Pat volunteered with us on the Bird Conservation and Reforestation project in January and February of 2020. This is her review.
Volunteering in Rancho Quemado for 4 weeks in January/February 2020
This small rural farming community is full of amazing treasures. It is situated in a valley, but has fog most mornings even in the dry seasons which gives it one of the most unusually climates in the world. There are cloud forest plants in a valley. The birds are everywhere and it provided me the opportunity to learn about a huge number of new species. I saw over 165 species while I was there and most were new to me. Monitoring the birds is formally done 1 or 2 times a week, camera monitoring is setup and checked occasionally but birdwatching can be a constant. The Nursery and reforestation project is a constant. The gathering of plant material from seedlings to seeds on hikes down various trails happened a couple times a week. It was amazing how the folks could identify endangered and important trees from 2 leaf seedlings on the forest floor. Watching seeds I planted in nursery beds sprout and turn into strong seedlings within days before we transplanted them to pots was very rewarding. I’m sure under the watchful eyes and watering of the team, they along with the seedlings we gathered and potted will be part of the thousands of trees used in numerous reforestation areas in May.
Yolanda and Nuria and the rest of the crew are passionate about conservation and the amazing place were they live. They are very happy to share their knowledge and were patient with my language limitations. I took some Spanish lessons before I went but wish I had done more.
I worked on the project in the mornings and a couple of hours in the late afternoon. The early afternoon were much too hot to do much but relax. It is pitch black at 6 pm, so bring something to do on your own in the evenings. The cell and Wifi service is spotty. Be prepared to walk (I often walked 8-10 kilometres a day) any other method of transportation is very difficult due to the lack of vehicles.
If you enjoy birding and plants this is a volunteer project where you can help some, learn lots and get to meet some wonderful people.
Pat Wally, Manitoba Canada
