Help create a new national park in pristine Patagonia, Chile when you volunteer with our Patagonia National Park Project.

In this groundbreaking project, volunteers will contribute to the creation of a new national park in the Patagonia region of southern Chile. As a volunteer, you will work with scientists and park staff to collect data and carry out restoration work for one of the largest and most ambitious conservation projects in the world.

In 2004, a non-profit foundation purchased a 173,000-acre sheep ranch in the rugged Patagonia region on the Argentina-Chile border. This dramatic landscape of Patagonian steppes and Andes Mountains rises only 60 miles west of the fjords and islands off southern Chile’s Pacific Coast.

The goal of the project is to transform the ranch into Latin America’s newest national park, one that will be roughly the size of Yosemite National Park. In order to convert the pastureland back to its natural habitat, scientists are now studying the native plants and animals and putting together a restoration strategy.

As a volunteer you will work hands-on with Chilean Natural History Museum scientists and local guides to conduct scientific research and to eradicate non-native plant species and replace them with indigenous vegetation. You will also remove old sheep fences that restrict the movements of native wildlife. Through all of these efforts, you will help preserve Patagonia for generations to come.

As a volunteer you will:
Collect scientific data on the field
Eradicate non-native plant species
Collect seeds and plant indigenous vegetation
Remove old sheep fences
Learn about the plants and animal species of the area

Project Length:	Start Dates:
Three weeks (21 days) with an optional five-day Adventure Program extension.	Inquire for specific start dates.
Project Cost:	Cost Includes:
21-day program: Three weeks (21 days) with an optional five-day Adventure Program extension.	Airport pickup and drop-off On-site orientation and project training Accommodations and meals In-country support Emergency travel insurance Volunteer donation
Schedule:	Accommodations:
You will work approximately 8 hours a day in the field. You will have one to two days off during the week, though these days won’t necessarily fall on a Saturday or Sunday. You will be expected to help with daily camp maintenance and food preparation. The evenings will be yours to explore the park.	First four days spent in youth hostel: Four   beds per room, shared bathrooms. After that time you will tent camp: Two people per tent. Two shared no-flush toilets and two bucket- showers Kitchen and dining area Three meals per day
Requirements:
Volunteers should be physically fit in order to manage the physical labor associated with this project. Your knowledge of Spanish will determine what type of work you can do with the project. While fluency is certainly not required, a very limited knowledge will leave you with somewhat limited options.