Located one kilometre away from the Yanachaga-Chemillen National Park, in this volunteering program you’ll live and work in a protected area of the Peruvian cloud forest known for its biodiversity. You’ll assist in monitoring the return of certain mammals to the area, including armadillos, agoutis and ocelots. Most recently, we have even captured images of pumas and a spectacled bear in the area – a good indication that more animals are returning to the forest. The reforestation work we do is important on two levels. By ensuring there is sufficient water to supply the Amazon’s most important rivers, we’re able to recover the natural environment of these species, increasing their possibilities of survival.
Staff members from the Center for Training in Conservation and Sustainable Development (CDS) will guide us on how to prepare and carry out the reforestation of an area, extending a corridor of the forest that has already been restored. This area is where most of our camera traps are located. You’ll master the art of working with camera traps and during your hikes through the forest trails you’ll collect information from the cameras. When you return to base, you will learn how to identify the different species and document the new information. With the cameras we have been able to document the return of certain species, including smaller ones like armadillos, agoutis, weasels and coatis. We’ve also noticed the return of pumas and ocelots to the area. While not frequently seen, we have identified different individuals between the ocelots, possibly a male and a female.
We’ll go through all the steps on the reforestation program, and monitor the impact this has had by documenting the return of the biodiversity to this former deforested area.
By participating in this program, you will be supporting the UN SDG numbers 12, 13, and 15 – which promote goals such as fostering eco-friendly habits, reducing waste production, increasing recycling, promoting renewable energy, and preserving the natural ecosystems. Living above the canopy, you’ll get to enjoy living in the cloud forest – while helping to protect some of the world’s main water reserves.
Highlights
- Work in the Amazon cloud forest, in an area declared by UNESCO as the Oxapampa-Asháninka-Yanesha Biosphere Reserve.
- Join the efforts to conserve the water sources that irrigate the Amazon River, which in turn attracts the return of mammals to the area.
- Discover which new species (including armadillos, ocelots and pumas) are returning to the forest by “capturing” them with our camera traps. </
