If you are a traveller who wants to get away from the herd …….

Welcome to Selva Chi

…… and thank you for taking an interest in volunteering
on Selva Chi.
Hi, I'm Martin Couell, an Australian Biology teacher, resident in Ecuador since
2001 and owner of Selva Chi.
Selva Chi is more than a farm or a nature reserve, it is an environmental education
centre in the making that contains natural rainforest habitat, orchards and a
botanical garden within walking distance of the beach. By volunteering with us you
will be part of its creation.

Views
across
Selva Chi
and to the
sea. The
guest
house is
3cm right
of centre.
Location, Climate and Geophysical Characteristics.
Selva Chi is located 10 kilometres Northwest of Muisne, in the South of Esmeraldas Province,
Ecuador. At approximately 0˚ 42'N and 80˚ 03'W, it is in a moist coastal equatorial climatic zone. It
consists of 2 blocks of land, 4km apart, together totalling approximately 50 ha.

Average temperatures in the area are approximately 28ºC (max.) to 22ºC (min.) throughout the year.
The zone has a high susceptibility to erosion due to the fine clay soils and hilly terrain. During the wet
season landslides are common.

The block Selva Chi is 1.5km from the coastline, with direct access to the road to Cabo de San
Francisco. Relief is from 8m to 125m above sea level. It is hilly with a gentle gradient in most areas.
There is approximately 700m of creeks with permanent or near permanent water. The soil is poor literal
clay soil, in general of 1 to 2 metres depth, with a base of fragmented compressed clay. Precipitation
varies from 1500mm/annum in the lower section nearer to the sea, to 2000mm/annum in the higher
parts furthest inland. The dry season is variable in intensity and
duration from year to year, but typically is well marked and lasts
from August to December.

The block Jungla Chi is 3km from the coast and approx. 5km
north of Selva Chi. It has no vehicular access, the access is via a
communal foot path of approx. 4km. It has a relief from 80m to
230m above sea level, with terrain from hilly to escarpments in
parts. It has 700m of creeks with permanent water, between 4
courses. Soil is fine grey clay in most parts to red clay on the
tops of the hills, in general of approx. 2m depth, with a base of
conglomerate under the red soils. Average annual precipitation is
approx. 3500mm with a mild dry season from August to
December.

LEFT and BELOW: Jungla Chi.

Working on Selva Chi
To work on Selva Chi you don't need to be super fit but you do need to be able-bodied and have a great will
to give most things a go and a desire to learn and experience new things.

You should be prepared to work 40 hours for every week

you stay and usually that will be over five days to give
you two days free to explore the local area or get back to
"civilization". You could expect a daily work-load such
as: 8am to 1pm - planting, weeding and mulching trees.
3pm to 5pm - fruit picking.
5pm to 5:15pm - fetching water.
Help with preparing dinner and washing dishes.

The work is variable. Other types of work that you could

expect are:
Carpentry
Painting
Attending the veggie patch
Cutting and carrying bamboo
Clearing around planted trees
Planting short-cycle crops
Seed collecting in the forest
Planting seeds in the nursery
Mixing soil and Potting up trees
Rethatching the roof
Putting up fences
Construction of paths and similar landscaping. There are five hectares of mixed orchard.

There isn't a shortage of

fruit.
Living Conditions
The first thing you have to accept if you want to come to
Selva Chi is that life is humble. In 2008 there is no
electricity and therefore no TV, radios, computers etc.
We use a gas stove and candles for light. Water has to be
fetched from the creek and we bath in the creek(without
soap) or from a bucket beside the creek (with soap). The
toilet is a composting toilet.

There is a guest room for a couple or single person and a

loft/hammock room in the house and a camp site near the
creek. The guest room is simple but clean and secure.
The bed has a mattress and fine mosquito net but no
sheets are provided.
The guestroom
Food is based on rice, plantains and cassava (yucca). It is usually complemented with beans, fish and/or
available vegetables. There is an abundance of fruit. Cooking is a team effort.

The camp site is in a safe spot near the creek.

At times mosquitoes and midges can get bad, but rarely at

night and rarely in the dry season. Long pants and repellent
overcomes that problem.

The creek passes through the property 120m from the

house.

Health and Safety

The area is quite remote, over an hour by public transport
from the nearest town with internet and a variety of shops.
The nearest public telephone is 15 mins away. It is on a dirt
road which can deteriorate in the wet season but some
public transport always seems to get in.

I have camped on the beach many times and felt completely

safe. The local people are not violent by nature and you
won't be threatened with a knife if you are wondering on a lonely beach - it just doesn't happen. However,
sneaky theft of anything left unattended is a real risk. We hope to have a locker soon where you can leave
valuables that you don't need to carry with you. You won't need to bring in much money.

Tropical diseases are of very low occurrence in the area. A yellow fever shot is required to enter Ecuador but
immigration officials don't check it. Tongorachí is officially in a malaria zone however it is very rare even in
the wet season. Most local adults have never experienced the disease. If you have travelled to Asia or Africa
you will realize that here it is much wiser NOT to use prophylactic anti-malarial tablets than to take them.
Your bed has a good mosquito net. Effective medicine is available in local pharmacies.
Rules and Objectives

Chi Forest and Chi Jungle are biological reserves. Within their boundaries residents and visitors are obliged to
uphold the following rules:

RULES:
1. Protect all terrestrial and aquatic native species of the area. This obviously means no
hunting, trapping or fishing, no felling of trees or damage of any kind to vegetation in Chi Forest. The
exception is the sustainable felling of timber in the forest north of Tongorachí Creek. This protection is
not just a passive process but will include actions to recover populations lost through hunting, logging
and habitat destruction. These may include animals such as crustaceans and fish, sloths, monkeys, bush
turkeys, iguanas and snakes and plants such as Cedar, Spiky Mamey and some palm species.

2. Do not litter. All waste must go in the provided bins divided into: organics and inorganics.

3. Do not use detergent or soap in the creeks. There are designated washing areas located
adjacent to residence facilities with their water treatment systems.

4. Do not use any synthetic or otherwise toxic substances. This includes agrochemicals, disposable
batteries, Chloro-fluoro refrigeration systems or even food additives. In extreme cases low level use of
biodegradable agro-chemicals are accepted until alternatives are found.

5 Do not remove soil or rocks or cause erosion in any way. The exception to this is the work
done in landscaping and other construction.

6 Do not burn anything. The only exceptions to this are spiny branches or infected material that
pose danger to humans, and candles.

Similarly, the management is committed to adhere to the following objectives:

OBJECTIVES:
1. To recuperate and protect the natural habitat of the area, including the structure of the forest,
the soils, creeks and rocks.

2. To be a source of seeds for the majority of the species of trees of Esmeraldas Province.

3. To Maintain examples of a variety of exotic plants.

4. To experiment with local resources that can be

sustainably used, to open new markets and
employment for locals and at the same time support the conservation of habitat and biodiversity. .

5. To experiment with and exhibit Permaculture

techniques and forms of sustainable energy.

6. To provide quality educational, recreational and

hospitality services.
Free Time
There are plenty of things to do in your spare time. These are
just a few:

Photography
Swimming,
Fishing
Hiking (in the rainforest or along the coast)
Whale watching (June to September)
Rock climbing
Bird watching
Practicing your Spanish
Reading
You'll have Tongorachí beach to yourself.

What You Need to bring:

1. Rubber boots;
2. Appropriate clothes for working;
3. Cap or hat;
4. Insect repellent;
5. Two sheets or a sleeping bag;
6. If you wish you can bring a padlock for your room, otherwise use ours;
7. A desire to work and learn;
8. a camera, you won't want to forget your experience!

So if hard work and simple living don't turn you

green …..

Hop to it!

Just complete and send me the following form and I will get back to you
ASAP.
Selva Chi Farmstay Information Form
Form
Name
Nationality
Alone? Or number in group.
Age(s)
What kind of accommodation? Guest room Own tent
Expected arrival date
Expected departure date*
Are there any types of work
mentioned that you think you
would not be able to help
with? Which?
Do you have any special skills
that you can offer?
If 5 is a native speaker, how
would you rate your level of
spoken Spanish?
If 5 is a native speaker, how
would you rate your level of
spoken English?
Do you have any special diet
requirements or health needs?
Is there anything else that you
think we should know about?

*minimum stay is 2 weeks. Please send to < [email protected] >