Bosque Nublado Santa Lucia

Make a real contribution to our conservation and community development
Experience the tranquillity, beauty and biodiversity of the cloudforest.
Learn about rural Ecuadorian life and the opportunities and challenges of sustainable development.
Build cross-cultural relationships with community members.
Learn or improve your Spanish.
Have a lot of fun!

Santa Lucía 's volunteer program has played and continues to play a crucial role in enabling the development of our sustainable ecotourism operation and of our conservation and other community development projects. We are looking for your help on a wide variety of projects including: Planting the treatened species of trees, canelo and cedro; making signs and trails maintenance; helping out with our bird monitoring and orchid projects, agroforestry and organic gardening; environmental education/after-school enrichment progams and teaching english. We can tailor projects to the interests of individuals or groups. Please click on Projects for more information about the volunteering opportunities available.

Volunteers have made such remarkable contributions as reforesting 20 hectares, constructing seven trails, designing our tree nursery. The support and the enthusiastic reception of so many visitors have helped to reinforce for the community, the value of their cloud forest reserve, and the importance of its continued protection. In addition to individuals of all ages, Santa Lucía has also hosted the British groups Quest Overseas and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) .

One of the strengths of the volunteer program is that volunteers live, work, and spend free time with members of the Santa Lucía community. Members of Santa Lucía are always ready for a pick-up game of football or 'ecuavolley,' if that's your thing, and you will have plenty of free time to enjoy the fiestas and dances in the nearby towns, hiking, birding, swimming in the river and waterfalls, as well as excursions to nearby conservation communities, reserves and archeological sites.

We provide opportunities for both short and long-term individuals and groups of paying volunteers. This payment covers your accommodation and all meals and allows us to provide a basic salary for the local people who work alongside you, as well as helping to support our conservation and reforestation efforts.

Please click on Additional Information for Volunteers or Contact Us for more information. Your support really makes a difference in our community and conservation efforts and we hope to hear from you soon.