Ecuador Volunteer Projects

Help Ecuador's local community development efforts while preserving one of the planet's biodiversity hot spots!

ISV has several projects located in nature reserves and protected areas. Get your hands dirty as you work towards conserving native habitats and help communities develop their eco-tourism potential. You will also help raise the level of local awareness through environmental education programs.

Primary tasks can include: monitoring of local species, supporting recycling start-up programs, trail maintenance, agro-forestry including reforestation and organic farming, clean ups in mangrove forests, English and environmental education classes with children and community members. All of these tasks are directly related to the establishment and maintenance of protected areas and local environmental education efforts.

WildLife Conservation

For all of Ecuador’s richness and diversity, very little government funds are dedicated to official protection of natural resources.  Little emphasis is placed on environmental education, despite the fact that the processes of habitat destruction, development, resource exploitation and pollution are serious threats to Ecuador’s natural systems. However, there is also growing hope as recognition of Ecuador’s natural heritage increases locally and globally, and organizations are beginning to take action in different ways. Volunteers can be part of this positive action. In the Amazon, you can be part of a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center that cares for rescued animals and educates others about the illegal animal trade and the preservation of Amazon biodiversity. On the Pacific Coast, data are being collected on humpback whale populations so that we may better understand their population recovery following a ban on whaling some years ago. 

Community Development

Due to its richness in natural resources, Ecuador’s history is rife with greed and plundering; from the Spanish conquistadors during the time of the Incas, up to the current practices related to a global thirst for oil, timber and other natural products. Unfortunately, as is common in many third world nations, the wealth of the country is often exported overseas, leaving little for the local people.  Community development in Ecuador is generally grassroots (bottom-up) in nature and there are some incredibly exciting projects you can be part of to help local people meet their needs and build a more prosperous and environmentally-friendly life for themselves and their communities.

Children's Programs

Despite a wealth of natural resources, approximately one third of all Ecuadorians live in poverty, especially rural indigenous people that live in the highlands and in the Amazon. Children are often products of generations of poverty, and child labor is a global issue that is also of concern in Ecuador. In addition, poor environmental practices have become a barrier to meeting basic human needs and living sustainable lives. Access to quality education is seen as a powerful tool that changes behaviors, attitudes and shapes societies. While these are complex and immense problems, we can make a positive impact in the lives of children and their communities through ISV’s Environmental Education Children’s Programs.  

Environmental Management

It is difficult to surpass the diversity of ecosystems in this small country.  From the Sierra (highlands), the Costa (coast), and El Oriente or Amazonia (the orient), there is so much beauty and richness to be found in Ecuador. The land is incredibly productive and agriculture for export remains a primary source of income for many Ecuadorians in rural areas. Ecuador also boasts an array of natural resources such as timber and oil. As short term financial returns are prioritized over long term sustainability, problems such as deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, water pollution; pollution from oil production and waste management become significant human and environmental issues. As a volunteer it is exciting to be part of  community-driven environmental management practices that prioritize the protection and preservation of the natural resources as essential components of a sustainable future.