Amazon rainforest conservation project
| country: | Peru |
| location: | Peruvian Amazon |
| departures: | 2008: 23 Nov, 7 Dec |
| price: | From £1090 (13 days) excluding flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This wildlife volunteer expedition will take you to a remote biodiversity hotspot of the Peru Amazon rainforest. As part of a small international team, you will experience living and working in the jungle together with local biologists on an important wildlife survey concentrating on four icons of the Amazon: jaguars, pumas, parrots and peccaries. In doing this you will aid efforts of declaring the area protected and developing sustainable management strategies. You will be working from hides observing macaws feeding on riverside clay lick sites, and studying peccaries, deer and the top end cat predators from a hide inside the rainforest. Working from a comfortable jungle lodge in a remote part of the forest, you will also be walking along jungle paths trying to spot, identify and record the animals you come across.
Increasing economic development is putting a strain on the natural resources of the Peruvian Amazon. Unsustainable forms of farming, logging and tourism are on the rise, especially along the Tambopata river, an area renowned for its biodiversity. The river Piedras represents an adjacent river system, connecting Tambopata and Manu with little human presence compared to Tambopata. The area is generally recognised as being one of the best conserved remaining regions of the Amazon basin with over 60% of the department legally protected and with vast areas of unbroken canopy. As such it represents an ideal site for ecological studies with limited human influence.
To determine patterns of occurrence and species abundance of peccary, deer, puma and jaguar in relation to the proximity of known mineral clay licks. To produce a comprehensive map of all clay licks in the Las Piedras concession area. To identify the species and monitor the behaviour of animals visiting a mammal colpa. Identify key prey items in the diets of puma and peccary. In addition, we also wish to determine patterns of activity and behaviour at a parrot and macaw clay lick. 
Activities are usually decided the night before and then confirmed in the morning, depending on the weather. The whole set-up of the expedition is quite flexible so that you can participate according to the weather conditions, your skills and general fitness and how you feel on the day.
On some days you may have an early start, whilst on others you may be on a night shift walking a survey trail. A cook will prepare all meals at base camp, where you will return to eat, rest and have a shower. On some days you will spend the whole day in the field and will be given a lunch pack.
Increasing economic development is putting a strain on the natural resources of the Peruvian Amazon. Unsustainable forms of farming, logging and tourism are on the rise, especially along the Tambopata river, an area renowned for its biodiversity. The river Piedras represents an adjacent river system, connecting Tambopata and Manu with little human presence compared to Tambopata. The area is generally recognised as being one of the best conserved remaining regions of the Amazon basin with over 60% of the department legally protected and with vast areas of unbroken canopy. As such it represents an ideal site for ecological studies with limited human influence.
the project
The main aim of this research is to determine the importance of clay licks in the daily patterns of peccaries and deer, to understand how this may influence their movements and abundance, and as a consequence the movements and abundance of the big cats that feed on them. To this end we have four main objectives: To determine patterns of occurrence and species abundance of peccary, deer, puma and jaguar in relation to the proximity of known mineral clay licks. a day in the life of a volunteer
Activities are usually decided the night before and then confirmed in the morning, depending on the weather. The whole set-up of the expedition is quite flexible so that you can participate according to the weather conditions, your skills and general fitness and how you feel on the day. On some days you may have an early start, whilst on others you may be on a night shift walking a survey trail. A cook will prepare all meals at base camp, where you will return to eat, rest and have a shower. On some days you will spend the whole day in the field and will be given a lunch pack.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are 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'.
highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
Award winnerThis tourism business won an Award in our 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society
how this holiday makes a difference
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Although these days the term 'expeditions' is much used and abused this operator is committed to running real wildlife conservation research expeditions to all corners of the Earth. Our projects are not tours, photographic safaris or excursions but genuine research expeditions, promoting sustainable conservation and preservation of the planet's wildlife by forging alliances between scientists and the public. Our goal is to make, through our expedition work, an active contribution towards a sustainable biosphere. We believe in empowering ordinary people by placing them at the centre of scientific study and by actively involving them out in the field, where there is conservation work to be done.
We always work in close conjunction with local people and scientists and try our best to ensure that the fruits of our expedition work benefit our local helpers, their society and the environment they live in. Adventure, remote locations, different cultures and people are part and parcel of our expeditions, but also the knowledge that you will have played an active role in conserving part of our planet's biosphere.  We exist for those who, through their hands-on work, want to make a difference to the survival of the particular species or habitat under investigation, and to the world at large. We invite everyone to come and join us out in the field, at the forefront of conservation, to work, learn, experience and take responsible guardianship of our biosphere. To achieve this we will wherever possible, collaborate with reputable scientists, research institutions and educational establishments (wherever possible from the host nation) who are experts in their field, collaborate with organisations and businesses which operate in an ethical and/or sustainable way, operate in an ethical and sustainable way, minimising negative impacts on local cultures, environments and economies and publish results and recommendations based on collaborative work together with those who helped gather data and draw conclusions. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |