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Come volunteer with us in the Chilean Andes!
Placed in a Biosphere Reserve, our family farm consists of 7 cows, 1 horse, 7 dogs, and 10 cats, saved from abandonment or exploitation to live their lives in peace. Our goal is to expand our sanctuary while promoting environmental education and protecting the local ecosystem.
If you are a nature lover and you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty, you are more than welcome to come!
20 hours of help per week
Farming: Plant crops, sow seeds and help in outside tasks.
Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.
Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens
2 days off per week
Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.
Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.
Free Tours: We’ll take you on tours and rides around town. For free!
Free Hiking Tours: We’ll take you on excursions and hikes around town. For free!
Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.
Language lessons: Take free language classes at our place.
Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.
Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely
Beginner Spanish or Beginner English
Between 21 and 60 years old
Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers
Travel insurance
Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa
What we expect from you:
We are looking for hands-on, respectful, and self-motivated volunteers who genuinely love nature and animals. Your help around the farm will take about 4 to 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Your main tasks will include:
• Animal Feeding & Care: Helping us feed the cows, horse, dogs, and cats, and ensuring they always have clean water.
• Farm Maintenance: Assisting with fence repairs, building maintenance, and keeping the animal spaces safe.
• Environmental Enrichment: Helping design and implement activities or structures to keep our rescued animals happy, stimulated, and active.
• Green Spaces: Occasional light work in our organic vegetable garden and clearing trails in the native forest.
What you can expect from us:
In exchange for your invaluable help, we provide a peaceful and comfortable living space amidst the wild, along with full access to this natural paradise.
• Accommodation: You will stay in our dedicated Volunteer House. It has three bedrooms available (one shared room and two private individual rooms), a shared bathroom with hot water, a fully equipped small kitchen, and a cozy wood stove in the common living area.
• Connectivity & Laundry: The volunteer house does not have WiFi, but you are more than welcome to use the internet at our main house whenever you need it. You will also have full access to our laundry facilities.
• Eco-Friendly Energy: Since we live off-grid, there is no traditional electrical grid. However, we have a reliable solar panel system that provides plenty of energy for lighting and charging your electronic devices (phones, laptops, cameras).
We are located in a deeply rural, pristine area surrounded by breathtaking mountains, crystalline rivers, and untouched native forest trails. During your days off, this is a privileged environment for outdoor enthusiasts. You can go trekking, enjoy picnic spots by the river, or indulge in world-class birdwatching and native wildlife photography. It is the perfect place to disconnect from the modern rush and connect deeply with the earth.
You will help us for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, with 2 full days off to explore the reserve, rest, or hike.
• Daily Shift: Usually from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. We prefer to get the farm work done in the morning so you have the entire afternoon completely free to enjoy the mountains, rivers, and trails, but you can split the hours between morning and afternoon.
• Flexibility: Depending on the weather (since we are in a mountain environment) or specific project needs, we can adapt the schedule together.
Free Time Activities
There is no shortage of things to do around here if you love the outdoors:
• Trekking & Hiking: Explore the untouched native forests and mountain trails right outside your door.
• Birdwatching & Wildlife Photography: The area is a haven for native birds and fauna. Bring your camera or binoculars!
• Rivers & Picnics: Spend a sunny afternoon reading or relaxing by the crystal-clear rivers on the property.
• Stargazing: Since we are completely off-grid and away from light pollution, the night skies here are absolutely breathtaking.
House Rules & Expectations
At Sitara Sanctuary, we live by the values of compassion, respect, and peaceful coexistence. Since you will be living in a pristine natural reserve and sharing space with rescued animals, we ask everyone to follow these simple but essential guidelines:
Animal & Nature First
• The Heart of the Project: Our animals are our absolute priority and they must be treated with the utmost gentleness, patience, and respect at all times. Any form of rough handling or shouting is strictly forbidden.
• Leave No Trace: We are located in a fragile Biosphere Reserve. We expect you to be extremely mindful of your environmental impact. Trash separation, water conservation, and fire safety are crucial here.
Cruelty-Free & Lifestyle Alignment
• An Empathetic Space: We promote an empathetic, cruelty-free lifestyle rooted in vegan principles.
• Your Diet, Your Space: While we would love for you to explore plant-based eating during your stay, we do not enforce a strict diet on our volunteers. You have your own fully equipped kitchen in the volunteer house, so you are free to prepare your own meals. All we ask is that you maintain a respectful and clean shared cooking environment.
• Eco-Conscious Living: Since we run on solar power and live off-grid, we expect everyone to be mindful of electricity use (turning off lights when not needed) and to take care of the wood stove safely.
• Respect & Quiet Hours: The sanctuary is a place of peace. We enjoy sharing stories and a warm drink, but we expect quiet hours during the night so both humans and animals can get a restful sleep.
