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Amazon Conservation - Peru - Volunteer reviews
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Lisa and Family - 2012
"It is a life-changing experience to see first hand the rainforest and its people. We all need to understand the challenges faced in rainforest communities. There is so much to learn about how we can help.
Our family was looking forward to our placement in the rainforest with a lot of excitement. Our children love animals and climbing trees and the usual boy things. We all like to hike in the forests. On arrival in Cusco we had a wonderful warm welcome from Tilman, Ruben and Gladys at the offices and we felt like part of the family there from the beginning. We had amazing views on the trip to the jungle, over the Andes mountains and down the narrow, twisty roads through the cloud forest. By the time we boarded the motorised canoe to the lodge, we felt we were part of an Indiana Jones film. We had visited the nearby Tambopata rainforest recently, but this experience volunteering in Manu was even better because we had jobs to do and were not just tourists this time. We loved hearing about the research projects and the work was actually hard, getting stuck into the mud and using machetes stuff. We loved making a difference to the projects overall, the feeling that we were making a difference in a positive way.
My favourite part was the visit to the remote jungle town of Salvacion. We worked with local folks to create a new community bio garden. We used machetes to cut down cane and split it for weaving into a fence, used shovels to dig out the garden and make deeper holes for fence posts. We used rocks to separate garden sections. The neighbour boys played marbles and my boys joined in football games. It was so satisfying to see the new garden finished ready to be used for growing vegetables. The lodge was great fun. We woke early to accompany researchers on trips to the clay licks to monitor the macaws. We giggled our way through quizzes on identifying the different macaw, parrot and parakeet calls. All of us volunteers and some staff played card games and drank hot chocolate in the evenings. The food was lovely as were the candlelit dinners. The stories from the permanent staff who come from nearby towns and even jungle tribes were very interesting. We were all sad to leave and felt we were leaving behind some good friends. At least we had the satisfaction of knowing that we left behind a new bio garden and lots of newly planted trees that will remain long after we return home. We would highly recommend this adventure to other families - such a great learning experience for all of us!
It is a lovely research group and they all go out of their way to make sure we have a great and memorable experience.
Just go, do it! The placement in the jungle was an amazing family experience. PoD is well-structured and has great staff. We know we are in good hands travelling to unknown territories with 3 children."
Eleanor - 2011
“Definitely the best month of my life. There were so many moments that were just surreal, it just felt as if we had wandered into a nature documentary, like when we found ourselves stroking a baby caiman while knee deep in a river or blowing on butterflies to determine their gender. The Centre is a really special place - it's not often that you find somewhere where you can search for otters, go swimming in a plunge pool, then return to find a troop of monkeys have taken up residence in a tree less than 5 metres from the bedrooms! The staff were great, the guides we were with seemed to have an encyclopaedic knowledge on everything that moved, and also had great senses of humour. There was also a great sense of community at the Centre as everyone helped out and got involved.”
Please describe a typical day at the project
“Wake up at 4.45 to get ready for leaving for the clay lick. Act as scribe as Nelson calls out which birds have arrived and how long they stay. Arrive back at the Centre at 7.30 in time for breakfast. After that either we leave with a packed for a full day in the jungle or have one project in the morning and one in the afternoon. Supper is around 7pm. After that there could be a night walk, but generally we play cards, chat, listen to people play the guitar, a couple of nights we had a bonfire and on another we played a brilliant game involving rolled up newspapers and blindfolds.”
What did you find most rewarding?
“Probably learning the bird calls, starting to be identify what we could hear or see flying overhead I found very interesting and rewarding.”
What did you find most challenging?
“Digging- digging a moat around the centre biogarden at midday was pretty hard work.”
Were there any aspects of the placement which you would like to see improved?
“I did not really enjoy agroforestry or working the biogarden as I had come to the Amazon to enjoy the jungle, I was able to swap slots with other volunteers but it would have been better if these aspects of the project were more clear in the information, we could choose to stay in the jungle or if there were more slots in the jungle then in the biogardens.”
What advice would you give others considering doing this placement?
“Don't be afraid of cockroaches!”
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad?
“It allows you to meet really interesting people and get a better understanding of a place outside your comfort zone.”
