Volunteering | afegroup

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Volunteering

Emerald Forest Reserve is in need of volunteers who are passionate about the natural environment and are willing to work hard to preserve it. Volunteers should have a positive attitude, be able to work independently and as part of a team, and have knowledge about the tropical environment. Volunteers should also have good communication skills and be able to interact with the local community. As a volunteer, you will be expected to help with research, land management, reforestation, wildlife monitoring, and community outreach. In addition, volunteers should be prepared to take on tasks such as trail maintenance, campground upkeep, and other manual labour. Thank you for considering volunteering for this amazing cause!

Volunteering is an excellent way to give back to your community and make a positive impact. We are always looking for enthusiastic and responsible volunteers to join our team. To help ensure that everyone has a positive experience, we ask that all volunteers adhere to the following guidelines:

Volunteering Guidelines

All volunteers must obtain their valid travel visa, Emerald Forest Reserve will support you with a letter of invitation.
All volunteers must have an interest in any ecological or wildlife conservation, research or fieldwork.
All rules and regulations of the BB and Emerald Forest Reserve must be adhered to.
Respect the rights of all individuals and maintain a professional attitude.
Respect the privacy of those you are serving.
Be punctual and reliable.
Work with the team to complete tasks and objectives.
Communicate any issues or concerns to the appropriate personnel in a timely manner.
Remain open-minded and flexible.
Demonstrate enthusiasm and a positive attitude.
Have fun and enjoy your service!

We are grateful for your commitment to our cause and look forward to a rewarding experience for all of our volunteers. Thank you for your support!

Scope of Work

The scope of volunteering work includes a range of activities related to animal welfare, environmental conservation, and sustainable agriculture.

Example of Duties:

Students will focus on their preferred and pre-determined topic, but also help with general animal welfare, data collection, cleaning and research activities.
Volunteers should share their passions beforehand so that we can try to focus you in those areas, but will also help with general animal welfare, data collection, cleaning and research activities.
Care of baby pangolins is very specialized and exact. Special milk formulas must be followed and given only as recommended so only those volunteers with infinite patience, steady hands and the ability to follow instructions exactly, will be involved with feeding.
Baby pangolins will need to be taken into the forest for hours at a time and slowly they will learn to climb short trees and gain confidence to be away from the person they are bonding with. This also takes infinite patience.
Ideally, each pangolin will have 2 primary caregivers so that they can form some bonds for trust, but still be adaptable. Your length of stay will probably affect the responsibilities given to you, but pangolin care will usually be a big part of any volunteer’s experience.

Recommendations:

We recommend the following for any animal clinic volunteers.

Bring a hat.
Bring comfortable shoes.

Example of Duties:

Building and maintaining beehives
Installing new bee colonies and relocating existing ones
Conducting regular hive inspections to check for signs of disease, pests, or other problems
Identifying and treating common bee diseases or pests
Re-queening hives to ensure a healthy and productive colony
Collecting and analyzing honey samples for quality and purity
Extracting and processing honey from honeycombs

Recommendations:

We recommend that the volunteers have previous beekeeping experience/training, including honey harvesting techniques.

Emerald forest reserve will provide protective suits. However, all volunteers should bring the following supplies for bee-keeping activities.

Only rubber gumshoes are allowed in the forest.

Example of Duties:

Maintaining tree nursery by watering, weeding, and pruning plants on a regular basis.
Identifying and monitoring tree species in the nursery and documenting their activity and behaviour.
Assisting with seedling propagation techniques such as grafting or cutting.
Collecting and sorting seeds from various plant species.
Maintaining accurate inventory records of seeds and seedlings.
Labelling and organizing seeds according to species and collection date
Monitoring seed germination rates and recording data

Recommended supplies:

All volunteers should bring the following supplies for tree nursery activities.

Only rubber gumshoes are allowed in the forest.
Bring a good hat.
Gardening gloves.
Insect repellent.
Covered Clothing.

Example of Duties:

Maintaining butterfly gardens by watering, weeding, and pruning plants on a regular basis.
Identifying and monitoring butterfly species in the garden and documenting their activity and behaviour.
Helping to protect and restore butterfly habitats by planting native plants and removing invasive species.
Cleaning the butterfly garden to maintain a healthy and safe environment for the butterflies.
Helping to propagate and care for the plants in the garden's nursery.

Recommended supplies:

All volunteers should bring the following supplies for butterfly garden activities.

Only rubber gumshoes are allowed in the forest.
Bring a good hat.
Gardening gloves.
Garden towel.

Accommodation

Single room $100 per person.

Shared room $50 per person.

For couples or families to share with comfortable single/double bunk beds and bedding provided (duvet/bed sheets and pillows) showers and toilets are also shared.

Solar/Diesel powered electric fittings available.

Laundry services are available for $10 per week.

Complimentary breakfast, Other meals i.e cost $10 per meal. Meals can be altered with respect to dietary needs or allergies.

Example Menu for a week

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Quaker Oats with chocolate cake	Sandwiches with fruit juice	Rice with beef/fish stew
Scrambled eggs with bread	Spaghetti with meatballs	Roasted Chicken and chips
Sausages with tomato sauce	Jollof rice with beef and plantain	Chicken salad
Pancakes	Fish stew with roasted Irish potatoes	Hamburgers with tuna salad
Bean pottage with pap	Rice and chicken stew	Pies with coleslaw
Cereal, omelette & bread	Spagetti with meatballs	Pizza with chapmans
Moimoi	Mac & cheese	BBQ night. Roasted plantain with grilled meat/fish and cocktails

Arrivals and departures

Airport shuttle (max 3 passengers)

Each passenger pays $140 for the two-way trips

Arrival at B&B in Ibadan where we will proceed with accreditation and orientation on the first day.

Preparation and Logistics

Bring all personal items including a towel.
Anti Malaria prophylactics or very strong repellents are necessary.
Bring lightweight long pants and long sleeve shirts to avoid mosquitos. It’s generally hot and humid, but a cover-up is necessary as they will sting anywhere accessible including between your toes, scalp and face
Preferably light cotton shawls that you can throw around your shoulders, wrap around your waist etc. It can just be hemmed pieces of cotton.
Essential oils can work very well for repelling insects. However please test them on your skin and clothes before arrival.
Bring rubber gum boots for the forest.
Share any dietary needs or medical issues at least a week before arrival.
Bring any medication needed.
Payment of a 50% deposit is needed upon booking and full payment is required before arrival.

Next Steps

Contact us at infoafegroup@gmail.com or message us via WhatsApp at (+234)806-381-1858 to express your interest or should you have any further questions.
Once we confirm availability for your preferred dates, please make a deposit payment to secure your spot.
Send your confirmation of deposit payment to us through your preferred contact method.

We look forward to hearing from you and having you on our team!"

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