Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to speak Spanish to volunteer?

We have staff that speaks both English and Spanish but we recommend that you have a basic level of understanding of the language.

How old do I have to be?

You must be 18 years or older to volunteer with us. You must also be able to participate in some physical activity (ie. night patrols on the beach and biodiversity walks during the daytime).

How long is the minimum/maximum stay?

During peak season (mid-June to August), the minimum stay is 2 weeks and the maximum stay is 6 weeks. Depending on availability, one-week stays may be approved.

am I guaranteed to see a turtle?

While volunteers typically are able to see turtles, we can not guarantee this as it depends on the nesting patterns of the animals. We must always remember that we work with wild animals, therefore being unpredictable is the general rule in them.

What kind of work will I be doing?

Volunteers help with construction and maintenance of the turtle hatchery, continuous monitoring of the turtle nests, night walks and data collection, transferring of nests to the hatchery, the release of the turtle hatchlings, sloth habitat monitoring, beach cleaning, and participation in any of our current projects. Volunteers are also expected to participate in general site maintenance and cleaning of the living quarters.

do I need to have any previous experience?

It is not mandatory to have any experience but volunteers must be in good physical condition, be happy living in basic accommodations, and have a passion for environmental conservation. It is an advantage to have previous knowledge or experience in biology, sea turtle conservation, and/or construction.

What does a typical day look like?

The work schedule is flexible, varying from 6 to 10 hours a day depending on the intensity of the nesting season and community engagements.

Normally the day begins at 08:00 in the morning with breakfast, between 09:00 and 10:00 in the morning there are activities related to the maintenance of the volunteer house, where each volunteer is expected to participate in cleaning their room, bathrooms, and common areas.

Daily in alternate shifts, a person will start the day earlier, from 06:00 in the morning and until 12:00 noon, he must report covering the nursery shift, however, between 08:30 and 09:00 he will have a break to go to the camp for breakfast. That half-hour will be covered by the person who has the shift from 12:00 noon to 06:00 in the afternoon.

The day continues at 11:30 in the morning when the person who will perform the shift from 12:00 noon to 6:00 in the afternoon takes their lunch to go to work.

At noon all the rest of the volunteers and staff take their lunch.

Between 03:30 and 05:00 in the afternoon, various jobs are normally carried out depending on the day. These jobs can be Beach cleaning, tree planting, tree cleaning in the reforestation area, nursery cleaning and maintenance, wildlife monitoring, beautification of green areas of the camp.

05:30 two volunteers have dinner to take the first night shift of the hatchery.

06:00 in the afternoon all volunteers and staff take their dinner.

From 06:00 to 12:00 midnight, two volunteers perform the first night shift at the hatchery.

From 12:00 midnight to 06:00 in the morning, two volunteers perform the second night shift of the hatchery.

During the night the beach patrols are carried out, depending on the tide the hours will be different each night, these patrols last between 3.5 and 5 hours, the time will depend on the number of turtles that are found during the tour.

is there wifi?

There is wifi at the site, but the hours may be restricted depending on site conditions (streaming services like Netflix and Youtube are not permitted). Our main focus is to work with nature so volunteers are encouraged to spend their free time connecting with the environment around them.

I will have a money refund if I leave before finishing my volunteering?

Each volunteer is free to choose how long they will participate in volunteering, therefore the organization makes its budget according to the projection of confirmed volunteers.

It is for this reason that there is no refund when it is the volunteer's decision to leave earlier.

The volunteer may withdraw from the volunteering agreement at any time prior to the start of the voluntary placement. In the event that the volunteer withdraws from the volunteering agreement or if the volunteer fails to start its volunteering assignment, the organization shall forfeit its claim to the participation fee.

lieu of the participation fee, the organization may, provided the volunteer has not withdrawn for reasons for which the organization is responsible, demand adequate financial compensation. The amount of compensation shall be determined by the participation fees minus the expenses saved by the organization and any gains it may make by using the voluntary placement otherwise.

consideration of the commonly saved expenses and the commonly possible gains from use alternative of the voluntary placement, compensation is calculated as follows:

up to 35 days prior to the start of the voluntary placement 20 %

as of 34 days prior to the start of the voluntary placement 30 %

as of 25 days prior to the start of the voluntary placement 50 %

as of 15 days prior to the start of the voluntary placement 70 %

as of 5 days prior to the start of the voluntary placement 95 % of the participation fees.

In case of doubts, complaints or reviews, where should I go?

The first thing to do is contact the staff at the project. If they do not solve you, you can go to the following contacts:

info@asvpa.org

matapalo@asvpa.org

pacuare@asvpa.org

whatsaap: +50686161973