Why did you choose PoD and would you recommend us to others?
“I chose PoD as the website matched what I was looking for and I would recommend it because of the fantastic experience I have had!”
Sarah - 2011
“The Amazon project is an amazing experience for anyone wanting to get active and explore the Manu rainforest. It’s a help to already be fit and healthy before arriving as its pretty full on from the beginning. You have to be willing to open up and become close to the people you're with straight away as they are the only people you see for many days at a time. A love of animals is also a must as most of the projects revolve around them. Being average at football is another key point, you can’t go to Jungle Centre without playing it almost every day for an hour or so. Knowing a little Spanish is useful if you want to chat with all the staff and teach them some English, they're always willing. The food at Jungle Centre is amazing, so different and something to look forward to after a long trek. The housing is lovely, really good for keeping you cool and plenty of places to hang up the washing (trust me, that’s a thing to get excited about). The staff are friendly and always helpful, as was our guide Tilman. They make you feel part of the family from day one and enhance the fun with their humour, knowledge of the forest and laid back attitudes. You will miss them immensely once you leave.”
Please describe a typical day at the project
“A typical day really depends on what you want to do. You could get up at 4am and go to the clay licks, or get up at 7 for breakfast instead. Later you may want to go into the forest for the day for the biomass or small mammal trap project with Juvenal and Nelson or maybe you'd prefer to stay at Jungle Centre to work on the projects there and teach some English. Some days there are afternoons off to go swimming in one of the many rivers, help out in the kitchen or generally just relax and read. One thing that is consistent is that 5pm means football, a great chance to really bond with everyone and try your skills against the, frankly amazing, Nelson and Tomas. Meals are at 7:30am, 1:30pm and 7pm. When there are enough spaces for the volunteers in the kitchen then everyone eats there, otherwise we eat in the dinning room. The evenings are spent however you like, but with no electricity everyone mainly plays cards, talks and reads in the kitchen or living area. The staff are also stupidly good at cards, so don't expect to win too often. Younger members, like Nelson, are keen to learn lots of English so reading with them really helps. It also improves your Spanish :).”
What did you find most rewarding?
“Going into Salvacion for the bio garden project with Reynaldo. We built a small vegetable patch for a lady and her family so that they had a better supply of fresh food. They were so happy with the outcome and we got to mix with lots of locals from the unique town. I also enjoyed the farming projects as we were working with the farmers themselves and got to see an instant outcome as well as helping them for the future. I loved going out into the forest with my friends too, especially for the biomass project. We had an amazing day out in the rainforest, seeing monkeys, snakes and Jaguar footprints as well as swimming in an isolated but beautiful river. Just being out amongst the trees and wildlife is so amazing.”
What did you find most challenging?
“The isolation itself is a challenge to start with. Not being able to contact people with the ease that we are used to back at home is frustrating but once you get to know everyone, have in jokes, gossip and true friendships, then it becomes just part of life that the internet isn't always there and your mobile doesn't work. If you dont think you'd like the constant exercise that this project entails then its really not for you. Walking miles a day is part of the fun, but its hard work and be prepared to want to go to bed straight after dinner (dont worry, we've all done it. 8pm becomes an acceptable bedtime very soon).”
What advice would you give others considering doing this placement?
“Be prepared for hard work, lots of walking, having damp clothes for the majority of the time and for living with wildlife. Bring clothes you don't mind leaving in Peru. Accept that Peruvians have their own pace and won't change that for anyone. Even if you're good at football at home, don't except to be up to the staffs standards (Nelson is a machine!). Be open minded, try to be outgoing and learn to laugh yourself out of any situation at Jungle Centre, expect the unexpected when you're living in the Amazon.”
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad?
“It opens your mind to so many new people and experiences. You'll come back desperate to learn a new language, go back and see all the friends you have made and, at times, frustrated that no one at home gets the in jokes you've made. It really makes you think about how other cultures live and inspires you to make a difference where ever you can.”
Why did you choose PoD and would you recommend us to others?
“PoD has a very good record for organizing, the people are lovely and I never felt at ease with my trip. I have already recommended them to friends :).”
Any other comments?
