Volunteer positions with the Alliance for Research and Conservation in the Amazon (ARCAmazon) are open this summer between June and September 2018 for monitoring reptiles and amphibians in the Las Piedras watershed in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. Opportunities at ARCAmazon are ideal for university students and recent graduates looking for field experience, or professionals searching for unique and meaningful travel experiences. Volunteers will learn a variety of field skills as well as contribute from their own abilities and knowledge to a vital cause. The Alliance for Research and Conservation in the Amazon (ARCAmazon) is a Peruvian non-profit that supports research and conservation initiatives in collaboration with other non-profits in the region and with local communities on the Las Piedras River. Our field site, Las Piedras Amazon Center (LPAC), in a 4,460-hectare rainforest concession, acts as a hub that channels the energy and resources of volunteering and ecotourism to halt illegal logging, hunting and mining, improve our understanding of Amazonian wildlife, and develop sustainable solutions for the needs of local people making a living in the area. The herpetology team at the Las Piedras Amazon Center monitors and studies the diversity of frogs, toads, turtles, snakes and crocodilians in the Peruvian Amazon. Herpetology volunteers work with professional researchers to examine the population trends and behaviors of nearly 200 species of reptiles and amphibians residing in various habitats and combine findings with spatial data. A major component of the program is caiman research, which involves the search, capture and tagging of various species of caiman, important predators that indicate the health of the forest. Volunteers at LPAC stay at our remote off-grid camp/ecotourist lodge. Comfortable accommodations and authentic Peruvian meals are provided. Living at LPAC also gives access to beautiful trails, swimming areas and frequent wildlife sightings. Fees for accommodations vary by length and nature of the stay. Please refer to our website for more details on the herpetology team and accommodation fees or for information about other programs: http://bit.ly/2FKMYmP For any further inquiries, email [email protected] . To apply to volunteer for the herpetology team, please visit our website and fill in an application form.
