Amazon Conservation in Peru

Volunteer role at the project:

Volunteers will support conservation research and sustainable development projects and will be involved in a range of tasks which may include:

• Documenting rare Blue-headed Macaws by the river bank
• Capturing footage of local mammals, which may include jaguars, tapirs or peccary
• Monitoring bird species through mist netting
• Surveying amphibians and reptiles on transect surveys, pitfall surveys, leaf litter plots and bamboo traps
• Collecting data on butterflies
• Collecting data for the Forest Regeneration Project by canopy photos and leaf litter traps
• Supporting the community building new sustainable biogardens
• Planting new agroforestry plots

In your first week you will be given presentations and training on the current research projects, neotropical mammals, a tropical ecology tour, reptiles, dawn bird walk, amphibians, species presentations, compass and machete training, species ID tests and a guide to the jungle trails.

How the project is making a difference:

The project was established in 2002 to support conservation research in the Western Amazon rainforest in Peru. As well as environmental research the team focus is on creating sustainable agriculture, timber and carbon alternatives for local communities on deforested land.