“Go to Peru at some point in your life. They are fantastic people with so much history, new languages and, once they stop being shy, are totally hilarious. The Jungle Centre becomes a home from home within no time.”
Melanie - 2010
“The project was really good fun, we got to get a taste of the many projects that were being undertaken even though the research projects were generally in their initial stages. The forest is secondary, being an area of deforestation and farming some years ago and therefore the trees/habitats are different from primary forest (one of the main focuses of the research). There was the opportunity during the project to come into contact with the local communities which was an interesting part of the trip. The centre is a really comfortable place to stay with great food (although you do have to hand wash your own clothes!!)”
Jane - 2010
"All my travel arrangements went like clockwork, really hassle free. I was met at Lima airport by someone arranged by PoD and driven to my hotel for overnight stay then collected following morning for internal flight to Cusco, Same procedure at Cusco, I was met by a staff member , who was also picking up two other volunteers who I was going to be on placement with. Accomodation in Cusco was good,and meeting remaining voluteers from our group was great , where we had an easy couple of days acclimatising before going to the centre to start our placement. The journey there was absolutely amazing. The scenery was breathtaking. I especailly loved travelling through the cloud forest, Having an excellent guide with us who was so informative and as enthusiastic as us was so good, On arrival at Centre it took hardly any time settling in, it was just great. All the staff were extremely friendly and good company throughout stay. All the volunteers were involved with all the projects, having the opportunity to spend more time at any specific project, if that's what suited you. I enjoyed all aspects of the work, some being quite physical and others relaxing !! The food was good and plentifull ! We also had the opportunity to help out in the kichen, preparing meals sometimes."
Heather - 2010
“I had a fantastic time in the Amazon even though I was only there for two weeks. It was amazing just to be among so much wildlife and so far from any cities. We had the opportunity to take part in lots of the different projects run, I especially enjoyed going to the clay lick at dawn to monitor the parrots and macaws, and visiting Salvacion to build a couple of bio-gardens. I also helped to empty the leaf traps one day, which involved a long walk into different types of forest near the Centre. It wasn't always clear at first how the research projects were connected to the projects overall goal of conservation and sustainability, but once it had been explained to us it became clear. It was also really interesting to meet the other people who use the Centre - we had a talk from some of the members of staff about their experiences living in the rainforest, and from one of the researchers about her project. This was one of the best aspects of the project - getting to know a little about the communities in the rainforest and being able to understand some of the social problems helped us appreciate why the centres core mission is to help the environment, but through the people who live and work there. Take a good insect repellent and plenty of long clothes!”
Joanne - 2009
“The Centre is the most amazing place!! I came back to Cusco last Monday night (2nd) and I am really missing being in the jungle.
It's amazing being at the Centre, on the bank of Madre de Dios in the special reserve zone of Manu national park, south Peru. Waking up at 4.15AM to go across the river to the bird hide to monitor the macaws on the clay lick has its rewards! The beautiful dawn breaking and the sound of the parrots and macaws is a memory that will stay with me forever. As part of the on going monitoring project of the 'at risk' Blue Headed Macaws, as well as the early morning starts, in the afternoon you take an energetic walk through the many trials behind the lodge as part of 'parrot census'. You can be out in the heat and humidity for about 2 hours listening for the birds, so the refreshing cold showers at the Centre are more than welcomed!!
In terms of tips for other volunteers -
• Take plenty of underwear! due to the humidity nothing dries very quickly and you have to wash a lot as you get sweaty, and I ran out of clean things!
• So take plenty of laundry soap too, it's not provided and you get through a lot, I ended up using my shampoo!
• Also take thin socks, even wear them with flip flops around the camp as the staff do - fire ants on the floor bite!!!
• Take own bath towel, or buy a cheap one in the market when you get to Cusco.
• Loads of insect repellent, even if you are covered up!
• Take long sleeved t shirt, better than shirts, as they are tighter fitting. Bugs can easily get in your shirt!
• Long leggings are good for the evening to keep the bugs off, but you need proper outdoor trousers for the jungle walks.
• Don't go if you will get freaked out at moths flying into your head touch at night and the amount of cockroaches there are! Oh and baby bats nesting in the bedroom roof. This is the jungle!!
