CIMAC - Municipal centre for environmental initiatives

Just outside of the inner city, near the Río Chiquito, CIMAC has succeeded the almost impossible task to create four different ecosystems on a tremendously small size of land. Four kinds of ecosystems that exist in Nicaragua can be explored during a 40‐minute walk, each with its typical flora and fauna:

• Savanna (typical for the Pacific zone, such as León)
• Humid forest (tropical rain forest, found in the eastern provinces and on the Mombacho volcano)
• River bank (near rivers, not very common anymore due to deforestation issues)
• Tropical dry forest (in the Pacific zone, but largely disappeared due to migration and pressure ofagriculture)

Apart from the path along the different natural environments, the centre has a library, where children and students can come to learn about nature and biology. Also, a simple conference room is available for showing educational videos and organizing workshops. The aim of this centre is to make especially children aware of the beauty of their own country and the value of conserving its natural diversity, which unfortunately is vanishing in a fast pace.

In fact, the current situation of the Nicaraguan flora and fauna is really devastating: although there are lots of natural reserves, laws are not respected at all, with the result that Nicaragua is rapidly deforestating and losing lots of species during the process, such as the jaguar.

2. History

In the 1990’s the local government decided to clean up the whole Río Chiquita area in the city, collaborating with the local people and the leather industries that polluted the river and its environment. The CIMAC project surged as an outcome of this project. Nowadays, unfortunately, the rest of the area is as polluted as it was, leaving the CIMAC as kind of an oasis in an area of disaster. One of the most prominent donors of the project is the Spanish city of Zaragoza, which has a city partnership with León.

3. Tasks of volunteer

Possible activities are: giving workshops and presentations for school children, helping to instruct local English‐speaking guides, at the same time improving their English skills, marketing: improving the profits from tourism (attract more tourist visitors), working on improvements in the park and the walking trail. 

Info box:

Location: León, Nicaragua

Duration: Minimum 2 weeks

Special qualifications needed: yes

Costs: none, the trouble-free package is optional

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Not included

Included: Placement in the project; if you opt for the trouble-free package the whole range of services which is part of the trouble-free package is included

Not included: Travel to Nicaragua, health insurance, visa

Book this placement now!