- Sustainable Bolivia
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Volunteering with us
Sustainable Bolivia has numerous volunteer opportunities. Volunteers can help support our work in ecological and biological research, education and youth development, environmental education, conservation, healthcare, community driven, eco-tourism, art and more.
All of our placements match individual skills and interests with local needs to provide the most rewarding and beneficial experience.
Here at Sustainable Bolivia we run various different volunteering programs with plenty of opportunities to contribute to a more sustainable community and the protection of the Aquicuana Reserve. Placement is determined by applicant interest, as well as time commitment, language ability, and previous experience.
Volunteering programs:
Independent Research: One of SB’s primary goals is to increase its capacity to support researchers and expand our knowledge of the biodiversity here at the Aquicana. Currently, SB’s Motacu Research Station serves as a homebase and offers easy access to the surrounding reserve. SB aims to understand the habitats and ecological interactions within the reserve to better advocate for and protect the environment.
Researchers should be capable of collecting meaningful data on their own with the assistance of the Director of Research, and local forest guides. Our staff is available to assist with planning your research by providing background information, local contacts/guides, as well as knowledge of the area and the reserve. SB also has connections with La Universidad Autónoma del Beni “José Ballivián (UAB-JB), CIRA, and CIBIOMA (all research facilities within the department of Beni, where Aquicuana is located). SB encourages researchers to form partnerships with these organizations and to work with Bolivian scientists. SB can help facilitate these connections. Specific project proposals are welcome as well as general inquiries. SB can work with you to help determine an appropriate project outline. Spanish is beneficial for navigating Bolivia and working with local guides but is not strictly necessary for this role. Time commitments vary depending on the project.
Education Project: help deliver after school English classes to the children of Warnes. Classes are held from 2:30-5:00 each weekday. Classes, workshops, and other activities are welcome in this program. If volunteering with this program, you can use the morning to help prep lessons or to help with another project. Volunteers are encouraged to incorporate their own skills and interests into lessons. Some level of Spanish is required for this option. SB requests a minimum commitment of 2 weeks for this project.
NGO Support: photography and video editing, website design, social media support, and grant writing/research are ongoing needs for SB. Most materials SB produces are in English, so a working knowledge of Spanish is preferable but not required for these roles. SB requests a minimum commitment of 2 weeks for this project. This role can also be performed remotely, and commitment times can be negotiated if working offsite.
Sports: run an afterschool football (soccer) or other sports camp for the children of Warnes. This can be incorporated into the regular education project, or we can create a ‘special event’ for it. Currently, there is not an ongoing sports program, so a background in coaching and a working level of Spanish is required for this option. SB will do the community organizing for the program, and you, as a volunteer, would run the camp/tournament/etc. with SB’s assistance. SB requests a minimum commitment of 1 month for this project.
Visiting Artist: this role is very fluid. Need inspiration? Come stay with SB in Aquicuana Reserve and be inspired by the jungle. Whether you need peace and quiet to write, nature to inspire you, or subjects to photograph, you are welcome. SB does not require that you donate your artistic products to us, though contributions to the space are always welcome. Spanish is beneficial for navigating Bolivia but is not required for this role. We recommend at least 2 weeks, but this can be negotiated.
Homestay and work with one of our partners: If you want to help, but don’t feel comfortable staying in the jungle, or want a more immersive cultural/Spanish experience, SB can arrange a homestay in Riberalta and a volunteering placement at an orphanage where you would deliver activities to the children such as games and homework help and/or help with cleaning duties. A one month commitment and basic Spanish are required for this option. The price for this role is the same as other volunteering options.
Other roles: SB has worked with and facilitated: chefs/nutritionists to work with the Pisatahua Retreats, healthcare professionals, gardeners, tour guides and many more! If you have an idea or skill that you believe would be useful for SB, the Aquicuana Reserve, or the communities served by SB, contact us and we can work towards making it happen together.
SB is also hoping to further develop its ecotourism capabilities. This role in particular requires previous experience. Please contact us for more details about our needs regarding ecotourism.
Together, we’ll work to find the most rewarding experience, while ensuring that our volunteers and interns make a sustainable impact in the community.
Volunteer Expenses
We require volunteers/interns to cover the cost of their stay. The fee we charge includes: food, electricity, Wi-Fi, shared accommodations, candles, mosquito coils, plumbed bathrooms, laundry stations, organizational support, visa support, flight arrangements, and more.
We Provide
We provide dedicated individuals the rare opportunity to live in one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. Most importantly all volunteers have the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to support plant, animal and human populations inside the Aquicuana Reserve.
SB’s general fee per month is $695 USD to cover the costs of food, lodging, and our on site staff. We request that volunteers make a commitment of at least a month (for researchers, if your research period is significantly less than a month, this price can be negotiated). Stays less than a month cost $30 per day.
Included in this fee are:
Co-ed, shared accommodation (screened cabins with a bed, mosquito net, a pillow, sheets, towels, and some storage space). All cabins have electricity. Cabins are co-ed, but if you have different needs, please let us know.
An individual cabin can also be arranged for an extra fee sometimes. Our dorm cabins can host up to four people. There are no fans or AC in the cabins.
Candles, mosquito coils, and lighters.
Food: the food served on the reserve is mostly fresh and local vegetarian diet (ex: quinoa, rice, fresh fruit and veg, beans, lentils). When more than three volunteers/interns are present, our chefs prepare lunch and dinner. Volunteers are responsible for preparing their food using the fully stocked kitchen for breakfast and on weekends.
Electricity and Starlink internet. These are generally reliable but do falter occasionally during periods of heavy cloud cover.
Drinking water.
Support for your chosen project. Often either the site manager or the director are onsite at the reserve. This may include jungle guides, boat rides, trail access, use of research equipment, transport to and from project sites, as appropriate.
Shared living and office space. Desks and comfortable chairs are both located in the office. There are fans in the office.
Our shared bathroom and facilities are fully plumbed. There is no hot water.
Visa support: if you need to renew your visa after a month or need advice on how best to enter the country, SB can provide advice. We can also support purchasing flights from Ecojet.
Organizational support: food is purchased and brought to the reserve for you weekly. Maintenance and cleaning staff are available onsite.
Other basic necessities: cooking fuel in the kitchen, toilet paper, mosquito coils, lighters or matches, candles
Sustainable Bolivia is a non-profit organization. This fee covers cost of living and organizational support.
Volunteer Application
Please send the following information to information@sustainablebolivia.org, clearly stating your position(s) of interest:
- Your CV/resume
- A cover letter explaining your interest in partnering with Sustainable Bolivia
In your cover letter, please mention your available dates, languages spoken, specific skills that would be beneficial to our work, previous experience with your area of interest and what you hope to contribute during your stay with us.
Accomodations
Volunteers stay in our co-ed cabins on the reserve, unless the volunteer chooses to stay in a homestay in town and work with one of our partners. On the reserve we have 2 volunteer cabins, each with 4 beds. Each volunteers gets their own bedding, mosquito net, and cabinet for storage. There is a desk and a hammock in both cabins. The office has desks, fans, and comfortable chairs. Bathrooms and showers are located near the cabins and in the office.
Our newly built, fully stocked kitchen is located between the office and the cabins. Volunteers can buy their own snacks and treats in town, and store them in the kitchen. Volunteers may also use the kitchen for any meals not prepared by our cooks.
There are laundry sinks and drying lines for volunteers to use, or you can pay to have your clothes done in town at the Laundromat.