The most rewarding experience was creating a bio garden for a single mother in the town of Salvacion, which is a good walk and a short bus ride away. In the afternoon heat, we put up fences, prepared the soil and sowed the seeds to create a vegetable patch that will hopefully grow to feed her children and maybe also provide a little income for her.”
Lucy - 2009
“The project was amazing, although not always pleasurable! The place where we stayed for the majority of the time was total luxury for the jungle, although the work was hard and some of the work seemed much more relevant than others. I came out with a feeling of accomplishment and it was amazing to see all of the wildlife!
the accommodation exceeded all of my expectations! it was really nice, especially the huge mosquito nets which tucked under the mattresses, they gave an impression of privacy whilst in the dorm room and stopped the cockroaches crawling into bed with you, and the bats from pooing on you!
good value for money, there was plenty of food and the transfer far surpassed the regular Peruvian cross Andes transport!
Top tips:
1) take loads of diarrhoea tablets
2) go with an open mind
3) make sure you can lift a pick axe in 40 degree heat!”
Beth - 2009
“Thank you again for everything; I had the best time in the world in Peru and met so many interesting and lovely people and learned loads! It was quite overwhelming actually, in a really good way- I still can't stop thinking about it! I would love to go back, but I think it won't be for a few years, as I am about to become a student with a lot of debt! I hope everything goes well for PoD, and thank you again.
I don't really know where to start! Going to Peru through PoD was definitely the best experience I have ever had; it was quite overwhelming, in a really good way. I learned so much, not only about ecology, environmental issues, but also about the culture and languages of the area and how people live and work in different places. What really struck me, though, was the idea that there is so much in the world to see and learn, and that actually the more you learn, for example about nature, the more you realise how amazingly complicated everything is! However, I think that one of the main things that I have taken from this experience is meeting so many really interesting and friendly people- those who work at the Centre, the other volunteers, the people who live in Salvacion... There were so many times when my face hurt from smiling, or I couldn't speak for laughing or I had that really satisfying feeling of being so completely exhausted after a hard day's work followed by and intense game of football!
The experience has really inspired me to work hard at university so I can maybe have some sort of environmental job in the future, and I would definitely like to return to Peru one day to visit the people and places I got to know whilst volunteering with PoD and see some more of this wonderful country.
I found the work placement really exciting and interesting, as we were able to work on so many different things. It was never boring, as one day you might be macheteing through the undergrowth to measure trees, and the next you could be inputting data or sorting out leaves after a morning surveying parrots! All the people were so friendly and helpful, and you really felt you were part of a team. There was no pressure to do things if you didn't feel comfortable with, but similarly, it felt that whatever you strengths were, you could contribute in some way. At the Centre, they were always open to new ideas and suggestions.
I found the accommodation very comfortable, and just perfect for where we were (no walls necessary!) and what we were doing. The way everything was laid out gave the project a real cosy family sort of feel.
The training we had at centre from Karina about the various projects, and the information about local cultures and ecology was really interesting and useful, as it helped to give an idea of the background about why we were doing the work and what it was contributing to.
Although it seems at first fairly expensive, what I got out of the project was invaluable. There was so much included, and the quality of the support both before and during the placement, made it very good value for money.
I would really recommend this placement to anyone who is looking to have an really exciting experience and get involved in a small community in a wonderful place. This kind of experience, I think changes the way that you look at the world and your own place in it. It makes you realise how big everything is!
What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement:
1)Throw yourself into everything and try and do and see as much as possible.
2) Take lots of photographs, so that when you are talking to people about it afterwards, you can help them to visualise what it was like.
3) Keep a journal!
Thank you very much for letting me on to the placement!”
Laurence - 2009
“Superb. PoD responded well to my late application and the communication with the centre was excellent too.
the centre have a good position in Manu, close enough to local villages including slightly developed and traditional ones. The hardwood 'pod' accommodation is luxurious. And that waterfall shower - heaven! Every member of the centre staff was friendly, helpful, informative and professional. All a joy to work with. The work was a good mix of scientific study, such as taking biomass readings in the forest, and hard graft, such as reforestation. The package is well run, yet authentic and friendly. The learning and experience to be had is excellent. All the staff are superb.”
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