The city of Salta, also known as La Linda , or "the beautiful," is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in Argentina. Graced by verdant countryside and pristine views of Andean volcanoes, Salta lives up to its reputation. But like many developing regions of the world, the city lacks the necessary environmental infrastructure to protect its natural surroundings. The good news is that you can help.

As a volunteer in Salta, you will have the opportunity to work with a local environmental non-profit to help lay the foundation for preserving this pristine slice of Argentina. Some of your time as a volunteer will be spent assisting this organization in implementing its current initiatives, like public recycling, organic gardening and sustainable tourism programs. You will also be heavily encouraged and relied upon to utilize your own skills and knowledge to add a little life and a new perspective to these projects, as well as create new workshops and classes for the community.

What makes this program unique is the fact that you have complete freedom as a volunteer. The more you put into these programs, the more valuable and effective they become for the environment and the local people. This project requires volunteers to work creatively and independently, and is not the best option for volunteers who are looking for a highly organized and supervised program.

The environmental conservation program in Salta is an exciting opportunity for those with a passion for the environment and an ability to work independently in a challenging situation.

Airport Pickup and Orientation:
Silver and Bronze: After arrival in Buenos Aires, you will be picked up by a shuttle service provided by Volunteer Adventures. Depending on your arrival day, you will then be trasported to either the Buenos Aires bus station to catch your bus to Salta, or to a hostel in Buenos Aires where you can spend the night before taking the bus the following day. If you decide to fly instead, you will be transported to the domestic airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newberry, where you will catch your flight to Salta. Upon arrival in Salta, you will be picked up and transported to your hostel or host family. At that time you will meet with a project coordinator to determine your skills, discuss what kind of work you will be doing, and learn about your responsibilities as a volunteer.

Gold: After arrival in Buenos Aires, you will be picked up by a shuttle service provided by Volunteer Adventures. You'll then be transported to your host family for the first night. The following morning, you will begin the language-class portion of your volunteer experience with an extensive orientation. During this time, you will learn about living in Buenos Aires, adjusting to your homestay life and using public transportation. When you arrive in Salta, you will start your volunteer adventure by meeting with your project coordinator to determine your skills, discuss what kind of work you will be doing and learn about your responsibilities as a volunteer.

Transportation:
Volunteer Adventures will provide you with a round-trip bus ticket between Buenos Aires and Salta. The bus trip is an 18-hour overnight journey, but the buses are quite comfortable with reclining seats, movies and on-board food and drink service. They are also a great way to see the Argentinean countryside.

If you prefer to fly from Buenos Aires to Salta, Volunteer Adventures will credit you the bus cost and help you arrange your flight. Plane ticket prices fluctuate dramatically – expect to pay an additional $50 to $250 depending on the time of the year. For current fares go to www.aerolineas.com.ar.

Intensive Spanish classes:
Volunteers enrolled in the Gold package will be spending the first portion of their stay in Buenos Aires taking Spanish language classes at Bridge-Linguatec, our affiliate language school there. For more efficient placement upon your arrival, we ask that you take our Online Spanish Placement Test to determine your language proficiency prior to going abroad. If this is not possible, we will test you upon arrival at the school. You will be placed according to your language level in a group of four or fewer students, learning conversational Spanish for four hours a day. After you have completed your language study in Buenos Aires you will travel to Salta to begin your volunteer work.


Accommodations:
Bronze: You will be staying at a hostel with a basic breakfast included. Commute time to the project can be 30 to 60 minutes.
Silver and Gold: You will be staying with an Argentinean host family. Our host families are carefully screened and must meet Volunteer Adventures' requirements before being accepted as a host family. Our families are middle-class and live in homes that are comfortable but not nearly as luxurious as many American households. The distance between your homestay and the project site can range from about 20 to 40 minutes by bus. You will be given a key to your host family's home to come and go as you please, but you are asked to respect the routines of the people with whom you are living. The family will provide you with a private or shared room, shared bathroom and two meals per day.

Meals:
Bronze: The hostel serves a basic breakfast only. You will have access to a kitchen if you choose to prepare your own meals.
Silver and Gold: Your host family provides two meals a day, breakfast and lunch in Salta; breakfast and dinner in Buenos Aires.

In-Country Support:
We work directly with our partner organization and the Bridge-Linguatec language school to provide support during your time in Argentina. You can expect help from teachers, staff, project coordinators, fellow students and volunteers, and all of the people who run the organizations. We also provide a 24-hour emergency cell phone number for emergencies.

Activities:
For those enrolled in the Gold package who will be spending time in Buenos Aires, the language school organizes a few sightseeing trips for students and volunteers, schedule permitting. Students are expected to pay their own transportation costs and entrance fees.

Buenos Aires