Sustainable Farming & Urban agriculture
Role Overview
The farms of Isabela Island are starting work in greenhouses to optimize production year-round in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. The highland town of Tomás de Berlanga is about 10 miles uphill from the coastal part of town where IOI headquarters, your accommodations, social life, and the beach are located. Located on the side of Volcano Sierra Negra, the highlands are fertile, lush lands with rich volcanic soil - perfect for agriculture!
Volunteers will learn local techniques for sustainable tropical agriculture and will help to create food sovereignty, lower the carbon footprint of island life, lower waste from shipping materials, lower costs to local consumers, increase local income, and increase the availability of nutritional foods available in Isabela.
Depending on time of year that you will volunteer on this project, you may also support the following projects:
Greenhouse Management:
IOI, in conjunction with Isabela’s Ministry of Agriculture, provides technical assistance to 8 local farmers in the management of their greenhouses where crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers are grown. These greenhouses play an important role in promoting local food production and Isabela’s food sovereignty. You will have the opportunity to participate in monitoring crop production, identifying plagues and diseases, and assisting in manual labour once a week.
School Gardening Projects:
IOI has developed school gardening projects (huertos escolares) in 3 of Puerto Villamil’s local schools. These are pivotal in promoting healthy nutrition habits and local biodiversity conservation.
Control of Pests:
In February 2024, IOI partnered with Isabela’s Biosafety Regulation and Control Agency to assist 16 local farmers in the control and management of the white fly (Aleyrodidae) found on their farms. It is a plague that reduces productivity of plants and ultimately impacts farmers economically.
Urban Gardens:
IOI supports the creation and maintenance of urban gardens which serve as educational spaces on proper nutritional habits, as well as promoting local production and the conservation of endemic plant species.
** If you will volunteer for 3+ weeks, consider combining your volunteer experience with the Endemic Plant Species Nursery project!
Schedule
Our schedules are based on 30 hrs/week. The highlands are approximately 30 minutes up from Puerto Villamil town by bus. The daily bus leaves for the highlands at 7:00am and returns from the highlands at 3:00pm. Prepared by the family, you will enjoy a farm-to-table lunch at the farm before returning to town.
Requirements
Genuine passion for the outdoors and conservation of nature
Physical ability to work laborious construction and gardening type jobs outdoors with potential allergens, sun and temperature exposure
Ability to work independently as well as in a team
Basic knowledge of non-motorized tools and their safe usage
Ability to speak and understand basic-intermediate/conversational Spanish is beneficial as it will increase your ability to communicate and integrate with community members. IOI staff are English speakers but the farm families speak very basic English thus we highly recommend that you brush up on your Spanish skills to make the most of your experience. If you would like to add a 1 or 2 week long Spanish course prior to your arrival to Galapagos, please let us know so we can help you arrange this.
INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING WITH SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE? FOLLOW THESE 3 EASY STEPS.
Step 1: Apply Now & Reserve. Fill out an application and pay the reservation deposit. The deposit holds your spot in one of our programs and goes towards your final program fee. The deposit is already deducted from the prices you see below. The application and deposit do not guarantee the dates you anticipate joining us. Once we receive your application, we will contact you with any follow-up questions and confirm your dates.
Not ready to fill out an application but have questions? Contact us.
Step 2: Reserve your space by making your $200 deposit
Step 3: Pay the program remaining balance fee 8 weeks before your trip.
