*new project*: La Hesperia Nature Reserve

La Hesperia is a nature reserve located in the western range of the Andes at an altitude of 1100 – 2040 meters above sea level. The reserve covers an area of 814 hectares and is located in the centre of the Rio Toachi-Chiriboga IBA (Important Bird Area, declared by Bird Life International and Conservation International).  The reserve makes up part of two important bioregions: the Tropical Andes and the Chocó Darien – Western Ecuador, considered within the top five biodiversity hotspots on Earth. The station works in natural conservation, combating deforestation, protecting existing forest, restoring degraded areas and creating a sustainable development model that will enable them to support the reserve as well as offering a better way of life for the local community and those who work and live at the reserve.

The work carried out at La Hesperia is extremely important in terms of preserving the biodiversity of the cloud forest and protecting local watersheds.  Work focuses on protecting existing forests through reforestation, monitoring human activity (and its impact) and conducting environmental education. La Hesperia is also striving to become a model of integrated farming where agricultural practices complement the primary objective of preserving the natural forest. Combining conservation and agriculture will enable them to sustain the reserve and promote economic activities that are environmentally friendly and beneficial for the local inhabitants.

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

At La Hesperia Biological Station & Reserve there are three different programs for volunteers: (A) Conservation in the Cloud Forest; (B) On the Way to Sustainability, and (C) Social Development, volunteers normally carry out a combination of all three programs:

1.    Program A: Cloud Forest Conservation
    This program is designed for volunteers with an interest in nature, conservation, research, wildlife and the outdoors. One of the main focuses will be on reforestation and learning about sustainable wood production. Activities include planting seedlings, maintaining the nursery and tree care. In addition to wildlife observation, tree phenology research, and trail maintenance.

2.    Program B: On the road to Sustainability
    This program is for volunteers interested in nature, sustainable agriculture, animal breeding, biofood and an organic vegetable garden. Volunteers within this program will be involved in a variety of activities focused on sustainable living. They will learn about production of organic agriculture to preparation of homemade chocolate, bread, pasta etc,.

3.    Program C: Social Development
    This program is designed for volunteers with advanced to intermediate levels of Spanish including an interest in education, social development, cultural exchange and working with children. The main focus will be using Montessori methodology to provide education to the students, while working alongside the staff and the community. You will be required to use Spanish effectively as the main form of communication within the school.

*new project* Monkey Sanctuary

   

Established as a rescue centre for wild animals (in particular monkeys), in 2007 by the Forest Foundation “Los Monos,Selva y Vida”.  This centre is dedicated to the conservation and rehabilitation of primates and has a species handling license issued by the Ministry of Environment. 

At the moment there are approximately 65 monkeys living in the sanctuary and they come from varying backgrounds.  Some of the monkeys were orphaned when their parents were killed by hunters, others were rescued from animal dealers who were trying to traffic the animals out of the country and others have been removed from families who had kept these animals in captivity.  There are 7 different monkey species in the centre (spider, wooly, white capuchin, black capuchin, squirell, tamarin and saki) and unfortunately the majority have suffered some sort of physical or physiological abuse.  There are also other wild animals living in the sanctuary such as coaties, gautusas, turtles, parrots and an otter.

The centre spreads over an area of two hectares of tropical rain forest and it aims to allow the majority of animals to roam freely around the area so they that are not kept in cages.  The long term goal is to rehabilitate the animals enabling them to successfully return to the wild.  Nevertheless, unfortunately some of the animals will never be allowed to return to their natural habitat due to physical and or psychological injuries they have sustained, in which case the centre aims to provide them with as good a life as possible. 

The sanctuary is also open for tourists to visit charging a small entrance fee that is the centre’s main source of income.  As animal welfare is not a high priority for many Ecuadorians, the background and mistreatment of each animal is explained to tourists, with the idea being to educate local and foreign visitors about animal protection issues.

