*Special offer * Volunteer in the heart of the Amazon
Project & Pod News / 17 July 2019
The Amazon Conservation team in Peru are looking for volunteers and multimedia interns to join their team to help conserve the jungle and research the incredible wildlife which lives on their doorstep!
In October, November and December 2019 they are offering a special £200 discount for volunteers who would like to start their placement during these months.
Time flies by and every day blurs into the same big adventure - from dawn till dusk, the excitement never stops as you never know what you might see on your next research trek into the jungle! Volunteer intern Billy runs through a day’s highlights from his time in the jungle. Thank you so much to Billy Stockwell for many of the brilliant photos below!
Golden hour
"As the sun rises over the Pini Pini mountains in the Peruvian Amazon the light begins to change, cutting the landscape in two distinct halves. Blue-and-yellow Macaws pass by, their colours iridescent and shimmering brightly. A day of new beginnings and exciting discoveries lies ahead.
First encounters
Mira! Capybara!” Santi, our boat driver, exclaims. Minutes away from arriving back at our lodge, thanks to Santi’s eagle eyes, we are able to watch the largest rodent in the world stroll, surprisingly gracefully, along the riverside with her young.
A moment of calm
Back at the our lodge, amongst the chaos of fluttering wings around the centre gardens, this tiny hummingbird remains perched. But with the highest metabolic rate of any bird species in the world it won’t be long before this little white-chinned sapphire must take to the air once again.
New growth
In the early afternoon we don our rain jackets and head into the jungle. My senses heighten and align with the environment, almost like an eye adjusting to a bright light. The calls of birds and other creatures ricochet throughout the forest. The trails that crisscross the reserve allow access to the most remote regions. Today, we are heading for the mammal clay lick, a notorious spot for monkeys and terrestrial mammals.
Monkey business
We are now off-trail and following the calls of an endangered spider monkey family deep into the rainforest. Above us the canopy shakes and leaves float to the forest floor. They tease us of their proximity. A fallen tree gives us the clearing needed for the perfect view.
A world of contrasts
The brighter shades of green that paint the rainforest interior during the day begin to fade into the darkness. For when night arrives the rainforest shifts; a stage for nocturnal creatures to flaunt their peculiar adaptations and often stunning appearances.
Volunteers and interns conduct night-time surveys alongside researchers to monitor species, such as tree frogs. The presence of these vulnerable species, which are affected more by environmental change, gives hope for the future of tropical rainforests in Manu, and beyond."
