If you, or someone you know, are interested in helping a dedicated international team of tropical research biologists, biodiversity conservationists, educators, and sustainable business entrepreneurs who are focussed on understanding tropical forest ecology and finding appropriate ways to ultimately conserve an important corner of the largest tropical forest on Earth the Amazon then please read on.
We are Fauna Forever, a non-profit organization based in the Madre de Dios region in south-eastern Peru. We are once again seeking volunteers and interns to assist us in the field (forest, lakes and rivers), in ecotourist lodges, research stations and local communities, and in our headquarters in Puerto Maldonado. We have active programs focused on science and conservation (ecology and population monitoring of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, plants; monitoring human impacts and benefits in and around parks and reserves); animal welfare (rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife); ecotourism development (managing ecotourist lodges and research stations); education and communities (working with local schools and community leaders); and media outreach (collecting and showing photos, videos and sound recordings of wildlife, landscapes, communities, and research/conservation activities). Ideal candidates will have a keen interest in working in tropical environments, often in remote and wild places, whilst also being culturally conscious and patient when it comes to undertaking research, conservation and education activities in a developing country context. Field-based volunteers and interns will be immersed into deep primary Amazon rainforest, without internet or telephone contact, for up to 20 days at a time and will sometimes be challenged by logistics, including long journeys by river and road and frequent delays. Office-based volunteers and interns will be based mainly in the Fauna Forevers head office in the jungle city of Puerto Maldonado, where a knowledge of basic Spanish is recommended as well as patience in dealing with slow local processes and bureaucracy, temperamental internet connections and sometimes very hot temperatures during the day. To participate in Fauna Forevers science and conservation fieldwork, candidates should have experience of and enjoy working outdoors and be able to walk 2-8 miles a day, sometimes over rough terrain. Although all successful participants will receive full training, orientation and field supervision for the science and conservation activities they will undertake, some credit will be given to those who have studied at least a year at university/college level in a field related to zoology, ecology, conservation science, data analysis, forestry, geography, mapping, sociology, resource economics, community development and teaching. Knowledge of first aid would also be an asset. Occasionally we offer places to students in their final year of high school, but such candidates must be exemplary. School groups can be well accommodated on some projects, but must be accompanied by qualified teachers or minders. To participate in Fauna Forevers alternative field-based projects, including ecotourism development, education and communities, and media outreach, candidates should have at least some experience in or be actively studying skills such as photography, videography, art, music, permaculture, tourism and hospitality, alternative energy, sustainability, landscaping, project management, media and communication. To participate in Fauna Forevers office-based projects, candidates should have or be keen to develop experience working in areas such as team building and management, administration (knowledge of MS Office essential), personal assistance, systems management, marketing or social media, graphic design or digital manipulation (e.g. Adobe CS5), data analysis, logistics, finance, education and workshop development, and permaculture/landscaping. Fauna Forever has worked with university and college professors in the past to help successful student intern applicants attain educational credits for their time in the rainforest. Most of these interns undertake a personal project for dissertation/thesis purposes, and are invited to send in their research proposal ideas or to browse our selection of mini-projects that have been devised for this purpose and whose results would contribute to our greater science and conservation goals. We also offer personalised references and/or certificates upon request. All field-based participants will be supervised by a qualified team coordinator in addition to our general onsite field managers. In addition, Dr. Chris Kirkby, a conservation science and environmental economist expert and co-founder of Fauna Forever, will provide general oversight and academic- focused supervision. Orientation and training for all participants begins on arrival in Puerto Maldonado and is led by our team coordinators, who see that volunteers and interns assigned to their teams (e.g. mammals, birds, herpetofauna, insects, plants) receive the necessary training in the relevant field methods, and health and safety, to allow them to collect field data in a standard but rigorous way. Intern candidates wishing to undertake their own personal research projects, for dissertation/thesis purposes, are offered the necessary time and expertise from our directors and coordinators to help design their field projects prior to their arrival in Peru, and will receive all the necessary training and supervision once they arrive. Office-based volunteers and interns will work alongside and be supervised by the Fauna Forever management team and will receive orientation and periodic oversight from Dr. Chris Kirkby and David Johnston, the organisations directors. All volunteers and interns are housed in good quality accommodation at ecotourist lodges and research stations located close to the research sites. Only occasionally do we use field camps where tents are required (in these cases warning will be given and we recommend people to bring their own tent). When in Puerto Maldonado the team is based out of the Fauna Forever headquarters (equipped with sleeping quarters) and also uses local guest houses on occasions. The Fauna Forever headquarters has wifi internet. Only a handful of the lodges and research stations we visit offer internet (usually at an additional cost), but this is still rare. Volunteer placements begin every Tuesday or Saturday. Successful applicants should plan to arrive in Puerto Maldonado on the Tuesday or Saturday that the placements begins, and expect to depart Puerto Maldonado on the corresponding Tuesday or Saturday depending on how many weeks they are able to stay. Internship placements can begin on any day, but must last at least one month (30 days). Successful applicants should state their preferred arrival and departure dates in their application form. Due to a shortage of central funds to cover all volunteer and intern expenses, Fauna Forever requires that program participants make a contribution towards their costs. These fees, which are outlined below, include airport/bus station pick-up and drop off, transfers by road and river, accommodation in shared rooms, 3 healthy meals per day (special diets catered for), filtered or treated water for drinking, training and supervision, and use of basic field equipment. The fees do not include travel and health insurance (which is compulsory for all), air travel, laundry, snacks, and bottled beverages. Volunteer Program Fees 1 week (7 Days, 6 Nights): US$ 890.00 2 weeks (14D, 13N): US$1,390.00 3 weeks (21D, 20N): US$1,690.00 Internship Program Fees 1 month (30D): US$2,295.00 2 months (60D): US$3,795.00 3 months (90D): US$4,990.00 4+ months (120+D): US$6,000.00+ (US$50 per day) Application procedures: All volunteer and internship applications must be made online via our website: www.faunaforever.org (please apply via the program/team you would like to participate on) For general enquiries, please email us: [email protected] See what were up to: www.facebook.com/faunaforever
