Amazon wildlife conservation project, Peru
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
Environment
Since the Amazon was first explored scientifically, naturalists have been astounded by its diversity of plants and animals, with the western Amazon boasting the area’s highest biodiversity. The Amazon harbours up to 300 species of trees in a single hectare (2.5 acres) as well as hundreds of species of shrubs, vines, herbaceous plants and ferns. The Amazon supports over 2000 species of birds, almost a quarter of the world´s total, and, around 300 species of mammals.
This project will be based at the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Community Regional Conservation Area (TTCRCA). Previous studies suggest that this area has the greatest mammal diversity and particularly the greatest primate diversity in the entire Amazon.
The conservation activities performed by the communities of the upper Tahuayo River have had an important influence on the protection of the area. Logging, hunting and fishing activities were identified as serious threats and in the early 1980s a control system to prohibit the extraction of natural resources was introduced. Ten years later, in 1991, the Regional Government of Loreto declared the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Community Reserve and the high primate diversity was a factor in its creation. In 2007 the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Community Reserve changed its category to Area de Conservacion Regional Comunal Tamshiyacu Tahuayo.
Previous work on the trail grid at the Tahuayo River Amazon Research Centre suggests that there may be two species of titi monkeys (one so far unknown), two species of saki monkeys (one so far unknown), two species of squirrel monkeys (one so far unknown) and two species of night monkeys (one or both so far unknown). Much work has already been done by the Tahuayo River Amazon Research Centre, but there is still a big gap of information that needs to be filled by scientific work, especially as regards primates and cats.
A word on mosquitoes: Our study site and base are on one of the Amazon’s “blackwater” river systems. Chemically, blackwater rivers are very low in dissolved minerals and often have no measurable water hardness. The very acidic, almost sterile water, with a pH between 3.5-6, keeps parasite, bacterial and mosquito populations to a minimum. For this reason, blackwater rivers are considered some of the cleanest natural waters in the world, most often compared to "slightly contaminated distilled water." Blackwater river systems are of course not free of mosquitoes and they will be around and may be bothersome, so come prepared with repellant, but you will not be “eaten alive” or whatever other wild exaggerations you may have heard.
We are a multi-award winning (including multiple awards from Responsible Travel), not-for-profit organisation committed to running real wildlife conservation research expeditions to all corners of the Earth and says
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 planet.
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 + publish results and recommendations based on collaborative work together with those who helped gather data and draw conclusions.
Community
For this expedition, we are partnered with Amazonia Expeditions and the Tahuayo River Amazon Research Center. Through our expedition base at the Tahuayo River we are also involved with the local community, creating jobs for local people, providing health care, improving the educational services and building capacity through training & creating assets.
All missions are developed with local partners and scientists, as well as community representatives where appropriate. This consultation serves to minimise negative impacts on local cultures. This is often developed through a more complete integration into the local community, by working alongside them to achieve a conservation objective.
Accommodation varies from fixed camps, jungle lodges to tents. Where applicable, these will be owned locally.
Where possible food is sourced from locally supplied produce and ideally from organic sources.
Where applicable, team members are encouraged to spend their relaxation time using local facilities and resources.
We always work in close conjunction with local people and makes sure that the fruits of our work benefit local helpers, their society and the environment they live in.
Briefings before the start of the mission and leaders during the mission highlight relevant social issues and offer best practice examples to team members.
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