Placement Overview

By joining one of these two conservation projects in Guatemala you can experience the best of Central America whilst safeguarding the future of threatened species.

Your Experience

Volunteers can choose to work on one of two well established projects as animal refuge volunteers or coastal ecology volunteers.

Working at a lakeside animal refuge as an animal refuge volunteer you will be helping in feeding and caring for the parrots, macaws, howler monkeys and ocelots.

Many of the animals were seized from smugglers and need considerable care, love and attention.

Volunteers also help out in other areas such as helping prepare meals and although the working day is a long one, a lengthy afternoon siesta and a floating deck for afternoon swims on the lake make the adjustment easy.

Working as a coastal ecology volunteer on the Pacific Coast you may be involved in many different areas from assisting turtle hatchlings to be released, construction of facilities at this new research station, environmental education to local school children, mangrove reforestation, caiman and iguana breeding programme and community projects to improve living conditions of local disadvantaged communities.

Here for those interested there will be many opportunities to gain valuable skills in research, improve your Spanish and implement your own ideas.

This project is ideal if one of the following apply to you

Are thinking about a long stay but are unsure about committing at this stage. Want to learn Spanish by working alongside Spanish speaking staff and local people. Would like a comfortable introduction to living and working in Latin America. Are travelling alone

What's included in this programe

Induction and training on arrival. Accommodation and meals: animal refuge. Accommodation basis only :coastal ecology project. On site 24/7 support. Please note: Pick-up and transfer is not included for either project although this can be arranged by a local tour company. There is an additional charge for this service. However, most volunteers outside of the busy volunteering season (July to August) make their own way to the projects after arriving in Guatemala City.

Guatemala at a glance

Volcanoes, mountain lakes, jungles, tropical beaches and with a population that is mostly of Indian descent combine to make Guatemala a unique destination.

The main attractions are the ruined Mayan cities overgrown by jungle, laid back Livingstone on the Caribbean coast, smoking volcanoes, isolated lakes, the white sands of the Atlantic coast, the dark volcanic beaches of the Pacific, the spectacular little-known ravines which crisscross the country such as the Rio Dulce among a long list of other attractions.

Animal Refuge Volunteer Location

The setting for your placement in the interior is a 45 hectare lake side forest only 25 miles from the world famous Mayan ruins of Tikal. Long, thin dug out canoes still glide back and forth between the villages ferrying locals.

Coastal Ecological Project Location

This project's coastal placement is based on the pacific coast known as the the ‘Costa Sur'. This coastal region does not have the typical honky tonk feel of Central America but more a kind of south sea paradise where you can string up a hammock and spend a lazy afternoon doing nothing except taking it all in.