When I started looking for environmental projects, I never imagined I’d end up working with frogs during my voluntary year. I’ve never really been a «frog person»—even though I studied biology and have a wide range of interests, frogs just weren’t part of that. Still, I decided to give the project I was offered a chance and from day one, I was positively surprised.
From the impressive Blomberg’s giant toad to the stunning colors of some frogs and the unique personalities of others, I’ve been captivated. I’ve now been here for seven months, and I still can’t get over those cute puppy eyes or the beautiful patterns some frogs have on their bellies.
Of course, working with frogs, like any job involving animal care, means a lot of cleaning, cleaning boxes, cleaning tanks, cleaning plants and branches inside the tanks. But it can also be a lot of fun, especially feeding the animals and taking a few moments to observe their hunting skills. Catching them for UV treatments or during deep cleaning is also a highlight, it brings you really close to the animals. Well, it’s fun, as long as no one escapes… That does happen now and then, but luckily not just to me as a volunteer, even the experienced caretakers have escapees from time to time.
The work never gets boring. Besides the daily routine of feeding, cleaning, and handling frogs, there are also tasks that require more creativity, like improving the design of the tanks or optimizing workflows.
On top of all that, my project, Wikiri SapoParque, is not just about animal care. It’s a whole little zoo dedicated entirely to frogs, where I also work at the counter, welcome school classes, and give guided tours. This keeps me in contact with people beyond my coworkers, which really helped to improve my spanish skills espacially in the first few months.
As I mentioned, I never thought I’d work with frogs. That changed quickly. But what I didn’t expect, despite knowing what project I was going to go to, was how much of the country I’d get to see just through my work. I’ve been to the deepest parts of the forest (I mean really deep—no paths at all) in Mindo and the Intag Valley. I’ve worked at fairs in Quito and Ambato, and recently I even attended a herpetology congress in Loja.
I’m amazed by how much I’ve learned about real biological work—in the lab, the field, and the scientific community—and how much my own biological knowledge has grown. I thought I’d just be an extra pair of hands helping with animal care and guiding a few visitor tours from time to time for a bit of variety. But I’ve gotten so much more: close contact with unfamiliar yet fascinating animals, a wonderful team, and a deep insight into the effort it takes to save at least some species from extinction within this megadiverse country.
– Kathrin, weltwärts 2024/25