Dream Center Las Tunas
In Las Tunas
general overview
This volunteer opportunity is for anyone with a love for animals, nature and the beach. The project offers a great combination between conservation & community.
Sea turtles find the perfect place to nest in this area, due to the tranquility and cleanliness of its beaches. One of the most important projects in the area is the monitoring of sea turtle nests found on the beaches of Las Tunas, Puerto Rico and Ayampe. The projects and the volunteering program are managed by the community of Manabí. They have dedicated more than 10 years under the concept “No Nature, No Life” to managing and creating community tourism projects, conservation and preservation of forests and their surroundings.
| Title | Address | Description |
|---|---|---|
Ecuador | Ruta del Spondylus, Ecuador |
las Tunas
MINIMUM 2 WEEKS
wildlife conservation
1°TIME VOLUNTEER
BASIC/MEDIUM SPANISH NEEDED
+18 YEARS OLD
Turtle rescue and conservation
In Las Tunas, ecuador
Las Tunas is a beach located south of Manabí, 11.9 km (7.3 miles) south of Puerto López. It is a small village with around 1600 inhabitants. Las Tunas beach is known for its natural beauty ,crystal clear sea waters, its gastronomy and for its community of friendly farmers and fishermen.
The community has dedicated more than 10 years to managing and creating community tourism projects, conservation and preservation of forests and their surroundings. Sea turtles find the perfect place to nest in this area, due to the tranquility and cleanliness of its beaches. One of the most important projects in the area is the monitoring of sea turtle nests found on the beaches of Las Tunas, Puerto Rico and Ayampe. There are 4 different species of turtles, however, nature is unpredictable, sometimes there are a lot of nests and others are a bit difficult to find them. The reason may be that the same turtles that where seen one year won´t go back the next as they nest every 2 years; therefore, there is a different population of turtles every year. In general, the peak months the turtles nest is from July to February, the lower season is from March to June, however, they may be seen.
The projects are managed by the community with some external programs support, such as governmental, non-governmental and volunteers.
What is included?
- Project donation
- Orientation meeting
- Local support with a Spanish speaking volunteer coordinator
- 13 nights accommodation in dorms in a beachfront hostel.
- Breakfast and welcome dinner
- Transport to the different projects
What is NOT included?
- Pre and post stay in Guayaquil
- Medical insurance (mandatory to confirm the reservation).
- Transport to the project
What to consider…
- Projects starts and ends on Mondays.
- Available all year round
- Longer stays are possible upon request
- Private room upon request
- Poor wiFi
- Work can be physically demanding
- Maximum of 11 volunteers
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Some examples of the activities:
- Monitoring the turtle nests (every morning and a few nights) and wounded turtles.
- Cleaning Las Tunas beach and cleaning the Ayampe river
- Reforestation plan of more than 100 hectares in a reserve in Ayampe
- Permaculture and development of recycling systems
- Direct interaction with the community, education programs environment for people in the community and for volunteers
- Watching and monitoring the turtle´s nest (you could see the eggs hatching)
- Compost making
A TYPICAL SCHEDULE
AS A VOLUNTEER
Sunday evenings the Project Coordinator will make together with you the work schedule for the week and note this on a whiteboard. Monday the project coordinator will give you an orientation in situ, the activities are: Turtle nesting monitoring, beach cleaning, reforestation, community empowerment, making handcrafts of recycling and natural materials.
You will be working each day between 4 and 5 hours in the project. In the afternoon you are free to enjoy the beach, surf, play volley or soccer with locals or relax. It’s possible to book optional Spanish classes, surf classes and salsa dance classes for the afternoon.
On Thursday evening, a cocktail is organized for the volunteers. During the weekend, you’ll enjoy some free time to discover the magical places around Las Tunas.
Sunday evening the Project Coordinator will plan with you the work for the new week & their expectation. A welcome dinner for the new volunteers will be organized, you are more than welcome to join it.
WHAT TO DO IN
YOUR FREE TIME
The ACCOMMODATION
The hostel is located in Las Tunas community and is a family project to provide accommodation to volunteers who participate in the different projects.
The establishment has a beautiful view of the sea and hammocks to enjoy it, a restaurant on the ground floor and 3 rooms on the upper floor.
