Program Dates: July 18th – August 22nd, 2011
THIS PROGRAM IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS. WE URGE YOU TO CHECK OUT OUR OTHER AMAZING PROGRAMS TAKING PLACE THIS SUMMER!
Trip Highlights
- Volunteer with Foster Parrots, working to protect exotic wildlife from smugglers
- Trek the pristine Kakuku mountain range
- Explore Guyana’s diverse ecosystems from the lush tropical jungles to the savana’s teaming with wildlife
ITT Options
- Witness the hatching of endangered marine turtles along Almond Beach, the only place in the world home to the four of eight sea turtle species
- Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of colonial Georgetown
- Pay a trip to the infamous site of the Jonestown Cult Massacre (but don’t drink the koolaid)
- Hike to Kaieteur, the largest single drop waterfall in the world
Trip Itinerary
Guyana boasts a biodiversity second to none with some of the last old growth forests and billion year old earth. OG aims to offer participants an opportunity to visit one of the wildest and most inaccessible parts of South America. OG Guyana participants will have a hands-on experience working in tandem with the country’s conservation efforts, from working with researchers who focus on reptile conservation, to staying at an Orphanage for Giant River Otters, to participating in Foster Parrots efforts to stop the export of exotic wildlife.
We will touch down on the North coast in Guyana’s capital and give participants a day to meet each other while experiencing the fascinating colonial history and Caribbean lifestyle of coastal Georgetown, visiting a local market and trying tasty local cuisine.
Before too long we’ll leave the bustling city behind and head into the country’s sparsely populated and undeveloped interior. Here the group will meet with an expert who will highlight some of the regional conservation issues in Guyana, like the smuggling of endangered wildlife. We will learn about some of the current efforts to protect the country’s unique natural resources.
Our volunteer work will take place in Nappi Village, at the foothills of the Kanuku Mountain range. We will work with foster parrots and Maipaima Eco to help the community create economic alternatives to hunting and trapping exotic wildlife for the pet and zoo trade. This summer our trip is about cultivating relationships and working hard to ensure that the pristine rivers and old growth forest and abundant animal life stay protected despite pressure to sell off animals and submit to mining corporations.
Participants will then head off on their own for a week of Independent Travel Time (ITT), a staple of all OG trips. In this time they may choose to travel north, to witness sea turtle nesting season along the North West coast, or visit the infamous Jonestown memorial, or they may head back south to explore Lethem, the eccentric cowboy border town, or Hike to Kaieteur the largest single drop waterfall in the world.
Following ITT, the team will meet up on the coast for a couple of days of disorientation and relaxation, where we will relive memories of the trip, unwind and prepare for life back home.
To apply for this life-changing program, please click on the Apply Now button on the right tab.
