ARCAS
Greetings from Guatemala, land of eternal spring! We here at ARCAS benefit from the support of over 300 volunteers per year from all over the world who share our desire to save endangered species and their habitat. We have three volunteer programs:
PETEN Our first and most established project is our Wild Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Center situated on 45 hectares of forested land on Lake Peten Itza across from the town of Flores in the northern Peten region of Guatemala, 45 kms from the world famous Mayan archeological site of Tikal. Volunteers at the Rescue Center help in feeding and caring for the animals at the center, including parrots, macaws, spider and howler monkeys, ocelots, coatimundis and kinkajous. Nearly all of these animals have been seized from smugglers and are very young, needing constant care and attention. There are also opportunities to take part in veterinary medical treatment, animal releases and wildlife surveys, though the scheduling of these activities is irregular and we can't guarantee you will be able to participate. At the Rescue Center, volunteers live in a spacious two story wooden building situated in a beautiful tropical forest. Facilities include comfortable wooden bunk beds, "western" shower and toilet facilities and 12V solar electricity. Volunteers eat and socialize at a separate spacious kitchen/dining room rancho and there is a very nice floating dock for late afternoon swims.
HAWAII Our other volunteer program is at our sea turtle, caiman and mangrove conservation project near the town of Hawaii on the Pacific coast of Guatemala where volunteers assist in conducting nightly patrols of area beaches in search of nesting sea turtles, collection and burial of eggs in the hatchery and collection of research data. Volunteers can also take part in the caiman captive breeding program, mangrove reforestations, educational activities in area schools and other community projects. The turtle season in Hawaii is from June to December with peak months of August and September for olive ridleys. For the much scarcer leatherbacks, the nesting season is December and January. For volunteers looking for a little more adventure and a more authentic Guatemalan experience, we also offer homestays with families in more remote fishing villages where volunteers help in the management and data-gathering at community hatcheries and educational activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION In addition to the two projects mentioned above, we host volunteers who are interested in helping out in our Environmental Education Program, though this requires a higher level of Spanish language ability. Both in Peten and at our project in Hawaii, we are developing environmental education and interpretation centers which we hope will lead to a greater awareness among Guatemalans and visiting tourists about the need to conserve endangered species and their habitat. Volunteers assist in the development of exhibits, painting of signs and the development of bilingual educational materials and have the opportunity to accompany members of the ARCAS Education Department on their educational visits to local schools.
INTERNSHIPS At ARCAS, we also host volunteers who want to conduct internships or practicums as part of their university studies. These interns generally commit to a longer volunteer period and must be able to speak Spanish fairly well. Past interns have taken on specific projects such as environmental education, public relations, inventories of flora and fauna and sea turtle research. If you are interested in participating in such a way, let us know.
DO I NEED A RESERVATION? No. We are flexible in terms of when and at what project you want to volunteer. Other than the peak months of July and August, we rarely fill up, so you can just show up at the project sites if you want. However, we recommend that you e-mail us a week or two ahead of time just to be sure. If you want to get in touch directly with the staff at the projects to see what current conditions are, you can all them at 820-2073 for Hawaii, or 926-0946 or 933-8917 for the Rescue Center in Peten. Let it ring a long time or re-call as sometimes they don't hear the phone.
FEES We rely on our volunteer fees to help sustain our conservation projects, so for the Rescue Center in Peten, there is a charge of $100 per week which covers food and lodging while for the Hawaii Project on the Pacific coast, the fee is $50 per week just for lodging. We accept US dollar cash or Quetzales cash. Sorry, no traveler's checks. We offer discounts for longer-term volunteers but ask that they pay the full volunteer fee for at least the first month until we get to know each other better. There are also free positions for volunteer coordinators that are offered when available.
SPANISH LANGUAGE Spanish language ability is not required, but in general, your ability to speak some Spanish will greatly enhance your effectiveness as well as your satisfaction with the ARCAS experience. If you don't already speak Spanish and you plan to volunteer for an extended period, we recommend that you spend your first weeks studying in Antigua, a world-renowned Spanish language center and a stunningly beautiful colonial city in the highlands. The standard study program is $120 per week for a homestay with a Guatemalan family, three meals and 4 hours/day of 1-on-1 Spanish instruction. Non-homestay study programs usually cost @$60/week. Quite a deal! There are close to 50 language schools in Antigua most of which offer similar courses. We can recommend the following who support social and environmental causes such as ARCAS:
APPE 1C oriente #15, Tel: 7832-2552, E-mail: <appe@infovia.com.gt> Ask for Lilian Santizo and
tell her that we sent you and she'll give you a discount.
MUNDO GUATEMALA elke@mundo-guatemala.com
If you are planning on volunteering at the Hawaii Project, there is a Spanish school in Monterrico, 7kms away.
VOLUNTEER SPIRIT More important than language skills, perhaps, is individual initiative and an understanding that ARCAS, as an under-funded, non-profit, volunteer organization, may not be able to meet all your expectations in terms of personal attention and work experience. Volunteers must be fairly independent and accustomed to working in at times "rustic" conditions. In addition to performing tasks such as feeding and carrying for the animals, we also expect volunteers to carry out such mundane chores as cleaning out cages and washing dishes.
