Letters from the Volunteer Trail
By Edwina White
One dreary January evening, in my Irish city home, I realised how inexcusable it was that I had been harbouring a dream for four years, without giving much thought to fulfilling it. The object of my dream was The Galapagos Archipelago. Having studied conservation management, The Islands held a special, almost mythical, appeal for me. So, I packed my camera, along with my courage, and set off alone for the adventure of a lifetime.
In order to get a real feel for The Galapagos, as well as a peek behind the scenes, I signed up for some volunteer work with the conservation organisation, Jatun Sacha. I landed on The Islands intending to spend eight weeks reintroducing native plants to a zone strangled by invasive species. Located in the isolated highlands of San Cristobal Island, the Jatun Sacha station was teeming with friendly volunteers when I arrived. I quickly settled into the sticky lifestyle of early rises, machete work and starlit nights spent playing cards.
Bats in the Night ~ Photo by Daniel Cordner
As it turned out, Jatun Sacha was a great place to begin my adventure. It presented me with some great travel buddies and exposed me to the Spanish language and the Ecuadorian culture. It did not however, provide me with the comprehensive view of The Galapagos that I had been hoping for. With this in mind, I left Jatun Sacha after only 2 weeks in favor of exploring the other islands with some fellow volunteers. When booked directly through Jatun Sacha, the price of volunteering is set at an exorbitant 230USD per week. Keeping to this budget, I spent three full weeks roving around The Islands, discovering far more than I could have while volunteering.
After my 5 week stint on The Galapagos, my Ecuadorian appetite had been well and truly whet. On my return to the mainland, I spent a long weekend stretching my legs on the Quilotoa hiking loop, in the Andes. The lofty Andean ridges, cloud forests and colorful locals, provided me with a whole new view of Ecuador. Further contrasts were provided when I landed on the country’s Pacific coast. I decided to have another shot at volunteering and so signed up for two weeks with the San Francisco based conservation organisation, Planet Drum.
Planet Drum’s Ecuadorian project is based in the cosy city of Bahia de Caraquez. The El Nino rains of 1998 caused massive mudslides on the hills framing Bahia. With sixteen resultant deaths, the city took a stand and made steps to declare Bahia an eco-city. Planet Drum Foundation set up a base in Bahia in 1999 and has since been reforesting hillsides with the hope of halting erosion and giving the soil a better chance of resisting future El Nino rains.
The Planet Drum House
The difference between volunteering with Planet Drum and Jatun Sacha was immense. With Jatun Sacha, I got the impression that volunteers were recruited solely for the purpose of generating funding for the organisation. I felt that I achieved much more in my time with Planet Drum and was given the opportunity to become immersed in the work of the organisation. Any questions about the conservation mission, the history of Bahia and it’s native plants, could be posed to the all-knowing field manager with certainty of a thorough answer. Planet Drum provides free accommodation to volunteers and the local market means that fantastic, fresh food is readily available. The atmosphere at the house reflected the good nature and enthusiasm of all volunteers on board. My Ecuadorian adventure took many unexpected turns, the final of which was perhaps the most memorable.
On leaving Planet Drum, I reunited with a good friend from the days of Jatun Sacha. Downing some malaria pills, we headed east for ‘El Oriente’. We recruited a local Quichua guide, who showed us the wonders of the jungle in four action packed days. These were spent learning about medicinal plants, fishing for piranha, attempting Quichua dancing and observing toucans, monkeys and an array of insects, all in their natural environment. The climax of my trip occurred in a small canoe under a full moon. As we paddled up the moonlit river, searching for the ellusive cayman, bats flew carelessly around our heads. Before long our torch caught the vivid red reflection of a cayman’s eye, less than a metre from our boat. This is an encounter I will never forget, but is just one example of the rewards available to anyone who cares to venture to the diverse and dynamic country that is Ecuador.
May 23rd, 2009Topic: Eco Travel Tags: bahia de caraquez, ecotour, Ecuador, galapagos, Planet Drum Foundation, volunteer
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