Journey into Peru’s “capital of biodiversity”, where your rainforest research is helping wildlife and forests recover!

Peru is home to the second-largest expanse of the Amazon rainforest, a vast, extraordinary ecosystem that supports an incredible diversity of wildlife, plants, and communities. Yet this incredible wilderness continues to face growing pressure from deforestation, illegal logging, hunting, poaching, and wildfires. In the biodiverse Madre de Dios region, you’ll find the Amazon Rainforest Research Station, where a once-threatened stretch of forest is thriving in its recovery.

In 2017, 177 hectares of forest affected by illegal logging were secured as a conservation concession, creating a protected space where the rainforest could regenerate. As the forest has recovered, the Peru Wildlife Sanctuary has reintroduced black spider monkeys it rescued and rehabilitated to the area. Researchers are now tracking their progress alongside the wider wildlife, plants, and habitats which have returned, gathering data to understand how this recovering ecosystem is changing.

As a volunteer, you’ll become part of this research, walking mammal transects, checking camera traps, monitoring plants, collecting ecological data, and tracking the reintroduced spider monkeys. You’ll also learn about the rainforest’s medicinal plants from a local shaman, head out to spot caiman crocodiles after dark, and have weekends free to explore Puerto Maldonado and the surrounding Amazon.

This is your chance to live within the world’s most iconic rainforest, follow wildlife as it returns, and play a small part in understanding what happens when nature is given room to recover.

Activities

You’ll typically take part in two main activities each day, with weekends free for you to enjoy at your leisure. The activities below are examples of what you may do, but your schedule can vary depending on the season, weather, current research, and the conservation area's needs.

Mammal Transects Set out into the forest for sunrise or sunset, when wildlife is most active. During mammal transects, you’ll walk quietly along a set route, keeping your eyes and ears open for signs of wildlife and recording what you find. These observations help researchers build a picture of which mammals are living in the forest, where they are found, and how the community changes over time.

Spider Monkey Monitoring Black spider monkeys once disappeared from this part of the forest, but following a reintroduction programme, they are now swinging through the trees again! The team continues to follow the groups after release, observing their behaviour, diet, and use of the forest to understand how they are adapting. Depending on the research taking place during your stay, you'll join these observations and learn more about one of the Amazon’s most fascinating primates.

Plant and Tree Phenology Surveys Wildlife is only one part of a healthy rainforest. You’ll also help monitor the plants and trees that make the ecosystem possible by recording flowers, leaves, and fruit along set forest routes to understand their reproductive cycles and how vegetation changes over time. The team collects and identifies some of the material back at the station. Because illegal logging has previously affected the forest, the team also monitors several tree species with ecological and cultural importance twice a month.

Camera Traps Some of the rainforest’s more elusive wildlife is best captured on film. Camera traps are placed at mineral licks, where animals come to feed on mineral-rich soil, creating valuable opportunities to record species that are rarely seen in person. You may help set up and check the cameras, maintain them, and review the images they capture, building a longer-term picture of which animals are using the forest.

Caiman Watch As darkness falls, the rainforest takes on a completely different character. Once a week, you’ll head out onto the river after dark to look for caimans, using the evening to observe wildlife and contribute to ongoing monitoring. Sightings are never guaranteed, and how many caimans you see will depend on the season and conditions, but it’s a chance to experience the Amazon from a very different perspective!

Shaman Plant Knowledge Once a week, a local shaman and traditional healer visits the biological station to introduce you to the medicinal plants found in the forest and explain their traditional and cultural uses. You’ll learn how people have drawn on the rainforest for generations, discovering a different side of the forest and the knowledge held within it.

Data Entry Conservation research does not stop when you return from the forest. You may help transfer information collected from camera traps, phenology surveys, temperature monitoring, and other activities into digital records. Keeping this information organised and accessible is essential to building reliable long-term datasets for the station, forming the backbone of ongoing research.

Trail & Station Maintenance The rainforest is quick to reclaim its paths, with vegetation constantly growing back across the trails. You’ll head into the forest to help keep these routes clear, using machetes to cut back overgrowth, carry out small repairs, assist with construction projects, clean around the station, and help with other practical jobs as needed. Keeping the trails clear gives you and the team reliable access for patrol, research, and monitoring.

Ongoing Research Projects The station also welcomes local and international students and researchers, so you may find yourself heading into the forest to track species, collect data, record wildlife, assist with surveys, or support research into everything from birds, fungi, and plants to snakes, frogs, and insects. With different projects taking place throughout the year, you never quite know what you might be called on to investigate next!

Itinerary

Below is an example 14-night itinerary, though you can arrange durations of 1 to 12 weeks; we recommend a minimum of 2 weeks to participate in the listed activities.

Day 1 - The Adventure Begins: After landing at Padre Aldamiz International Airport (PEM), you will transfer to the port. From there, you’ll take a boat to the biological station, which takes approximately one hour. Upon arrival, you’ll have time to settle into your accommodation, meet the team, and get your first introduction to the station and the surrounding forest.