VOLUNTEER GUIDEBOOK If you are interested in taking part in our volunteer program and want more details check out our Volunteer Guidebook on our website below. Copies are also available at the Volunteer Center at El Arco in Antigua and at APPE.
ANTIGUA Most volunteers who come to Guatemala first go to Antigua, a beautiful colonial city 45 minutes from Guatemala City. Tourist mini-vans from the airport will take you there for $10. Antigua is a nice place to get acclimated and stage your trips to other parts of the country. There are a lot of options for lodging of all price ranges. Check with your guidebook.
LODGING IN GUATEMALA
If you are getting in to Guatemala City at night, you might consider staying at the Dos Lunas B & B near the airport for $10. Includes airport pickup. Contact Lorena at: doslunas@itelgua.com or lorena@intelnet.net.gt
GETTING THERE
Volunteers are expected to get to the project sites on their own. To get to the Rescue Center in Peten, take a bus (Linea Dorada, Tel: 232-9658, 220-7990, 8hrs) or plane (Tikal Jets, Tel: 361-0042-4, 334-5631, 45 minutes) from Guatemala City to Flores. The ARCAS boat usually leaves Flores for the Rescue Center from the municipal pump (la bomba) at 8AM & 3PM, but we recommend that you confirm with the staff in Peten as times change. Also, some of the local boatmen will say that the ARCAS boat has already left just to get your business. Otherwise, you can take a tourist boat going to the Petencito Zoo for Q20-40. The Rescue Center is also accessible by car taking the road 18kms past the Villa Maya Hotel.
To get to Hawaii, from Guatemala City or Antigua, take a public bus (Cubanita from la Terminal de la Zona 4 in Guatemala City) to Esquintla-Taxico-La Avellana(boat across the canal)-Monterrico, or from Antigua or Guatemala City, you can take a tourist shuttle van to Monterrico($8-10). From Monterrico, take one of the 3X daily local buses or rent a pick-up taxi for Q40 to PARQUE HAWAII 7kms away. The boat ride from La Avellana to Hawaii, though very beautiful, costs Q150.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR HAWAII
Due to the relative remoteness of Hawaii, banking facilities are not very accessible. In Monterrico, 7km away, you can change cash dollars only and not at a very good rate. If you need to use an ATM, you will need to make a day trip to Chiquimulilla. We therefore recommend that volunteers bring enough Quetzals to the park to last at least one week, perhaps Q800. Bringing enough food for the first day is also advised.
"SPONSOR A NEST" IN HAWAII
Volunteers have an opportunity to sponsor a turtle nest on their behalf or as a gift for a friend, family member. We would like to encourage volunteers to make a collection at home to support us in this project. At present our hatchery collects an average of 5% of all turtle eggs laid, which is why any additional assistance is essential. Roughly US$20 will buy a whole turtle nest of roughly 100 eggs, which will be buried in our hatchery and released when hatched. Volunteers who participate will receive a certificate, a CD of photos of turtles nesting, and hatchlings, as well as being kept informed via e-mail numbers of hatchlings and release dates.
CONTACT US Thanks for your interest in ARCAS and I look forward to hearing from you in the future. If you want information specifically about the Peten project, you can contact them directly at: <arcaspeten@hotmail.com>. You can also get additional information at our website www.arcasguatemala.com and at www.colszoo.org/Conservation/ 2001/2000ann/30conrep.html.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Saludos,
Colum Muccio
Administrative Director
P.S. If you do decide to volunteer and have access to donated materials, below is a short wishlist:
- Educational supplies (notebooks, pencils, pens, CRAYONS, FACE PAINT CRAYONS...)
- Tents
- Veterinary supplies (New or used, contact us for a more detailed list if you have a supply)
- Flashlights
- Medical supplies (repellent, antibiotic creme, vitamins, bandages, tape...)
- Used office and computer equipment (Fax, computer, copier, scissors, tape, White Out...) (Computer equipment should be no more than 3 years old)
We have a separate wishlist for veterinary supplies and medicines. Let us know if you want us to send it to you.
ARCAS
Intl Mail Address: Section 717, PO Box 52-7270, Miami, FL 33152-7270 USA
Street Address: 4 Ave. 2-47, Sector B5, Zona 8 Mixco, San Cristobal, Guatemala
Telephone/fax: (502)2478-4096, 2480-7270, 5704-2563 (Colum), 7820-2073 (Parque Hawaii), 5571-5102 (Herlin, Parque Hawaii)
E-mail: arcas@intelnet.net.gt
Website: www.arcasguatemala.com
PETEN CONTACT INFO:
E-mail: arcaspeten@hotmail.com
fernando_martinezgalicia@hotmail.com (Dir. of Rescue Center)
Tel: (502)7926-0946 (Library), : 7933-8917 (Cell phone at Rescue Center); 5208-0968 (Fernando Martinez, Spanish)
ARCAS Library in San Benito next to the Police Station
E-mail: arcas@intelnet.net.gt, arcaspeten@intelnet.net.gt