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

Volunteers are needed to help in the following activities:

• Playing with the animals
• Cutting up fruit and feeding the animals
• Helping new monkey arrivals to adjust to the centre
• Protecting the more vulnerable animals
• General maintenance and cleaning
• Construction work; building new enclosures for the aggressive species
• Guiding and educating tourists about the centre’s work

Donation for international children´s day

To celebrate Internation Children´s Day, we hired a clown for the day and visited four different projects to bring laughter to the children of these projects.

SAN ROQUE

ESCUELA 6 DE DICIEMBRE

ORFANATO HERMANAS MISIONERAS DE LA NIÑEZ

NIÑOS DEL ECUADOR

New volunteer projects at Ecole Idiomas

As from this month we are working together with two new volunteer projects in Quito:

BICI VERANO 2011


Biciverano´ literally means:  Bike-Summer. This project has been implemented by Biciacción since 2009. The project aims at educating children and adolescents during the summer in everything they have to know to become a trained cyclist, a participant in the urban transport that is aware of all the social, health, and environmental benefits of the use of the bicycle, a cyclist that knows the transportation law, basic mechanics etc.

In Quito, the use of the bicycle is not common among children and adolescents; a so called bicycle friendly culture does not exist. Nevertheless, during the last decade, because of emerging problems in pollution, connectivity a trend has grown among young people to use the bike as an alternative mode of transportation.

The projects wants to share with you their mission and vision, believing that a change of culture is possible, and that through the promotion of the use of the bicycle as an alternative mode of transportation you can make a change, contributing to improving public health, road safety, connectivity, social inclusion, and of course contributing to diminishing the carbon footprint.

So come this summer to Quito and help with this project! For more information please write to us at info@ecoleidiomas.com

QUITO ORPHANAGE

For His Children is a Christ-centered ministry to homeless children providing care in a loving and supportive environment; striving to unite them with their biological or adoptive family; and advocating on their behalf to others.

The project considers childhood a sensitive stage in the psychological, emotional, and physical development of a human being. They acknowledge that each child is a unique individual and we seek to learn more about their uniqueness. They work to develop their talents and strengths so that in the future they will become responsible members of society who will exercise leadership to impact the lives of others.

FHC believes that adults and society in general should guarantee health, food, education, as well as physical and emotional security as essential rights, above all covering the child’s basic needs as a priority. FHC guarantees each child’s right to privacy and believes that each child or adolescent deserves to receive clear answers when a decision in being made that affects his/her life. In light of protecting the child’s privacy, we don’t allow you to ask indirect or direct questions regarding the child’s original family, the child’s stay at FHC, or the child’s legal situation.

This project could really use the help of enthusiastic volunteers! For more information please write to us at info@ecoleidiomas.com

Donating clothes at Baca Ortiz

Thanks to all students and volunteers from Ecole Idiomas, and travellers from Ecole Travel, whom have left clothes at our office for donation to projects after they left Ecuador.

Last week we have donated part of these clothes to the parents of children whom are staying at the children´s hospital Baca Ortiz. Some parents come from other provinces to this State Hospital specialized in treating children and are forced to stay for weeks in Quito without sufficient means. The hospital can help some of them by offering a place to stay and a warm meal and Ecole was able to help last week by donating clothes to those who needed it most.

Please keep helping us by leaving clothing you will not use anymore, and we will make sure that we donate it to different projects where help is needed!

Early bird promotion!!!

If you book in March in one of our programs for December, you will receive 20% discount in group lessons.

Don't forget to mention this promotion!!! Contact us: info@ecoleidiomas.com

New Year, new projects and a lot of work

Hello dear friends of Ecole Idiomas.
We are currently working in develope our volunteer work department. There is a lot of work to be done: planning, evaluating and supporting all the projects.
If you want to check out a list of the projects (some are new and really nice), click here.
Ecole Idiomas has helped more than 50 projects of education, community development and environment care and we are really proud of the results.
Thank all the volunteers that have worked selflessly in order to help Ecuadorian people!!!