Project summary

Have an incredible experience learning about the rainforest and working on a research and conservation project in the Peruvian Amazon.

You will be based at our jungle research and conservation centre on the Madre de Dios River in the Amazon jungle. The centre is leading the field in combining research with conservation and local community development. Work at the centre is closely tied in with supporting the local community and you will not only be involved with scientifc research programmes in the rainforest but also with community development programmes close to the centre.

What will you be doing?

The placement starts in the ancient Inca capital city of Cusco with a day of orientation and preparation. During the day you’ll also do a tour of this fascinating city. The next morning starts with a journey through the high Andes from Cusco to the cloud forest on the edge of the Amazon. You stop in the town of Paucartambo on route to visit a mountain community and then in Acjanco Park Guard Station to learn about the high cloud forest. The road then descends down into the Amazon rainforest where you’ll stop at a ‘Cock of the Rock’ lek (a display ground in the forest) and hopefully spot the national bird of Peru. Then the final part of the journey to the centre is by motorised canoe down the Madre de Dios River. The road (and river) to the centre is one of the most diverse and incredible journeys in the world.

Once at the centre your first few days will be a mix of time on the trails with guides and time at the centre in a more structured learning environment. During this time period you will find yourself immersed in all things rainforest and should find yourself learning a huge amount. You'll then be ready to get into the work at the centre. You may find yourself collecting specimens in the forest, monitoring endangered Macaw's from the hide at the clay lick, digging seed beds in the bio garden, carrying and planting seedlings as part of the reforestation and carbon sequestration programme or working with local children in the ecology club.

The longer you stay, the more you will become involved in the on-going work of the jungle centre. Your main focus will be volunteering on the sustainability projects such as the bio-garden and reforestation. You can also get involved in the monitoring projects depending on the needs at the time. 

We also work with with local communities across the river, supporting community projects.  Volunteers build biogardens to help local people grow fruit and veg so they can eat more healthly and also grow more sustainably. This work takes place in the rainforest town of Salvacion and in local primary schools nearby. Visiting Salvacion will also give you a chance to experience life in a typical rainforest town.

Jungle expedition

A 4 day jungle expedition is included for volunteers staying 6 weeks or longer and is an optional extra for those staying for 2-4 weeks. This takes you out into the rainforest away from the centre on small rarely travelled trails. You will visit a native community and will sleep out in the jungle. The 4 day expeditions have proved to be one of the most popular elements of the placement in recent years. It's an amazing experience that you are unlikely to ever forget.

The location

The centre is located in a 600 hectare private reserve of diverse humid tropical rainforest. The site has been developed using traditional thatched techniques and modern design integrated with the latest in natural resource management to maintain the site.

The setting is a rainforest clearing dominated by a clear-water stream and cascading waterfall and with majestic views over the canopy, Madre de Dios River and surrounding areas. The whole area is intersected with rivers and mountain streams, and is full of natural bathing pools and waterfalls.

How you can make a difference

By volunteering at our jungle conservation centre you will be making a direct contribution to helping preserve the Amazon in Peru, which is of course critical for the global environment.

The centre would not be able to run without the hard work of the volunteers and their financial support - the majority of the volunteer fees goes directly to the centre providing a critical source of funding for their future work.

What's included

• A detailed information pack and support prior to departure
• Pick up from Cusco airport
• Orientation in Cusco
• A tour of Cusco city
• Overnight accommodation in Cusco
• Guided educational transfers to the rainforest centre from Cusco
• Orientation and tour on arrival at the centre
• 2 to 12 weeks in the jungle at the research centre
• All meals while at the centre
• Training for your work
• A 4 day jungle expediton for people staying 6 weeks or longer
• Support staff throughout your placement in Peru
• Return transport to Cusco
• One night in Cusco at the end of the placement
• Optional two day tour to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas from Cusco

What else to budget for

The following items are not included and estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights (£550-£850 to Lima and £120 return domestic flight Lima to Cusco), travel insurance, visas (free), airport taxes (£30), spending money for internet usage and the bar (£5-£40 per week).

