Galapagos regenerative roots project
Sustainable Agriculture, Urban Gardening & Reforestation
Role Overview
The IOI Foundation has maintained a cooperation agreement with the Heifer Foundation since 2025. The goal of this partnership is for farms in the Tomás de Berlanga parish on Isabela Island to implement agroecological practices as part of a transition away from conventional agriculture to become food sovereign. As part of the project, participating farms receive training workshops, technical assistance, and inputs from specialists from both organizations.
The highland town of Tomás de Berlanga is about 10 miles uphill from the coastal part of town where IOI headquarters, your accommodation, social life, and the beach are located. Located on the side of Volcano Sierra Negra, the highlands are fertile, lush lands with rich volcanic soil - perfect for agriculture! Volunteers support the work carried out on the farms by contributing their time in the mornings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, working at one of the farms included in the program during their stay.
Volunteers will learn local techniques for sustainable tropical agriculture and will help to create food sovereignty, lower the carbon footprint of island life, lower waste from shipping materials, lower costs to local consumers, increase local income, and increase the availability of nutritional foods available in Isabela.
An important component of the project is ecological restoration through the reforestation of native and endemic plant species on the farms. These plants are used to create living fences, define pathways, and establish conservation areas, as well as to attract local pollinators.
In addition, these species are also planted in Puerto Villamil and in the highlands of the island, including educational institutions, public spaces, the IOI model garden, the gardens of IOI host families, and restaurants that are part of the IOI program. This effort aims to reintroduce native plants into urban areas, create shaded spaces, and stabilize the coastal line of the town.
The plants are sourced from the Juan Chávez Forest Nursery of the Galápagos National Park. In this context, volunteers work on Mondays and Fridays on these activities, which are part of a community-based initiative to restore native and endemic plant species.
Schedule
Volunteers will meet with an IOI staff member at our facilities at 8:00 am on Mondays and Fridays and will carry out reforestation or maintenance activities involving native and endemic plants in Puerto Villamil, or on farms in the highlands of the island. Activities will end at 12:00 pm, after which they will have lunch at one of the restaurants participating in the IOI program. The Volunteer Program Manager will communicate the planned activities in advance.
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, volunteers will take the 7:00 am bus to the highlands (approximately 30 minutes from town), dropping them off at one of the farms in the program to begin their work. They will return at 11:30 am in an IOI pre-arranged taxi. Along the way, they may stop at the Forest Nursery to pick up native and endemic plants, transporting them to the IOI office to be planted in Puerto Villamil on the following Monday or Friday.
Requirements
Genuine passion for the outdoors and conservation of nature
Physical ability to work laborious construction and gardening type jobs outdoors with potential allergens, sun and temperature exposure
Ability to work independently as well as in a team
Basic knowledge of non-motorized tools and their safe usage
Ability to speak and understand basic-intermediate/conversational Spanish is beneficial as it will increase your ability to communicate and integrate with community members. IOI staff are English speakers but the farm families speak very basic English thus we highly recommend that you brush up on your Spanish skills to make the most of your experience. If you would like to add a 1 or 2 week long Spanish course prior to your arrival to Galapagos, please let us know so we can help you arrange this.
INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING WITH SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE? FOLLOW THESE 3 EASY STEPS.
Step 1: Apply Now & Reserve. Fill out an application and pay the reservation deposit. The deposit holds your spot in one of our programs and goes towards your final program fee. The deposit is already deducted from the prices you see below. The application and deposit do not guarantee the dates you anticipate joining us. Once we receive your application, we will contact you with any follow-up questions and confirm your dates.
Not ready to fill out an application but have questions? Contact us.
Step 2: Reserve your space by making your $200 deposit
Step 3: Pay the program remaining balance fee 8 weeks before your trip.
