Volunteer at Playa Viva Regenerative Resort in Guerrero, Mexico

Regenerative resort volunteering and internships in conservation, permaculture and communication

Playa Viva is a Regenerative Resort located on the southern Pacific Coast of Mexico in the state of Guerrero. Playa Viva is much more than just a hotel. Our team specializes in conscious tourism as well as both environmental and social impact, including watershed regeneration, mangrove reforestation, permaculture design, holistic animal husbandry, progressive educational models, sustainable fishery, and sea turtle community conservation.
We collaborate with motivated professionals and skilful interns/volunteers who live in Juluchuca, the nearest community to the resort, 1 hour from Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa. Things move slowly here and a lot of time is spent building relationships through both work and play; so, we look for people who are proactive and social, and who enjoy community engagement.

What type of host are you? 🏡

Organization/NGO

What are you looking for help with?

• Administration 🔑
• Animal keeping 🐓🐴
• Building 🛠
• Charity work/fundraising 💰
• Cleaning 🧹
• Computer/web 💻
• Teaching/language exchange 🧑‍🏫
• Farming/gardening 🌿🐄
• Film-making 🎥
• Marketing 📈
• Writing ✏
• Research 🔬

What’s the mission of your community? 🎯

Depending on the position, volunteers have the opportunity to develop skills in different areas:

• Conservation & Social Environment Impact (SEI). Get into our community conservation program “La Tortuga Viva” and the programs for regenerating the micro watershed “Regenerando Sierra y Mar – ReSiMar”. This double role envisions working with local volunteers assisting with daily conservation and ecotourism while also developing social projects on sustainable fisheries, recycling, and water and mangrove restoration.
• Permaculture. Support Playa Viva Permaculture Farm, understand and implement agroforestry techniques on deforested hillsides, permaculture landscape design principles, “farm to fork” projects with the Chef and Playa Viva kitchen, food transformation, as well as business development through a hyper-local CSA model, and sales at the weekly eco-market.
• Social Communication and Fundraising. Assist with the design of our communication strategy, management and creation of content for our social media, blog, website and other channels. Work on fundraising initiatives, research opportunities and alliances for the turtle sanctuary and community projects. This is a volunteer opportunity with the potential to turn into a paid position.
• Tailored Community Project*. For experienced professionals who, depending on background and expertise and on the needs of the community, will work on specific projects. It includes organizing and leading the annual spay and neuter campaign, courses on specialized skills, language, sports, art, music, wellness, etc. If you are interested in this or have any other ideas, we are always open to suggestions.

Schedule

A full-time commitment of 35 hours per week is required. Weekly schedules are created together with the supervisors and change according to the position/project assigned.

Minimum requirements

• Long commitment: minimum 5+ months
• We ask that you make a commitment to the local way of life, getting to know our community, and helping us to identify areas where we can make an impact together.
• Fluency in English and Spanish
• At least a B2 (high-intermediate) level of Spanish is required since very few staff members at the resort or among local teams speak English, and even fewer in the community.
• Full COVID Vaccination
• Willingness to volunteer in a remote location and follow the program’s rules.
• Be proactive and have the ability to work independently, as well as part of a team.
• Strong Interpersonal Skills. Communication, presentation and negotiation skills are essential. Community engagement projects are based on communication and the ability to work with one another.

Professional qualifications or relevant experience are preferred, but they are not an essential requirement.

How many volunteers could you host? 🎎

• Only one volunteer

When would you need volunteers? 📅

All year long, we organize volunteer arrivals well in advance.

How many hours of help per day? ⏱

• 4-5 hours of help per day

How many days of help per week? 🌒

Depending on the position. Please continue reading.

