Volunteering Programme – 6 weeks

Overview

Live and work alongside conservation researchers and community‑development staff in one of the world’s most biodiverse reserves. In six weeks, you’ll build solid field skills in:

  • Wildlife surveys (birds, mammals, herps, butterflies)
  • Agro‑ecology & biogarden research
  • Local school visits & community workshops
  • Data entry, analysis and interpretation
  • Cultural immersion and festival participation
  • Wetland’s restoration

Optional activities:

Visiting a Sustainable Community Initiative: Shintuya Hot Springs

What’s included in this programme?

In-country travel, food, and accommodation

Accompaniment by professional guides and trained staff (where applicable)

Optional activities such as Peruvian festivities (depending on the time of year)

A Day as a Volunteer

  • 05:30 – 07:00 Pre‑dawn transect at a clay lick, monitoring macaws, parrots and parakeets
  • 07:00 – 08:00 Breakfast & daily briefing
  • 08:00 – 11:00 Rotating morning module (e.g. herpetological surveys, butterfly transects or biogarden research)
  • 11:00 – 13:00 Community engagement (school visit or biogarden build)
  • 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch & rest
  • 14:00 – 16:30 Data entry and group discussion of findings
  • 16:30 – 18:00 Afternoon survey (camera‑trap maintenance or plant‑plot monitoring)
  • 18:00 – 19:00 Dinner
  • 19:30 – 21:00 Optional night walk (nocturnal mammals, amphibians & insects)
  • 21:00 – 21:30 Reflection circle and planning for tomorrow

Sunday is your free day—rest, play or do what you enjoy the most. You can also read what Tim McGrath, a former intern, wrote: 10 activities you can do while volunteering in the jungle

All volunteers experience the same core activities—what changes with 2, 4, or 6 weeks is simply how many rotations of each project you complete. Committing for six weeks guarantees you:

  1. Develop advanced field techniques by revisiting projects multiple times to perfect survey protocols and data analysis.
  2. The chance to forge deeper community ties with researchers, local partners and communities, enhancing collaboration and cultural immersion.

For some, six weeks just isn’t enough. That’s why we created the Conservation Internship Programme – designed for those looking to take their fieldwork and conservation skills to the next level.

Accomodation

Manu Cloud Forest 

  • 1 night

Where you might spot the cock-of-the-rock in its natural habitat.

Manu Learning Centre Biological Field Station

  • Where you’ll be staying

The MLC offers simple, comfortable and breezy accommodation. You’ll share a room with up to three other volunteers. Fresh bedding and a mosquito net are provided weekly.

A space for learning and collaboration

The centre includes research facilities and open spaces designed to support your daily work and project needs.

A community of changemakers

The MLC brings together people from all walks of life—local and international students, visiting researchers, and curious travellers. It’s a space where inclusion, collaboration and respect shape everyday life.

What we expect

Be kind. Get involved. Make yourself at home.

Volunteers’ stories

Amelia Spackman

This project is fantastic. You actually help so much on the surveys and are so useful. The people who work there are so inspiring, and I have a whole new respect for the natural world and now consider myself a conservationist. The wildlife is insane, and the accommodation is phenomenal. I stayed 6 weeks and felt I could have stayed a lot longer. Just do it.

Benedict Tse-Laurence

The place exudes happiness. The entire experience was unbelievable. You’ll meet some genuinely interesting and special people who will teach you things about the environment, about their own experiences and yourself. I feel I could have stayed there for ages. I’m very envious of anyone looking into volunteering here, you WILL love it.

Shai Ilivitzky

During my time here I have seen a lot of wildlife: a number of different species of monkey, beautiful butterflies that love eating stinky fish bait, numerous frogs, snakes and hummingbirds, and even a sloth curled up in a tree at camp. I’m looking forward to seeing as much as I can in my remaining time here.

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