the bear and then finally helping fit the radio collar, take measurements and relocate the bear.

Cage Relocation and Maintenance

Volunteers maintaining a cage From time to time cages need to be visually checked and re-baited. If needed then volunteers will be asked to assist one of our permanent staff to do this. The cages are usually high up in the forests, as far away from humans as possible and so this work often involves long hikes with two or three days of camping.

Usually the bait in the cage is the leg of a cow (the bears are attracted to these more out of curiosity than hunger) and the team will need to carry this with them to the cage location. Once at the cage, bait is changed and the door of the cage is greased to ensure smooth operation. The radio transmitter is checked to make sure it is working properly and the cage is camouflaged using chopped bamboo.

Cages that have previously resulted in a capture or that have not had any success for a long period of time may need to be moved to a new location. The cages can be dismantled for transportation, breaking down into ten large sheets of steel. Volunteers may be asked to carry cages down from their current locations and to new locations. This is heavy work however and not all volunteers are suited to this job. We give you the option to help or not in this case!

Trail Clearing

We use a variety of trails when tracking bears and many of these wind through dense forests and bamboo fields. We use different paths as our bears move from one location to another. Paths may go unused for several weeks or even months and in these cases we often need to clear away the bamboo or hanging vines that have grown over the trail.

Occasionally our bears may move into new areas (an exciting event as it means their home ranges have been extended!). In these cases we often need to make completely new paths through the forest.

Willing volunteers are supplied with a machete and are asked to help clear these trails. We provide basic safety training on machete usage and most volunteers quickly master the art of felling a five meter high bamboo stalk with a single swing (bamboo is a fast growing grass-like plant and a controlled amount of clearing actually helps keep the forest healthy, giving the larger, slower-growing trees a chance to establish themselves).

Although we have had no serious injuries over the years from machete use, there is a potential danger. If volunteers are uncomfortable using a machete then we happily find other ways for them to help out. We also encourage volunteers to rest frequently and, if they are feeling tired or are losing concentration, to stop work for the day. We would much prefer to come back another day to finish the job, rather than spend an evening looking for a missing finger!

Site Investigation

On the trail to find a new site In the past our study area has been contained to the small farming region around Santa Rosa, in Intag. With enough funding and a steady input of enthusiastic volunteers we are hoping to expand our study to include surrounding communities (and perhaps one day other countries in South America!).

As part of the planned expansion volunteers may be asked to travel to neighbouring communities and investigate potential sites. This may involve talking to locals in these communities, finding potential bear habitats, and exploring forest trails looking for evidence of bears in the area (such as markings on trees, faeces and food scraps).

In the near future we may make frequent use of secondary locations. Volunteers may be asked to spend time living in these new areas helping establish bear work there. Most likely this will be a job offered to longer term volunteers with a good grasp of Spanish.

Corn Field Planting

Andean bears love corn and one of the main points of conflict between bears and farmers is the intrusion of bears into corn fields. Bears left to their own devices will devour a years worth of crop in only a few days. It's for the reason that bears are continually hunted by local farmers.

We are still in search of a good solution to this problem. Currently we offer farmers monetary compensation when bears eat their corn. We have however, begun planting "decoy" corn fields in an attempt to draw bears away from farmers' crop. Should the bears ignore our crop and continue to eat the farmers' corn then we will be able to offer our corn as compensation and thus remove the need for the bears to be hunted.

Depending on the time of year, volunteers may be asked to assist in the planting and maintenance of these cornfields. Work may vary from clearing land, to sewing seeds, to harvesting corn.

Bear Rehabilitation and Release

The Andean Bear Conservation Project works closely with the Santa Martha Animal Rehabilitation Centre (which is part of the Espiritu del Bosque Foundation ). Santa Martha works with a variety of different animals including Andean Bears and we have several bears here that we plan to release back into the wild.

Illegal trade of Andean Bears is a problem throughout South America and such bears are confiscated by police when found. The Espiritu del Bosque foundation works with police and confiscated bears are taken to Santa Martha. Often bears are too young to be released immediately (cubs being far easier to transport and sell) or the bears have been kept in such poor conditions that they will not survive in the wild. In these cases we kept the bears as long as necessary and attempt to prepare them for the wild.

Just before release we prepare bears for the wild by matching their diet to what they will eat in the wild (such as bamboo and bromeliads). This process of rehabilitation is a joint effort between the Andean Bear Conservation Project and the Santa Martha Animal Rescue Centre and in the past volunteers from both projects have worked together to this end.

Volunteer Teaching Tasks

English Lessons

Most volunteer teachers help out in local communities by teaching English to the students. Only basic Spanish is needed for this job and volunteer teachers are supported by local teachers as much as needed. Class plans are provided to volunteer teachers, generally however most schools and teachers and are open to new subjects and new ideas.