Note about the volunteer work and other expectations 📝

Conservation & social environmental impact (SEI) assistant

Volunteer or Internship in joint activities on sea turtle community conservation for LaTortugaViva (LTV) & SEI for ReSiMar.
Conservation & SEI Assistants have a double role working alongside the local team of LTV and the Manager of ReSiMar. LTV activities are one of the highlights for Playa Viva guests. Assistants become a strong presence in our community where they assist social and environmental projects under the guidance of the Sanctuary Coordinator, SEI Manager & the President of the local NGO.
Weekly schedules can vary. For LTV: as turtles nest and hatch at night and early mornings, volunteers have at least 1 night shift every 1-2 weeks. The main activity of morning release of baby sea turtles is around 6:30-7:30 am, then work at the Sanctuary until 9:00-10:00 am. For ReSiMar, around 2-3 hours per day (11:00am – 2:00pm) are required to work on fisheries, water, and ecological restoration programs.

Permaculture assistant

Volunteer or Internship in Agroecology, Permaculture Design, Food Transformation and Sales.
The Permaculture Team at Playa Viva is made up of members from the local communities and it is directed by the Permaculture Manager Amanda Harris. The farm has five major income strategies or zones of production: organic fruits and vegetables, holistically raised animal proteins, bioconstruction materials, local plant nursery, and Permaculture consultation services. Our team designs with a dynamic restoration plan in mind and will continue to focus on restoring key waterways and revitalizing forest, pasture and mangrove ecosystems. Assistants work under the guidance of the Manager and are invited to collaborate in whatever way best suits their academic, professional, and personal goals.

The Permaculture Farm schedule is:

• Monday to Friday – Morning shift – 7 am to 10 am
• Monday to Friday – Afternoon shift – 11 am to 3 pm
  Saturday is spent at a local and ecological market in Zihuatanejo (Eco-Tianguis Sanka) and we ask that volunteers participate twice per month. Every other Saturday you have time off.

Social communication assistant

Volunteer or Internship in communication, community engagement & fundraising.
If you are creative and passionate about transmitting a message, this is a great experience to develop your skills in digital marketing while contributing to our cause. It is a multifaceted role designed to help with communication, fundraising, outreach and networking. The ideal candidate is someone with proficiency in research, IT, writing and organizational skills, as well as the ability to interact with potential clients, sponsors, donors, and charities in a professional manner.

Are accommodation and food included? 🏠🍜

Yes, we offer food and accommodation

Accommodation in shared housing (3 bedrooms, kitchen, 1 bath with a big terrace and garden) located in the nearest village of Juluchuca. The house has only basic amenities (running water, internet and electricity, but this can go out sometimes).

Diet and nutrition information 🥗🥤

Volunteers are welcome to inform us before about their dietary preferences.

• Two meals per day (breakfast and lunch) are provided during working days (six days per week). You will have one day off and that day you are responsible for your own meals.

Fees transparency 🆓🔍

Please note all positions are unpaid and we do not charge any fee for your program. We do not provide insurance, transportation to and from Mexico, or cover any other expenses. Volunteers are welcome to fundraise for their position. The cost of living outside the position’s benefits runs $100-200 USD per month.

Could you provide visa support, information or invitation letters? 🛂

Yes, we can help with Visa/invitation letters ✅

Volunteers’ benefits 🏆🏅

• Academic recognition for internships and placements. All fields of study are welcome, biology, environmental engineering, agriculture, sociology, tourism, communication, education and marketing are preferred.
• Fieldwork and professional experience. Volunteers receive unforgettable field experiences, working on projects with the local community and with international organizations.
• Cultural exposure. Living in the vibrant culture of a coastal-rural setting in Mexico. For those coming from Western-based countries or busy urban areas, it will be a cultural reset.
• Reference upon the successful completion of the period of service.

What to do in your free time 🚴🚣🦒

There are many beaches around this area.

Language 🗣🇬🇧

Volunteers must be fluent in Spanish + English

Geography 🌳

We are 1 hour from the international airport of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, state of Guerrero, Mexico.

How to get to your site ✈ 🗺

By public transport. Volunteers will receive a guide with all the details.

Is there internet access? 🌐

Yes!

Playa Viva on Instagram and more photos