Your activities will be divided into four main categories:

Conduct surveys to monitor wildlife species

Throughout your stay, you will work at the giant tortoise breeding centre. This species is one of the most fascinating and famous animals found on the Galapagos Islands. You’ll help:

·         Feed the tortoises

·         Clean their enclosures and pools

·         Take biometric data, like measurements

·         Conduct population surveys

You’ll also assist with sea lion monitoring and bird surveys throughout your time with us. This is important work, as it helps us keep tabs on their numbers. You may also get the opportunity to participate in a marine iguana census. You’ll count individuals, note the composition of the population, and identify breeding sites.

Help control invasive animal species

Alien species are a problem in the Galapagos, as the ecosystem has no natural predators. These foreign species are preying on the island’s animals, which is a big issue. You will assist with controlling invasive species and protecting indigenous animals from these introduced predators throughout your stay.

The Galapagos petrel, a marine bird, is one of the native bird species that we have been monitoring and assisting. Unfortunately, the petrel population is under threat because of a rising number of alien rats on the islands. Rats attack nesting birds and eat their eggs.

In response to this, Projects Abroad and the Galapagos National Park Agency got a special poison designed to attack the rats’ immune systems. This poison does not affect other animals and helps control the rat population, which makes this an important environmental sustainability project.

Our volunteers monitored the petrel breeding population and we are thrilled to see that their numbers increased by 10% in 2017! We can link this directly to the fact that rat numbers have dropped by 40%.

Assist with the eradication of introduced plant species

Alien plants are one of the greatest threats to the endemic species and ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands. Eradicating these species is crucial to help indigenous plants thrive. You’ll remove plants such as guava, avocado, and raspberry plants, and replace them with indigenous species. We grow the indigenous plants in a nursery in the park.

Help with community clean ups and education programmes

You’ll assist with beach clean ups throughout your stay. By removing the litter from local beaches we protect local animals from unnecessary dangers and keep the natural environment as clean as possible.

You may also need to help with the weighing of this collected litter. We weigh the rubbish to try and identify the areas of the island that collect the most rubbish. This also allows us to see whether the amount of litter on the island is increasing or decreasing.

During your stay, you may also get the chance to participate in a wildlife conservation education programme. This will involve running workshops at local schools to raise awareness about the natural environment and the importance of conservation.