Other projects you might also be interested in....

* Belize Zoo in Belize

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* Wildlife Rescue in Thailand

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More details

About the Manu Biosphere Reserve

Our jungle centre is boarded on one side by the Madre de Dios River and on the other by the Manu Biosphere Reserve.

The Manu Biosphere Reserve (MBR) is an integral component of the Vilcabamba Amboro Conservation Corridor, a thousand-kilometre-long network of protected areas that run from Machu Picchu in Peru to Amboro in central Bolivia. The importance of this area was recognised in 1987 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The MBR is world renowned location for biodiversity and has an abundance of wildlife. Biologists have documented close to 1,300 species of butterflies (15% of the World total), 800 species of birds (9%) and 160 species of mammals (4%). 140 species of amphibians and reptiles and 250 species of freshwater fish have also been identified over the last few years. Of an estimated 25,000 species of flowering plant in Manu, only 18% have yet been properly described.

The MBR is also home to no less than eight Amerindian tribes as well as native highland Quechua-speaking communities and immigrant colonists (mestizos), all of whom add-up to a cultural mix of 18,000 people. A further 6,000 people (mainly foreigners) visit the MBR every year as tourists.

Background information about the project

Our centre is a key site for research and education. Its mission is to:

• Educate local rainforest communities and visitors
• Promote sustainable natural resource development
• Integrate pure and applied research of the rainforest environment and its natural systems
• Conserve and preserve tropical ecosystems

Current projects include:

• Fauna - wildlife monitoring and capacity building programme
• Mapping - using GPS to map the area and record areas of special interest
• Water purification - using local plants and biomass to filter and cleanse water
• Carbon initiative - offsetting greenhouse emissions through forest regeneration
• Reforestation - planting new forest to provide renewable commercial timber
• Education - educating local children in rainforest and sustainable development practices
• Field guide - producing an illustrated educational tool
• Night monkeys - studying the habits of the night monkey
• Jungle exploration - maintaining and expanding the trail system and exploring the area

Volunteer accommodation and food

There is accommodation for 24 people in spacious dormitory areas with fully equipped bathrooms. There is also a large dining area, bar and kitchen as well as a relaxation area with hammocks.  All meals are provided while at the centre.

At the site there are first aid qualified staff, a field medical kit, communications radio and electricity generator. The nearby town has additional medical facilities and there is access to helicopter evacuation to Cusco in case of emergency.

Freetime and travel opportunities

When you are not working you can relax at the centre, play football with the team of local staff, read books and play board games, chill out in the hammocks by the river or go for short bird watching walks around the trails. Volunteers normally take 1 day off each week.

Cusco, the city where you start and finish your placement was the  ancient capital of the Inca Empire until the Conquistadors defeated them in the 1500s. Spanish colonial grandeur replaced the majesty of Inca  engineering, and today both vie for dominance in this city alive with  history.  It is now a great place for restaurants, bars, salsa clubs and night life.

As the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is surrounded by some of the greatest archaeological sites in the world. Machu Picchu, the Inca mountain top fortress, is one of the most impressive Inca ruins and its just a few hours from Cusco. The Sacred Valley of the Incas is also very close, and we can make sure you get the best of it, absorbing the history of this incredible place and its people.

Challenges

You will need to be able to tolerate high temperatures and humidity (can also be heavy rainfall at times), work well within a team and be adaptable to living and working in a group.

It is physical work in a rainforest environment so can be draining, but it is also very rewarding.

Where does your money go

PoD is run as a non-profit organisation and does not receive any external funding. We charge a fee for all our placements to cover the overseas costs of volunteering and the costs of running our organisation in the UK. 

For this project approximately 70% of the fee you pay is passed directly to the centre.

Volunteer reviews

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Start dates

2010

26 Apr
24 May
21 Jun
19 Jul
16 Aug
13 Sep
11 Oct
08 Nov
06 Dec

2011

03 Jan
31 Jan
28 Feb
28 Mar
25 Apr
23 May
20 Jun
18 Jul
15 Aug
12 Sep
10 Oct
07 Nov
05 Dec