Although teaching English is not directly contributing to the bear work it does have the positive affect of gaining local community support. By giving something to the community and actively contributing to it's development we make more locals both aware and supportive of our work.

Other Subjects

Volunteers wanting to do more with local schools have the opportunity to do so. For this we generally require a very good understanding of Spanish and also some experience in teaching or in similar programs. Volunteers with such a background can work with local teachers to form new class plans and extend the current teaching practices. The amount of responsibility and flexibility you are given depends largely on the local teachers. Generally it is easier to work this out once you are here, have been working on the project for a little time and have gained the confidence of local teachers. If you are interested in this role we suggest you contact us and discuss the current options before arriving.

Games and Sports

All volunteer teachers are encouraged to play games and sports with the local children. These may either be of your design, with a specific educational purpose or they may be games that the local children teach you! Volunteer teachers generally live in the communities where they teach (usually in a room on the school grounds) and it is often hard not to be cajoled into playing with the locals!

Volunteer Coordinator Tasks

Leading Walks

Volunteer Coordinators are expected to lead small groups of Volunteer Bear Trackers on daily walks. While on a walk, the Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for finding the route and also ensuring that readings are taken and recorded correctly. As part of their training, Volunteer Coordinators will be shown a number of different walks, which they are expected to memorise.

Before setting off in the morning, Volunteer Coordinators are responsible for ensuring that all members of their team are suitably prepared for the hike (i.e. does everyone have sufficient food and water, are volunteers wearing suitable clothes and footwear, etc). Volunteer Coordinators are also responsible for ensuring that the team has all the radio equipment and that the equipment is functioning and sufficiently charged.

Data Correlation

Readings taken on walks need to be transferred from the field book to the main data book. This should be done at the end of each walk (or immediately after returning from a camping trip) so that data is not lost or misinterpreted at a later date. Volunteer Coordinators are expected to ensure that the data from their walks is correctly recorded.

Generally the formal triangulation is done by Armando using a computer system in Quito and Volunteer Coordinators are not expected to do this work. Volunteer Coordinators are however expected to perform informal triangulations of the data (using maps and compasses) in order to form a rough idea of the location of each bear. These informal triangulations are used to determine which walks should be used for the next day of tracking.

Training New Volunteers

When new volunteers arrive, Volunteer Coordinators are responsible for their training. This includes both welcoming the volunteer to the house and getting them settled, as well as training volunteers in how to use the radio equipment to take bear readings.

Volunteer Coordinators are expected to walk with new volunteers on the easier training walks (which may mean missing out on some of the more interesting walks or camping trips). On these walks, Volunteer Coordinators are expected to assist new volunteers in becoming familiar with the radio equipment.

Volunteer Coordinators are also expected to train new volunteers in any extra skills needed, such as the safe use of machetes. Volunteer Coordinators must be both patient and supportive in nature for this role as it can be some time before new volunteers are confident with the equipment. Volunteer Coordinators are also expected to monitor the progress of new volunteers and inform the permanent staff should any problems arise.

Collecting New Volunteers from Quito

Depending on the number and frequency of new volunteers, Volunteer Coordinators may be asked to travel to Quito to meet new volunteers. After meeting with new volunteers in Quito, Volunteer Coordinators are then expected to accompany the new volunteers to Otavalo on the bus, show the new volunteers around Otavalo and then accompany the volunteers on a second bus out to the Volunteer House.

Usually new volunteers will spend their first day visiting with the Santa Martha Animal Rescue Centre, where they get a chance to see some of our bears in rehabilitation. In this case, Volunteer Coordinators would be expected to accompany volunteers by bus to Santa Martha (where they will receive a tour of the animals by the Santa Martha staff) and then accompany the volunteers back to Quito for that night.

Meal Planning and Shopping

Grocery shopping at Otavalo market Volunteer Coordinators are expected to help plan meals for each week and to assist in the grocery shopping as well. Our cook, Celia, has a range of fantastic meals that she can prepare, however each person has individual tastes and may prefer some meals over others. Volunteer Coordinators are expected to talk with volunteers to find out their preferences (e.g. are they vegetarians, are there certain fruits or vegetables they like or dislike). Using this information Volunteer Coordinators are then expected to form a menu for the week.

Volunteer Coordinators are also expected to assist with the grocery shopping, using the project funds. Volunteer Coordinators need to work out the amount of food needed and then to travel either to Apuela or Otavalo by bus (depending on the type of food needed) to buy it.

Other Tasks

Dave sharing the love with some volunteers Volunteer Coordinators may be asked to perform a variety of different tasks depending on the needs of the project while they are there. In general, Volunteer Coordinators should be very flexible, self-motivated and willing to help out the project in whatever way is needed.

If Volunteer Coordinators have specific skills in areas that may be of use to the project then we are always glad to consider these. We have in the past used volunteers with a background in environmental science to help out with writing grant proposals and other such papers. Let us know how you can help, and we'll look at how best to utilise your skills!