When I told other people that I would be volunteering at La Hesperia for three months, I got a lot of different reactions. Of course there were those who thought the whole idea of taking time off from work and volunteering was just a really cool idea. But then there were some people who wondered why I’d want to do this kind of work and get paid. Others asked why I didn’t want to shorten my volunteer stay and focus more on traveling during my time in Ecuador. Now that my work at La Hesperia has come to an end, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Volunteering for a cause that I really believe in and learning about what it means to “work in conservation” has been rewarding beyond expectation. Also, working at the station for three months has enabled me to have a very different experience than I would have had if I had only stayed for a few weeks. In addition to developing a friendship with Juan Pablo and Alexandra and learning about their vision for the station, I came to feel like La Hesperia was home. After settling in during the first few weeks, I took on special projects like coordinating volunteer activities and helping Alexandra with research that will eventually help the community. I became invested in the work of the reserve and got far more out of the experience than I gave. But this took time, and I don’t think I would have felt the same if I had only been here for two or three weeks.
I left La Hesperia with a better understanding of conservation, Ecuadorian culture, and ideas for staying involved in the station’s efforts to protect our natural resources. I hope to return one day to see the continuation of the work we have begun.