Day 2-13 - Project Days: Your project days usually begin with breakfast at 7am, before heading into the rainforest for your first activity. You’ll return for a long lunch around 12pm, then head back out until around 5:30pm, with time to unwind before dinner. Some research may take place outside these hours; bird observations may start early, and herpetofauna work may take place after dark. Weekends are yours to enjoy the station, or take a boat to Puerto Maldonado to explore further afield!

Day 14 - Final Day: If you're volunteering for two weeks, today marks the end of your journey; you'll board the boat and make your way back to the airport to commence your onward travel plans or catch your return flight home. You’ll leave having lived in the Amazon, following wildlife, contributing to real research, and seeing a side of the rainforest that few people ever experience.

Durations & Prices

To secure a place on this project, a deposit of £195 is required at the time of booking. The remaining balance is due 60 days before your start date.

Flexible Payment Options: If you select a start date more than 3 months in advance, we offer convenient payment plans, allowing you to pay off your balance in instalments.

Select a duration below to see the available start dates and book your place today!

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Accommodation

Volunteer Accommodation

During the project, you’ll stay right in the rainforest at the biological station, sharing the base with volunteers, researchers, students, and staff. Your wooden bungalow accommodates up to four people, typically of the same gender, with a private bathroom, electricity, charging facilities, bedding, and a mosquito net. There’s no hot water, so expect a refreshing cold shower after a day in the forest!

The main house is the social hub, with a kitchen and dining area, Wi-Fi, a library, a study area, laundry, and a workout space. On-site, you’ll also find a small laboratory and plenty of places to unwind, including a huge hammock overlooking the river. It’s a relaxed, welcoming base with everything you need for life in the rainforest.

Meals & Beverages

Three meals a day are included throughout your stay, along with fruit, filtered water, tea, and coffee. Food is prepared at the station and shared with the wider station community, with plenty of homemade Peruvian dishes to look forward to!

Dietary requirements can be catered for, so please let us know about any requirements in advance. There’s also a small shop onsite selling snacks, beer, and soft drinks, perfect for grabbing something cold after a hot day out in the field. If you have favourite snacks or drinks you can’t do without, you’re welcome to bring your own to keep in the kitchen.

Project Details

When Is The Best Time To Volunteer?

The biological station welcomes volunteers year-round, so there’s no single best time to visit. The main thing to consider is the weather and which conditions you may prefer. The Amazon rainforest climate is generally hot, humid, and rainy throughout the year, with two distinct seasons:

November to April: This is the wetter season, with more frequent and heavier rainfall and temperatures generally around 28°C to 32°C (82°F to 90°F). February is typically the wettest month, and trails can become muddy, wet, and occasionally flooded. Seasonal swamps within the conservation area also fill with water during this period.

May to October: The drier season generally brings more sunshine and shorter rainy periods, with daytime temperatures usually around 27°C to 30°C (81°F to 86°F). Occasional friajes, or cold fronts from the south, can cause temperatures to drop unexpectedly to around 14°C (57°F), particularly overnight and in the early morning.

Getting There

Your journey to the biological station starts in Puerto Maldonado. You’ll need to arrive at Padre Aldamiz International Airport (PEM) on your project start date before 3pm; flights take about 1.5 hours from Lima and 1 hour from Cusco. You can also travel to Puerto Maldonado by bus, particularly if you’re coming from Cusco or Arequipa.

Once you arrive, a project representative will meet you at the airport and take you to the port roughly a 20-25 minute drive, where you’ll board the boat to the biological station. The journey takes approximately one hour, with boat transfers operating on a fixed schedule on Wednesdays and weekends.

If you’d prefer to arrive in Puerto Maldonado the night before your project starts, we can recommend places to stay, though please note this will be at an additional cost. We can then arrange for a project representative to collect you from your hotel or hostel in time for the boat.

For your departure, we recommend booking a flight from Puerto Maldonado after 12pm to allow plenty of time for transfers.

Visa Requirements

If you are from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or most of the EU, you do not require a visa to enter Peru, as a stay of around 6 months is granted on arrival for tourism purposes. As entry requirements can change, please check your visa requirements before travelling.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is compulsory and must cover the full duration of your stay. The station is located in a remote part of the Amazon, where access to medical facilities may require boat transport. In a serious emergency, you may need medical evacuation, so ensure your policy covers the activities and location of your trip.

Fitness & Skills

You’ll spend plenty of time walking through the rainforest, including on uneven and sometimes muddy terrain, often in warm and humid conditions. A good level of fitness will help you get the most out of the experience. You don’t need any specific skills or previous experience to join. You should be comfortable being active for several hours at a time, carrying light equipment and your own belongings, and working outdoors in a range of weather conditions.

Vaccinations

This project has no mandatory vaccinations or specific medical requirements. However, the team recommends being up to date with routine vaccinations, including Yellow Fever, Hepatitis B, and Tetanus.

Malaria has not been detected in the local area for a long time, so malaria medication is generally not required. We recommend speaking to your GP, doctor, or a travel clinic for personalised advice on vaccinations and preventative measures before travelling.