Depending on the season different tasks have to be done.

The project is divided into the following three areas:
1. Sea turtle project
2. Shark project
3. Environmental education project

Note: All activities described may be subject to weather and seasonal changes. We can not guarantee that you will work in all areas during your stay.

Sea Turtle Project:
Until recently, the endangered hawksbill sea turtles was thought to have its home exclusively in the coasts of Central America. In 2008, however, it was found out that this turtle species nests on some beaches in Ecuador as well. Since then, the organization, with the help of volunteers, has been researching to learn more about these mysterious animals and their distribution.

The volunteer project is also dedicated to the research and protection of green turtles and olive ridley turtles. It has established a program for a turtle hatchery, which is unique in Ecuador.

In the turtle project, the volunteers travel with the project team at regular intervals to a nearby island on which the nesting sites of the turtles are located. Usually they stay there for about eight days.

As a volunteer, you support the team in the following tasks:
• Beach patrols day and night
• Measuring and marking the sea turtles
• Counting the eggs and mark the nests
• Bringing the eggs to the nearest breeding station(if necessary)
• Installing transmitters on turtle shells
• Carrying out measurements by telemetry on a boat
• Capturing turtles for research purposes

Shark Project:
In addition, the volunteer project has launched a program to study the sharks off Ecuador's shores. Every day many sharks end miserably in fishing nets. The fishermen bring the sharks with their large deadly nets to the fishing port, where project staff and volunteers collect data on the sharks. Information such as shark type, age, height and gender must be recorded and evaluated later.

Environmental Education Program:
An important part of environmental protection is to integrate society, especially school classes, into the work and to communicate the research results to them. The volunteer project is aware of this important task and has therefore launched the environmental education program. The aim is to educate the inhabitants of Puerto Lopez and the surrounding areas about the environment and to make them understand the importance of being respectful with the environment and wildlife.

The volunteers are an incredibly important part of this environmental education project. Thanks to them, it was even possible to found an environmental club in Puerto Lopez. This club participates in activities such as cleaning the beach or building a small garden or organizing field trips. However, there is still a lot to do and volunteer ideas and suggestions are always welcome.

Tasks include:
• Cleaning the beaches and coasts in Puerto Lopez and surroundings
• Planning activities for the environmental club
• Planning environmental education activities in the schools of Puerto Lopez

​Note: The tasks may vary. They depend on factors such as number of volunteers, weather, season, current needs of the project, as well as self-motivation. Not every volunteer may be fully involved in all these tasks.