Project activities | Itinerary | Price | Trip Reviews | Trip Reports | Safety
Volunteer in the Amazon!
ConservationVIP’s inaugural trip to Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador’s second-largest protected area among its 56 national parks and reserves, will be an exciting addition to our volunteer trip offerings.
Established in 1979, the reserve spans 5,900 square kilometers across the Sucumbíos and Orellana provinces. This biodiverse region is characterized by a network of periodically inundated forests, lakes, and creeks—a rare ecosystem near the Andes. The reserve’s slightly cooler and wetter climate, influenced by its proximity to the mountains, fosters unique ecological conditions that support an array of Amazonian species. The reserve is a critical site for conservation and ecotourism.
This ConservationVIP volunteer trip offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the Amazon’s rich biodiversity and play an active role in protecting it. Participation in this trip is by invitation only, since this is ConservationVIP’s first trip to the region and we will be evaluating the lodging, transportation, and project logistics while identifying any potential risks to ensure a smooth experience for future volunteer groups.
Because this inaugural trip is planned to help us refine the logistics for our future volunteer trips to Cuyabeno Reserve, please come prepared to be flexible and willing to share your perspective with the trip leader.
The primary focus of our volunteer activities will be identifying the butterflies in the reserve in collaboration with park rangers to support a butterfly biodiversity study being conducted in the reserve. We will set traps and collect butterfly specimens. We also expect to improve the butterfly collection trail by widening vegetation with selective pruning. Because many of the park’s interpretive sites are only accessible by boat, we may also work on improving landings for safer boat access and visitor transfers at steep dirt banks.
Day 1: Our volunteer trip begins in the Quito, Ecuador at 5 p.m.
We begin our trip at a local family-owned lodge about 15 minutes from the Quito Airport, where you will meet the other volunteers and the trip leader from Conservation Volunteers International Program. We will have an orientation meeting, share our first dinner, and overnight at the lodge.
Day 2: Transfer to Cuyabeno!
After breakfast at the lodge, we will transfer back to the airport for a short domestic flight to San Francisco de Coca Airport (OCC). From Coca, we will take a three-hour scenic bus ride, stopping along the way for lunch, before boarding boats for a 25-mile journey to Cuyabeno Lodge where we will be staying while we are in the Reserve.
Days 3-6: Activities at Cuyabeno Reserve
In the mornings, we will set traps and collect butterfly specimens. Additionally, we may survey the butterfly collection trail and widen the trail with selective pruning of vegetation before returning to the lodge for a late lunch.
Later in the day, we expect to improve access to the trails while surveying the park by boat.
Day 7: Return to Quito!
The group will depart the lodge by boat, and transfer to San Francisco de Coca Airport for a return flight to Quito.
The trip leader will conclude with a debrief and trip report. Volunteers may choose to extend their stay in Ecuador or return home.
US$ 1,995 for 7 days.
Note: Your trip expense may be tax-deductible. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page and consult your tax adviser for details.
Price includes:
- All meals from dinner on Day 1 through lunch on the final day
- Hotel room in Quito.
- Lodge in Cuyabeno reserve, double occupancy.
- Bus, boat and plane transportation noted in itinerary.
- Gratuities for services provided to the group.
- Project leadership and support staff
- Orientation and training
Price does not include:
- airfare to/from Quito
- cost of medical immunizations
- insurance (emergency medical and evacuation insurance is mandatory for this trip)
- excess baggage charges
- airport taxes
- alcoholic beverages or soft drinks
- personal items
Deposit and Cancellation
A deposit of $500 per person is required at the time of signup; final payment is due within 30 days of signup. The payment and refund policy can be found here.
Group Size: 8 – 10 including trip leader
Submit your review | |
Our June 2025 trip will be our first Amazon Volunteer Trip. We invite trip participants to leave reviews here after they return from the trip.
The key to staying comfortable while on an active trip is layering. To get maximum comfort with minimum weight, you need versatile layers that mix and match to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation and weather protection. The gear list has been created to help you choose your equipment for the trip. View the Gear List PDF.
Our June 2025 trip will be our first Amazon Volunteer Trip. We will post our first trip report after the trip ends.
Please check with your doctor to see if any immunizations are recommended for you.
ConservationVIP has always focused on our volunteers’ safety. Traveling with safety concerns requires some extra planning and flexibility both for trip leaders and trip participants!
To prevent illness or injury on the trip, participants may have to follow procedures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, methods for carrying and using tools and other site-specific procedures as instructed by the trip leader. More specific safety instructions will be provided on the trip.
Participants will also have to comply with any restrictions imposed by Ecuador and your country of origin at the time of travel. While we know that restrictions can change between now and the time of travel, we cannot predict what those changes will be.