I volunteered at ARCAS for two weeks in summer 2014 and I have to admit that it was the highlight of my year. I took part in the veterinary programme which provided me with excellent experience to take back to university. ARCAS veterinarians Fernando and Alejandro taught us so much about conservation and animal care of exotic species. They provided us with small group lectures, teaching us about monkeys, parrots and crocodiles before allowing us to handle these species under supervision. I would highly recommend the veterinary programme as it really does enhance your knowledge and teaches you a lot of new things - I've barely even scrapped the surface here. Knowledge aside, not everyone can say that they have taken a blood draw from a crocodile or dewormed a spider monkey in the rain forest. Outside of veterinary specific activities, we helped out with the other volunteers looking after cages, preparing food. You also get a fair amount of free time in the afternoons to visit Flores, chill in a hammock or even swim in the lake. All the volunteers and staff were friendly and always happy to see you, they make you feel as though you've been part of the team for months and it really didn't matter that I couldn't speak a word of Spanish. If you want a new experience and want to have a chance to make a difference to wildlife conservation then definitely go to ARCAS.