We are so excited to share the amazing unique and really quite magical volunteer opportunity with you.  There are some many volunteer Bolivia opportunities, but for those of you who have a heart to work with monkeys you will not believe just how amazing this sanctuary is, it really is the most beautiful wild life volunteer opportunity you may find.  I go into the very unique, almost hard to believe, backstory of the amazing founding couple further down in this blog post. Firstly though, we need to jump into what it is like to volunteer with monkeys with you’re Volunteering in Bolivia.  What you need to know, how to apply, how long you can volunteer for, the costs involved and what it is actually like to volunteer abroad in Bolivia.

Where can I volunteer with monkeys?

If you know in your heart you are a wildlife volunteer, there are many places across the world that you can volunteer with monkeys.  The are areas of the world that tend to offer opportunities to work with monkeys are often jungle based environments as this is the natural habitat of monkeys.  If monkeys have been mistreated, a true sanctuary for them is that closest to their natural habitat.

Out of all the wildlife volunteer opportunities around the Amazon jungle there are a few that we really connected with and Senda verde animal sanctuary was one of them.  If you are going to volunteer Bolivia, we wholeheartedly recommend them.  They actually care for a wide range of animals, but their programs for working with monkeys in particular are fantastic.  They are well thought our to be able to involve a range of volunteer opportunities that are meaningful for volunteers but of course first and foremost further foster great care for the animals 

Volunteer Bolivia for free?

Volunteering for free is a complex issue.  Yes, there are places that will advertise free volunteer opportunities, but you have to question the set up and what they are offering.  Equally, if they are chagrin extortionate amounts, then be EQUALLY if not more wary! Sadly volunteerism has brought much corruption to the most vulnerable parts of society.  If you want to better understand this, you must read this post (COMING VERY SOON).  Often a trustworthy and worthwhile volunteering opportunity will only ask for enough to cover boarding, meals, training and supervision if needed. Some may ask for a donation towards the outgoings too, such as food for the animals and costs of developing the sanctuary, but this varies.  Naturally you will need to cover costs of getting to the place you wish to volunteer with, this would be the case with any Volunteer Bolivia program.

How much does it cost to Volunteer Bolivia with the monkeys?

Senda Verde animal refuge offers a range of programs for working with Monkeys and other beautiful creatures.  In each case the first two weeks cost 165 GBP / 230 USD per week and then it drops down as you volunteer for longer.  This is a great price for a Volunteer Bolivia program when they cover your training, any necessary supervision, the cost of your lodging and 3 meals a day. This beautiful, wildlife loving, eco friendly project is well thought through for both the animals and volunteers. Just like the animals have special dietary requirements, if you let them know, they can happily arrange vegetarian and vegan options for your meals.

In addition to this you need to work out your own transport costs and Visa costs; naturally these will vary greatly depending on where you are coming from.  At the point of writing, If you are travelling from the United Kingdom, your Visa is free! WIN!

How much time do I need to volunteer with monkeys?

The monkeys are beautiful intelligent animals and as you may imagine, if they are in a sanctuary they are recovering from mistreatment.  Often it is humans that have mistreated them, so it is very important to Senda Verde that anyone wanting to volunteer with the monkeys stays for a minimum of two weeks and is gently eased in and out of their relationship and work with the monkeys.  

This sanctuary actually cares for over 800 animals and more than 65 species, which is amazing for what started out as such a small local Volunteer Bolivia project. Each of the animals have different levels of needs.  You will get a chance to work with many of them during your time volunteering Bolivia.  Please be aware that in the best interest of the animals, you can only work with some of them if you volunteer more long term.  They care for a range of tropical birds, wild cats, bears and monkeys; if you have a specific animal in mind that you would like to be involved with the care of, it’s worth contacting them ahead to time to see if that is possible. Volunteering with monkeys is very popular and indeed one of their main specialities, so everyone at some point should get chance to care for them.

What do you need to know to be a Bolivia Volunteer?

Bolivia language ?

Love and Spanish!  The Bolivians are some of the most passionate and loving people you will meet on your travels.  Being able to connect with them in their local language goes a long way. If you are planning to Volunteer Bolivia or anywhere in the world, it is always good to do your best to learn at least some of the local language.  They speak Latin American Spanish in Bolivia, much like the majority of South America.  If you are interested in learning Spanish This is really useful post to help you find best and cheapest countries to live in whilst learning to speak Spanish. 

