About the Amazon Wildlife Rangers Volunteer Programme
This project is dedicated to protecting the Las Piedras area in the Madre de Dios region of Peru through the Ranger Programme. The project conserves threatened habitat in the vitally important Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon. The Las Piedras watershed is part of the Andes/Amazon hotspot—one of the most biodiverse and pristine areas on earth. It is home to thousands upon thousands of species including jaguars, spider monkeys, and giant otters.
This forest is home to tens of millions of trees, numerous indigenous communities, and untold numbers of animal heartbeats. In recent decades the forests in the Las Piedras have increasingly been threatened by illegal activities such as poaching, logging, mining and agricultural expansion.
The teamwork along the Las Piedras River, an area that still holds much flora and fauna already extinct in other regions. The Las Piedras watershed faces many threats, amongst them illegal logging, gold mining, agriculture and hunting. With a growing team of local forest rangers, they are creating a wildlife corridor, protecting many species from the fate of otherwise disappearing from this highly biodiverse area.
The Rangers patrol and safeguard almost 30,000 acres of this incredible landscape. The goal is to create an uninterrupted, protected conservation area stretching along the Las Piedras River.
Volunteer Activities
Many of the animals found within the Amazon are masters in camouflage. Too much exposure poses risks of predation. Walking with our ranger team is an incredible experience where you will go to parts of the rainforest with little to no human activity, making the chances of seeing wildlife higher.
Part of the ranger’s duties includes river patrols where you might spot an anaconda or jaguar basking in the sun and capybaras and caiman on the river banks. Although the goal is to have no illegal activities on the land we protect, the possibility exists that you may come across illegal squatters, loggers or hunters during your patrols. The onsite rangers are trained in handling these situations.
Primary volunteer activities will include:
- Accompanying patrols on foot and/or river patrols
- Aiding in entering and analysing data into the SMART system (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool);
- Monitoring wildlife (includes camera trapping).
Other activities you might participate in are:
- Maintenance duties around the station
- Maintenance of the engines
- Trail clearing
- Cleaning duties
- Cooking
- Gardening
Day to Day Activities
Volunteers can expect to work long days, sometimes getting up at 5 am and coming back at 4 or 5 pm, depending on the ranger’s scheduled activities. Foot patrols average around 10km, on terrains that can be challenging.
To enjoy the experience, ranger volunteers need to be physically fit to accompany the team and to ensure the ranger’s daily tasks can be completed.
Since the Amazon is hot and humid, and dehydration is common, make sure to bring appropriate water containers. The onsite rangers work on a rotating schedule where they work 21 days continuously and accumulate their days off. If you need to, you are free to take a day off and enjoy the ranger station and its peaceful surroundings.
