We are an NGO in the Chiloé Archipelago in southern Chile. Through research and active conservation measures, we seek to protect the wildlife of the Island and its surroundings.
Volunteering Activities
What We Need
The center develops a variety of activities in which it needs help.
Areas in which you can participate:
1. Rescue, clinic, and rehabilitation: includes the rescuing, handling, cleaning, and feeding of animals; construction and repair of facilities; participation in the observation of pre-release and post-release animals; and, depending on the volunteer's preparation, administering medicinal aid to animals in rehabilitation.
2. Research: includes field work for sampling or animal tracing, laboratory analysis, data analysis, etc.
3. Education: includes helping create various educational and audio-visual materials; participating in adult and children education workshops on the fauna around them; maintaining the school, where there will be animals that need to be taken care of and fed.
All areas are very important and generally include intensive physical work and teamwork. We also hope to generate a positive environment. All volunteers will be able to spend time in each of the areas as a form of general learning. However, if you have a specific skill or a particular interest that you can help us with, you will be evaluated together to work on it.
Presently, the needs of the center are the habilitation and construction of animal enclosures in rehabilitation. In addition, there are animals in rehabilitation that will need care.
When & Who
What we Provide
We have a house ready to welcome volunteers and provide them with well-deserved rest.
The house is equipt with:
- Two rooms with 4 bunk beds each
- Kitchen
- Living room
- Bathroom
- Fireplace
- Slow combustion
- Well water
We will all help with housework which creates a family environment and a good community experience.
Our Fees
There will be no cost of accommodation.
A voluntary contribution is always appreciated.
More Services we Offer
Your stay in the center will not be all work; you can also enjoy its surroundings. In the center, volunteers can enjoy spectacular views and walks. There is space to organize sports activities or to simply to relax. In the evening, you can sit under the starry sky and feel the fresh air. Our intention is for you to have a pleasant stay with us and to have an unforgettable experience.
The volunteers are responsible for their own food. At least once a week, you will go into town to make purchases and the total cost will be divided among those present. We cook communally. We can also use mother earth to plant vegetables and make a garden.
Contact Person
Other Ways to Help
Volunteers who wish to work online can collaborate with us by updating our website or by helping to translate different documents that will allow us to attract more volunteers and resources to continue our work.
We are in the process of construction and implementation of habitats for animals to be rehabilitated in so any construction material will be accepted and well used.
Additional Info about Us
The working language will be Spanish; however, as we will have the presence of foreign volunteers, the language will NOT be required. We will always try to encourage volunteers to learn Spanish while they are here, but, as we said, it is not necessary to work with us.
Since we are in the south of Chile, the climate is usually very rainy. Sometimes, in a day, we can have the presence of all of the four seasons of the year (cold, heat, wind, rain, sun).
We recommend bringing a sleeping bag and work clothes. Chiloé is characterized by having a rainy climate throughout the year so it is advised for you to bring water boots.
Chiloé Silvestre was created in 2009 to contribute to the conservation and care of native wild species and their natural habitats. Its members include researchers, educators, audio-visual directors, Chilean and foreign volunteers, and several private and governmental institutions.
The objectives of Chiloé Silvestre are:
1. Rescue, rehabilitate, and release wildlife species that suffer some type of damage that prevents them from performing in their natural state.
2. Spread awareness among the population, especially children, about the state of the native fauna and flora and the conservation problems that they and their environment face.
3. Produce useful information for conservation through scientific methodology.