Volunteer Bolivia skills

Senda Verde are more interested in characteristic and a good work ethic than qualifications when you apply to their volunteer Bolivia project.  They build on this through offering fantastic training to all its volunteers; what you get to learn is a valuable experience in itself.  They do not require you to have any specific skills on arrival.  If however you do have skills such as veterinary or construction, they can naturally fast track you more so you can get involved with advanced aspects of the project.  They are also interested in people who have IT skills and even media production skills.  Although you will naturally want to be as involved with the animals as possible when you volunteer, there are many more things you could help out with during your volunteer Bolivia stay to really help the sanctuary in terms of its longevity and sustainability,

What will you actually be doing when you Volunteer?

This will depend massively on the needs of the sanctuary at the time of your visit, your skill and the amount of time you volunteer for.  Senda Verde is a uniquely special place where a true harmony between animals and people is reached. You can be a significant part of making a much needed difference for animals rescued from trafficking. Each animal has its only very special story and needs. 

By volunteering and becoming part of the team you will be helping animals rebuild emotional and physically.  There are a range of animals to work with, monkeys, bears, turtles, toucans, parrots snakes and more. You can certainly give a preference and they will take it into consideration, but ultimately volunteering here is about mucking in with everything you can to help the animals as a team.

You will be doing anything from cleaning pooh, to feeding and cleaning the animals themselves.  If they have building projects, you may be able to help out with them too.  It depends massively on what they are working on at the time. Of course, if you are reading this post, you are probably most interested in volunteering with monkeys. To make sure this is the best fit for your volunteer Bolivia time it is best to check out the latest on their website and even contact them directly.  This really is a beautiful opportunity to work closely with a variety of Bolivian wildlife, but please do remember, the priority is the care of the animals. 

Quotes from the volunteers 

During our own time in the volunteer Bolivia project, we got to know some of the other volunteers and it is always fun to hear what a range of people have to say. Here are a few of my favourite and pretty inspirational quotes from the epic team we met:

“Reconnecting with nature is awesome and crucial! Senda Verde reinvigorates my desire to help save the environment, everything within it and hopefully the world!!!”

 – Mitch

“Learning that all good things are wild and free is imperative. Senda Verde is the perfect place to spread that message.”

 – Gabby

“At Senda Verde, you don’t just feed and clean the animals. You get to know their histories and personalities. You get to make a real difference in their lives. “

 – Ine Eggja

“Senda Verde is a home away from home not only for the animals, but us as well. “

 –  Paige

 Truly a worthwhile place to volunteer!

The special and unique story behind the Senda Verde Volunteer Bolivia Project

A beautiful Bolivian couple with a passion for humans and animals to live in harmony founded a little heaven on earth and named it Senda Verde. In response to the desperate need for animals to be rescued from trafficking and truly cared for they started to build a base. In a vast lush valley they began building facilities to care for and help animals rebuild physically and emotionally, it really is a unique and special heaven. The way the animal’s originally found and keeping finding this sanctuary is the most moving and fascinating part of the story.

On arrival, you cross a river and enter a cage. The human gage is a genius solution that ensures Senda Verde is truly first and foremost a home and refuge for the animals. As a visitor or volunteer Bolivia worker you enter a long winding cage that leads you through the grounds. Trained vets and volunteers who have been vaccinated and de-wormed can enter more freely into the animals areas. As a visitor you can be taken into certain areas and learn about the animals, but it’s not a zoo! In the best possible way, you are not the priority; you are a visitor in their home.

If you stay in one of their tree houses you find yourself based in the canopy where the animas come and go freely. It is a deeply beautiful and peaceful place to unwind and re-connect with nature. As we have been explaining you can volunteer with monkeys and other animals. If you join their volunteer Bolivia program you can get a bit more up close and personal with the animals, as always it is on the animal’s terms and in most cases they are free to come and go as they please.

If you visit, you will notice some additional fencing and gaging for some of the animals, this is always for their own good. It may be because the animals need to be in quarantine, or that if the animal ventures out, it is a prime target for poachers. They clearly always endeavour to do the best with what they have and give the animals as much freedom as in the best interest of the being.

I have never been anywhere quite like it, there is a welcoming atmosphere and a distinct harmony between both the animals and the people that live here. What is truly astounding is that the vast majority of the animals are completely free to leave, there are no cages around the boarders of the land, but they know its home and choose to stay. Moreover, animals just keeping arriving and moving into the area, they now care for over 800 animals!

In South America they use the word ‘Tranquila’, it means what you expect it to mean and it really does sum up Senda Verde, a tranquil place of peace and restoration; we feel truly blessed to have been able to spend some time here.