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Rainforest conservation in the Amazon, Peru

country:Peru
location:Peruvian Amazon 
departures:Departures can be arranged at anytime throughout the year
price:From £995 (2 weeks) - £2895 (12 weeks) excluding flights
vouchers:Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

introduction to Rainforest conservation in the Amazon, Peru

This multi-activity project is an opportunity to live and work in the greatest jungle in the world - the Amazon!

  • Visit one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world
  • Experience life in the Amazon jungle
  • Trek through the rainforest
  • Live in a beautiful, traditional lodge
  • Participate in important conservation projects
  • Train with experienced guides and conservationists
  • Understand the issues for rainforests & endangered species
  • Contribute towards scientific research
  • Adventure through mountains, rivers and forests

    The Project takes place at a centre based in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, which is a large conservation area located in the South Eastern corner of Peru in the Parque Nacional Manu. It consists of various types of rainforest (The Amazon) and is rich in diversity.

    Free trek: If you are on this project for 2 months or longer, you'll take part in a 4 day/3 night trek either to the very popular Hot Water Springs or whitewater rafting down the river.

    This is a multi-activity project - volunteers benefit from the training components and actively assist in the environmental monitoring study at multiple locations. As you stay longer, you will take on increasing levels of data collection and project management responsibilities (depending on your abilities). The longer you participate on the project, the more skills you will develop.
    the project
    Upon your arrival (this is in the late afternoon) and after settling in, you'll have a short, informal welcome and orientation session. The following day you'll be taken on a guided walk into the forest. This will be followed by a half-day introduction to the rainforest and how it works. You'll also be told about the kind of projects you can become involved in. These will change according to what is required at the time you are there.

    Below are some examples of the types of activities that are carried out at the Centre:
    Mammal studies
  • Population surveys
  • Installing and maintaining mud pits on paths (these are footprint traps used to indicate species type, number and frequency of use).
  • There is a project which involves observing a small colony of night monkeys at the edge of the campus
  • Data input

    Bird studies
  • Tree climbing, rainforest conservation in the Amazon, PeruPopulation surveys enhanced by the use of recordings played through speakers to attract individuals. Due to the large number of species, volunteers assist the scientist with this, often by watching the sky for larger birds whilst the scientist concentrates on the small species in the undergrowth.
  • Observations at clay licks
  • Mist netting. Scientists capture wild birds in order to ring them and take measurements, etc. They are then released unharmed. Your assistance with this is appreciated because it's a two-person job.
  • Hummingbird feeding project and other feeding studies based upon feeders spread around the campus.
  • Data input

    Plant Studies & jungle projects
  • Cutting paths to form new ‘arrays’ for surveying the jungle.
  • Mapping the paths and arrays.

    Other projects on the site: The centre is keen to develop sustainable practices on the site as trials. Where successful, these can then be introduced to the local population. Currently a volunteer has started a reed-bed system of filtering the waste water from the centre. This will need maintaining.

    Teaching: If you can provide any English language tuition and practice for the staff at the Centre, this would be very much appreciated. They are very keen and are happy to attend classes, do homework, etc. (Incidentally, there are also many opportunities for you to practice and improve your Spanish - or to start learning it from scratch!)
  • volunteer travel - what's it all about?
    Are you looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world.
    Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
    how this holiday makes a difference
    The project:

    The project is based in a remote area of the Manu region, where there is one town near-by. Volunteers directly influence the local economy of this town in a very positive way by using the laundry facilities, local shops and amenities.The project itself promotes sustainable development in the diverse rainforest, plus develops and implements education for the local people and crucial research programmes. The actual centre consists of the accommodation rooms and bathrooms, dining hall, library, kitchen and relaxation area. It is tastefully constructed in keeping with the surroundings and is highly comfortable living, whilst working with traditional styles.

    Local staff are employed at the Manu Learning Centre which provides important cultural interaction for them and the volunteers, along side valuable language practice in an everyday setting. Group sizes are kept to a minimum and all volunteers and staff at the MLC are briefed and trained with regards to respecting the flora and fauna, so not to disrupt environments any more than absolutely necessary whilst carrying out research and programmes to help conserve one of the most significant areas of the natural world.

    Our company:

    You taking part in this project enables us to continue to donate financial assistance as well as necessary goods, where it is needed around the world. Examples of donations include building new classrooms, providing school uniforms for poorer students, buying computers, sports equipment, playgrounds, toys, mattresses, classroom equipment and funding school trips and the building of libraries, and more. We also donate significantly to conservation research efforts and the purchasing of necessary conservation equipment. In the past, these donations have been made in all continents and in projects where we work, and some where we do not work.

    Recent donations made in Summer 2008 include:
    • Approximately £1,500 towards the building of a desperately needed classroom in a Zulu school in eMakhosini, South Africa.
    • £1,500 to build a roof at the Grace Kennet Foundation Orphanage in Madurai, India. This was a donation made to match the fundraising efforts of an ex volunteer. A tree had fallen through the roof of the orphanage during a storm, and so a large part of the building was un-usable and dangerous. Work is currently beginning and should be finished by early 2009.
    • Approximately £880 to Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Malaysia to help publicise the centre and draw funds to care for injured and abandoned Orang Utans.
    We employ an all local staff force in most of our destination countries, which benefits the local economy. These range from skilled country managers, who are often pillars of their community, to local labourers and craftspeople. We believe in paying our overseas staff fairly, and many are rewarded with higher than average wages for local standards. When required, we send local staff on training courses to widen their skills. For example, a member of staff in South Africa recently attended an ‘eco-school’. Here, she was trained in eco teaching methods, which she will take to the schools around her region of South Africa to encourage eco-friendly farming methods.

    We are committed to upholding strict ethical standards that ensure a positive and lasting impact upon the environments, communities, institutions, volunteers, animals, children and people that we work with. For example:
    • We encourage our volunteers to make the most of local opportunities available to them, such as shopping at local markets, eating in local restaurants and using local services and transport.
    • We encourage volunteers to pay fairly for goods and services. We believe that over payment for goods and services or payment to beggars can have negative consequences and result in the over-reliance of tourism within the local community.
    • We strongly advise against purchasing wildlife souvenirs or anything which may perpetuate the death or cruel treatment of animals for the purpose of profit.
    • We advise on dress codes and codes of behaviour in all of our destination countries to ensure volunteers don’t cause offence to local communities.
    Our aim is to create always a win-win-win situation in terms of the benefits for the local communities and institutions that we work in, for us and for the volunteer. We do not embark on any project that is not beneficial to the communities, institutes or volunteers. We conduct regular volunteer satisfaction surveys to monitor our performance.

    Our projects enable vital conservation, research, care and education work to take place directly where it is most needed. For example, the schools where we teach English very often have no other English teachers, and so they rely on us for continued lessons. We kept a Species Survival Conservation project in South Africa afloat until completion after it was threatened by lack of funds. Our volunteers contribute, all over the world, to projects that would not exist without them.

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