Creating a marine reserve with the indigenous Ngabe community in Bocas del Toro, Panama

Detalles

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  Descripción

  We are a family of four based in Switzerland / Panama who was sailing the oceans and decided to start a new adventure in Panama creating a large marine reserve in one of the most beautiful and untouched corners of Bocas del Toro. My wife is currently back in switzerland with the kids setting up the organization there: so I am alone on site: I need help for building the project infrastructure.
  
  We are setting up a co-management structure with the local indigenous community which fully supports the project and are backed by the Panamanian ministry of environment. While the reserve is non profit, we will try to create as many jobs as possible for the indigenous community and to make the reserve financially self-sustained within 10 years. So far we are fully self-financed from our private assets.
  
  Get in touch if you feel that you have any skills which could be helpful to get things going and create a real impact on evironmental protection. Please read the description of actual needs, as we are not doing research yet. If you are a scientist specialized in sharks, invertrebrates/gastropods, crustaceans, coral or finfish and available later this year this might be your place!

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Trabajo de caridad

  Proyectos artísticos

  Práctica de idiomas

  Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos

  Jardinería básica

  Proyectos creativos DIY «hazlo tú mismo»

  Cocinar para toda la familia

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento básico
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  Intereses

  

  Sostenibilidad

  

  Carpintería

  

  Música

  

  Bricolaje y manualidades

  

  Cocina y alimentación

  

  Naturaleza

  

  Navegar / barcos

  

  Playa

  

  Deportes acuáticos

  

  Actividades al aire libre

  

  Deportes de aventura
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  You will be living in plain nature with little comfort (for western standards) at the beginning, far away from any crowds, DJ's, pub crawls and all that noisy tourist stuff. Only pure and beautiful nature, where your next neighbors are miles away.
  Our house is built on the water and is currently being modernized. Only a settlement of the indigenous Ngäbe community is living in the greater area, and a few small eco resorts can be found nearby as well. We are mostly visited only by indigenous people in their dugout canoes. You will meet locals of the Ngäbe comunity and can learn their language if you want. Spanish is the common language.
  A large reef only visited by these same locals is right in front of our house. We regularly see the resident dolphins swimming nearby, as well as eagle rays and two other species of rays living in the area together with two species of sharks, one of which, a small and endangered species of hammerhead shark, which will be the flagship species of our project.
  Our marine reserve is just starting - and we have big plans ahead!
  
  You can talk to us in italian, german, spanish, english and french.

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  Proyectos con niños

  En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.

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  Ayuda

  Dear workawayer,
  please get in touch if you have any of the skills mentioned here below or other relevant skills in infrastructure construction. As much as we'd like to make use of yoga classes, your great guitar playing or cooking skills (unless you are incredible at cooking, then we might talk), we currently need skilled work listed here below and can accept workawayers who are properly experienced in it.
  
  Task 1: Carpentry
  help building a new hardwood boat house for the project boat (Solid carpentry / timber framer and/or roofer skills). You will work with me and local workers, based on an architectural plan and the existing 3D model. Main task will be to precision cut timber to make solid and durable joints. If you are fluent with 3D model use: even better. Either english, spanish, french, italian or german is fine. You should be able to read the architectural map of the project, to translate it into a real hardwood construction and assist workers which are not trained carpenters but have experience. We have all required material and tools.
  
  Task 2: Plumbing
  Wer are rebuilding from scratch most of the plumbing system which is built on PVC tubing. We have water collection and storage in place and need a properly set up a new distribution and pressure system. The waste water management is also part of this task. All buildings are over water.
  
  Task 3: Graffiti Artist
  We are planning to repaint the existing building with mural art showing scenes underwater. If you are skilled in that please get in touch. See a mockup of the style we are looking for in the image gallery - we are not interested in minimalistic styles or art interpretation.
  
  Task 4: (not required immediately - only later in the project: this can be a longer collaboration): Videographer / filmmaker to help document the project
  The project includes coral reefs, mangroves, marine wildlife, boats, tropical nature, conservation work, and the development of a private marine reserve. We are also preparing for a future documentary and social media presence.
  We are looking for someone creative who enjoys storytelling, filming in nature, and building something meaningful from the ground up. Drone skills, underwater filming, editing, and photography are a big plus, but not mandatory.

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  Idiomas hablados

  Alemán: Fluido
  Inglés: Fluido
  Francés: Fluido
  Italiano: Fluido
  Español: Intermedio

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  Alojamiento

  A dream hardwood house built over the water in a breathtaking location: you will live with me and share daily life. You have your own separate room with a comfortable brand new queen size bed with orthopedic quality mattress. All the rest is shared. We will work, but also cook together, so you are part of everyday life. We are used to (and used to be) backpackers: had a fun time crossing the atlantic with backpackers on board of our sailboat!
  
  As sourcing food is not very simple and limited in selection we have to be creative at times. At the moment the house is being gently renovated and will have some drawbacks especially in electricity and running water, until a new electrical structure is built. Be prepared to shower with buckets and to use a composting toilet until the new solar system and distribution both of electricity and fresh / waste water is in place. The house is simple (for western standards) but functional, safe and comfortable. We are moskito free and only have no see-ums (chitra) for 2 short times a day and only when the wind is not blowing: making it less of a deal. We almost always have a fresh sea breeze and you'd rather ask for a blanket than aircon (which we don't have anyway) at night. The sunrise over the open caribbean sea and the view of Zapatilla islands with a fresh brewed coffee in your hands on our veranda over the water is someting which is hard to beat in Bocas del Toro!

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  Algo más...

  Living the dream in paradise includes some comfort drawbacks. We are living off the beaten track in a place only reachable by boat. We do not have electricity and internet 24/7 yet and cell phone reception is limited, depending on phone type and provider. We are working on it though! You can enjoy the beautiful nature around us and wake up with the sunset over the water. You will have to be fine with sharing spaces and life with us and 2 (well educated) kids and a few chicken which live in their own house on the island. There are no bars, no parties, no fancy restaurants or anything similar anywhere around. Literally all you can do is enjoying pure nature, having a game of beach volleyball on our island, play with our kid's lovely Brahma chicken and kayaking/snorkeling our own coral reef and mangroves no tourist ever comes to!
  
  Please tell us about any health issues or food limitations /allergies beforehand: the next hospital is 1hr+ away mainly by boat and the trip can be very demanding or impossible at times if the weather is bad. Groceries availability is limited and quite basic at times: so this is not the best place for special diets.
  
  besides that: you will have a hard time finding a more beautiful place in all bocas!

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  We cannot guarantee constant internet availability but are working on that. We have Starlink, but no power at times, mainly during the night we turn it off.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Más de dos

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  Mis animales / mascotas

  chicken

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