Volunteering FAQs
Why should I have to pay for
volunteering? Volunteers are a key part of the
project, whose hard work and enthusiasm are very much appreciated.
However, we don’t have the funds to subsidise
volunteers.
Volunteer Contributions allow us to provide full time
employment for two people and occasional work for several others, in a
poor rural area where there are virtually no salaried jobs
available. The Contributions are needed for the cost of the
smaller equipment used on the project, as well as administration and of
course food and accommodation. Occasionally we are
asked to rescue an orphaned bear cub or injured bear and the Volunteer
Contributions also help cover some of these costs. (They do
not cover
the thousands of dollars needed for the radio and GPS equipment, which
we have to find from donors).
In addition, the Volunteer Contributions are used for a fund
to pay compensation to farmers for corn damaged or eaten by the bears.
This is key to improving local attitudes towards the bears
and helping to ensure that the farmers do not shoot them. As
well as our research work, it is vital that we create a situation where
the bears are worth more alive than dead.
Even if we had funds available to subsidise volunteers (which
we don't), it would be far more sustainable to use them to
provide a salary for a local person, who would stay in the area and use
their developing skills and experience as part of the project.
Volunteering provides valuable experience and volunteers
learn useful skills
on the project, but then leave to take those skills &
experience elsewhere and profit from them in their future
careers.
Do I have to be a biologist to
volunteer?
No. Although many biology students and graduates
have found
volunteering on this project to be a great way to gain experience on an
internationally-respected research project for a future career in
conservation or ecology, you do not need to be a biologist or
ecologist. Many of our volunteers simply enjoy the outdoors
and are interested in wildlife and conservation. Although it
is never guaranteed, several of our volunteers have had the good
fortune to see Andean Bears and a few have even been involved in the
capture of a bear.
Is volunteering here safe?
Many potential volunteers have asked if we are close to
Colombia – the answer is no. We are a long way from
the
Colombian border. The project is situated in a tiny village
in a rural
area and we have never had any problems with safety or
security. There
are no reported cases of malaria in this part of Ecuador.
For how long should I volunteer?
Most biology students / graduates find volunteering for 4 or
5 weeks
sufficient experience to help them in their future career or to count
as an internship. If volunteering with us is a holiday,
rather than career-related, most people enjoy 2 or 3 weeks.
Two weeks is usually the minimum commitment, but volunteers
with some experience with bears or research, for example zoo bear
keepers, zoo veterinarians or bear researchers working with other bear
species, may be accepted for just one week. Teaching
assistants must commit to at least 4 weeks volunteering, photographers
and filmmakers will require at least two weeks and mural artists are
welcome for one week or more.
When is the best time for
volunteering?
The project and the bears are here all year round and we
always need volunteers, but to give you an idea of the varying
conditions through the year:
January is
rainy season, but there are always the hot pools in nearby
Nangulví, which is lower down the mountain and warmer. We
have bear traps set in the higher areas, so if you are lucky you might
be part of a capture. Cubs are usually born at this time of
year.
February
offers several local cultural events including Carnival and
of
course Valentine´s Day, which is celebrated in Ecuador as the
day of love and friendship. The bear traps are still set and
the bears
are starting to investigate the state of the maize fields.
Female bears with new cubs are probably still in their dens.
If we have radio-collared females denned your volunteering
experience may including searching for bear dens.
In March
the maize starts to ripen and the first few reports usually
come in of bears raiding maize fields in the lower villages. We move
the cage traps down towards the maize fields, which can be muddy as it
is raining heavily at this time of year. However, there is a reasonable
chance of seeing a bear at this time. Mating season starts
for the
bears. The yearlings are still with their mothers. New cubs
may emerge from their den around this time.
April sees
more rain, more ripe maize and more bear activity. This is a
good time to capture bears, so you may be required to carry parts of
the trap, but you might also have the luck to be present at a bear
capture. Mating season continues and the females may have
cubs with
them. The males move long distances around the region,
seeking both
females and maize.
May is
another good month for seeing and hopefully capturing bears,
along with the work involved in setting the traps. The bear
cubs are
now around 5 months old and more active. The Señor
de Intag
fiestas, a Catholic festival in the region, are celebrated in May with
church services. Though still wet at times, the weather is
starting to
improve.
The weather is usually drier in June.
The bears are still
eating in the higher maize fields when they have the chance so you
might be lucky enough to see them and possibly even capture one.
Bear
cubs are now around half the size of their mothers.
Pucará´s annual fiesta is in June.
July is
always a popular month for volunteering so you will usually need to
book several
months ahead. The weather is mostly dry and sunny, so walking
in the
mountains provides great photo opportunities. There is still
some maize
left to harvest on the higher slopes so there may be bear sightings.
August
weather is usually dry and sunny, and walking in the mountains
is very enjoyable. Farmers burn off dried vegetation ready to
plant
more maize, bears move higher into the mountains looking for the last
remaining maize crops or quieter valleys.
It may rain a little in September.
The bears are searching for autumn
fruits in the higher valleys and move around more at this time of year.
Volunteers enjoy a soak in the hot springs of
Nangulví after
long walks in the mountains.
October has
variable weather, but usually some dry days. Bears are
active in the higher parts of the forest, eating bamboo and looking for
forest fruits & bromeliads. Usually we visit Lake
Piñan, high in the páramo, because the bears move
higher up the mountain towards the end of the month.
November is
the start of the rainy season. The bears are searching the
páramo for blueberries, and volunteers are searching the
páramo for bears. Pregnant females are in the
forest
searching for a suitable den and preparing to give birth.
Bear cubs are
born in December
or January and the female bears care for them in dens in the
forest. Christmas is quiet in Pucará, a great way
to escape
from the commercialization of the city. New Year is
celebrated in
Ecuador by burning an effigy of the old year to symbolize a fresh
start.
Andean
Bear Conservation Project: Volunteering FAQs
Common questions about volunteering with the Andean Bear Conservation
Project, when is best to volunteer and for how long.
