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Description
This is an NGO combating climate change, conserving biodiversity and working with communities by conserving forests and regenerating Andean Cloud forest in Yarumal, Colombia. We run the Nature Reserve, a 702 ha forest land sitting on a biodiversity hotspot at the northern end of the Andes.
It was founded in 2016 by Christian and Angie , a german-colombian family that lives in Medellin, jointly with supporters such as Josh, an Australian sustainability entrepreneur, and his family, and other supporters. We collaborate closely with another NGO, Salvamontes, that co-owns the property. The Nature reserve is unique in terms of biodiversity: several new-to-science species have been discovered there, including several orchids, ferns and frog species. It is the "last bastion" for several native Magnolia species that are extremely endangered and only occur in this region. Our mission is to protect, reproduce and distribute these Magnolia species, together with all the other biodiversity found in our Nature reserve including the Jaguar, Puma, wild cat, Ocelote an many others.
In our work we try to combine community projects, donations, payments for ecosystem services and ecotourism to generate financial sustainability for the nature reserve while creating jobs and education opportunities for our neighbors.
The House is located right in the middle of the nature reserve. It has 5 separate rooms sleeping more than 20 visitors, has Starlink internet, (cold water) showers, a kitchen, washing machine and other basic amenities. Yarumal is about 3 hours by road from Medellin and once in Yarumal there are motos, public transportation or hired 4*4 cars that can bring you to the Nature Reserve in about 1 hour. Then you will have to walk or ride a mule for about 30-45 from the next unpaved road to get to the House. There are other locations with accommodation across the reserve which you may be able to use depending on the tasks you would help with.
If you love to support real conservation work in a massive biodiversity hotspot, while enjoying unique nature, if you don't mind getting muddy feet and your hands dirty, and are not afraid of having to walk or horse-ride to get around, this may be something for you!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Sustainability
Politics / Social justice
Charity work
Gardening
Languages
Photography
Plant care
History
Animals
Camping
Outdoor activities
Winter sports
Nature
Adventure sports
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
In our nature reserve, you can learn about the high biodiversity in the area including birds, ferns, orchids, and others. You can acquire skills around our seed propagation program, nursery work, monitoring and reforestation in the field. You can understand the cultural and socioeconomic context of conservation in Colombia working with our forest guard and his wife and the communities around. Potentially, you may learn the basics of canyoning in the canyoning routes in our reserve. At the start, in-between or at the end of your stay, you can stay in Medellin appreciating the culture and music of the city of eternal spring - and helping in potential outreach or fundraising activities for the foundation. We look forward to learn from the insights and approaches to conservation from your country, and the conservation guards are happy to freshen up their english (or other language) skills.
Registered charity
This host is a registered charity in their country and is looking for volunteers to help with their project(s).
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Workawayers would get involved into the day to day conservation work in the Nature Reserve, including help in the nursery, nature restoration work, inventory and monitoring of trees, felins, orchids and other species, maintenance of the conservation center, the rehabilitation of the small huts across the reserve, outreach work to communities and via social media, potentially further development of our ecotourism offering such as canyoning and birding, and other work such as social media and fundraising - depending on your capabilities and preferences.
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Italian: Intermediate
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
Language skills apply to the Foundation's founders in Medellin. The conservation guard in our Nature Reserve speaks spanish and basic english.
Accommodation
If in Medellin for a short time, you can stay at the house of the founders of the Foundation. In the Nature Reserve, you would stay in one of the several rooms (some of them with multiple beds in case of visits) in the House. There are moskito nets, there is good starlink internet, electricity, shared bathroom and a large kitchen with pizza oven. You will take turns with the conservation guard and his wife with cooking.
Our Forest Guard and his partner buy the food whenever in the next town. We take turns preparing food and cleaning up the kitchen. There are a few things produced right inside the nature reserve such as lemons, guavas, sugarcane and herbs, others we purchase from within the community and neighbors such as eggs and cheese.
What else ...
The Nature Reserve is about 1 hour away from the next town (Yarumal) plus 30 minutes on mule or one foot to get to the conservation house , there is normally daily public transportation to the city, or you contract transport by a motortaxi. It is easy and frequent to get from Yarumal to Medellin by bus. Currently there are roadworks going on on the access road to the reserve, so cars might not always be able to pass through.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have Starlink Satellital Internet which works pretty reliably, and a power bank that helps bridging power outages that happen once in a while, considering that the location is quite remote. You can bring your dog to the area if you want to.
Can possibly accept pets
Dogs are welcome! If you bring your cat make sure it's not a hunter endangering the birds in our reserve.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Gato
