Conservation Volunteer Stories, Peru

Conservation in Peru - Christopher Woodfield I had always wanted to go to the rainforest - one of the greatest ecosystems on Earth, PA's Rainforest Project in the Peruvian Amazon at Taricaya, Puerto Maldonado provided a means to do so and take part in a very worthwhile activity at the same time.

Conservation in Peru - Eilidh Southren "Michael... There's a tarantula on that wall over there..", I whispered. It was the end of my first day at Taricaya, and the volunteers were all relaxing together with a movie on the generator-run DVD player. All except me, with my legs curled up against my chest and mouth open in horror at the little creature a few metres from us.

Leora Winkler - Conservation and Environment in Peru In today's world, our environmental state is a hot topic and one that many do not know what to do about. Although I had joined my school's "eco club", I knew I wanted to do more, which was what led me to decide to make the arduous journey to the Amazon, and see just how much I could do!

Laura McKenzie-Wynne - Care in Ghana and Conservation in Peru So you're looking for something? Is it incredible experiences? To contribute in aiding the world? Maybe simply to have fun? Or is it deeper than this; possibly self-understanding or soul healing? Well whatever it is, by travelling to any of these wondrous countries, I can hand on my heart say that you will find all of these and so much more.

Conservation, Peru - Hannah Jardine I had noticed an advertisement for Projects Abroad in one of my college e-mail newsletters and within ten minutes of browsing their website I knew I had to travel to Taricaya Ecological Reserve in Peru this summer.  Since I was a child, it has been my dream to travel to the rainforest and work with animals, and the Conservation project in Peru couldn’t have been a more perfect match for me.

Conservation, Peru - Anita Talby Ever felt stuck in a rut? Ever felt like you've just done nothing exciting with your life? Well you've come to the right place to change that. A few months ago I was feeling like I just needed to do something different and get out of my comfort zone. I looked on the internet, probably as you are doing now, and saw Projects Abroad. It offered flexibility with starting dates and all the projects looked amazing. I decided to take a three month career break there and then. I booked two months Conservation in Peru and one month Conservation in South Africa.

Conservation, Peru - Hannah Burd Throughout my Gap Year, people asked me "Why Peru?", a question I always found impossible to answer. I had just always had a feeling that I would love it there. Not having taken it at school, I wanted to learn Spanish surrouded by native speakers and I also knew I wanted to see the rainforest and the Andes. Why not Ecuador or Chile? I don't know, but I am so glad that I went with my gut feeling and spent two and a half months in Peru - I quickly learnt that those are good instincts to follow!

Conservation, Peru - Joanna Blint Hi my name is Joanna Blint, I'm 24 years old and on a career break from London and I'd like to share with you my experience in Peru, teaching, working on the Conservation project in the Rainforest and travelling. I hope after reading my story you will be inspired and eager to create an experience of your own, in Peru of course!

Taricaya Lodge, Peru - Ben Lane With the end of my A-levels in sight I decided that despite not taking a gap year I should do something exciting with my long summer holiday. Going away with Projects Abroad fitted the bill perfectly, not only could I go to the jungle, somewhere I had always dreamed of seeing but I could choose exactly the dates of travel that suited me.

Taricaya Lodge, Peru - Marcus Brent-Smith I had decided that I wanted to visit the Amazon rainforest by the time I was 10, so when it came to choosing a destination for my gap year trip, my attention was somewhat focused on South America. Peru jumped out at me as an incredibly diverse country with some obvious benefits. Firstly, my GCSE in Spanish would help break the language barrier (how wrong I was!), apart from this Peru contains just about every ecosystem this planet has to offer and, most importantly, it has a rather large area of pristine Amazon rainforest.

Taricaya Lodge, Peru - Alex Prior If wildlife is your thing, then Taricaya will be your thing. If meeting excellent, like-minded people from all around the world appeals, then Taricaya will appeal. If having the time of your life is top of your gap year to-do list, then Taricaya should really be top of your gap year to-do list. From the minute I arrived at the lodge, surrounded on three sides by dense jungle, and on the fourth, a huge piranha-packed river, I knew that my stay here would be unforgettable.

Conservation in Peru - Catherine Turner So, how can I describe it? How can I possibly tell you what this experience is like? I can't. But, if I can help you to make that decision; to just do it; if I can inspire you to dream a little, then you will find out for yourselves just how truly unique a trip to Taricaya is. I arrived, full of nerves and excitement. The first view of the rainforest as we cleared the Andes was spread beneath the plane: a dark green canopy stretching away from me with nothing but creamy brown rivers winding their way through it all. Even when we came into land at Puerto Maldonado you could still only see trees until virtually the moment we touched down and the runway suddenly appeared!

Conservation in Peru - Claire Elphick Travel has always been of immense appeal to me so when it came to the time to choose my dissertation title for my Geography degree, my first thought was where could I go to do it. For me it was the ideal excuse to go somewhere extraordinary to carry out my field research and so the Amazon Rainforest instantly sprung to mind. Geography has always fascinated me and the opportunity provided by PA to live in the rainforest for five weeks and carry out my ...

Conservation in Peru - Laura Poe Having tossed and turned over where to go and what to do for my gap year, the opportunity to live in the rainforest just seemed stupid to turn down. So in January my South American adventure began. Stepping off the plane after flying over a vast amount of trees and what one can only call an enormous river with endless tributaries all disappearing into the distance, I realised that I had actually arrived in the rainforest. It was pouring and the tarmac of the runway was ankle deep in water, and although I knew it was the rainforest I had assumed that South America would be hot and sunny.

Conservation in Peru - Richard Breakspear I arrived in Peru from Mexico, and spent the previous night in Cusco, flying out to Puerto Maldonado that morning. It was early August, and I'd be spending the next month at Taricaya. I was met at the airport there by a Projects Abroad representative, Puerto Maldonado Airport is quite a surreal place, being so small and not like an airport at all. Puerto Maldonado is in part an attractive jungle town, and part shanty town, it has a feeling like a wild-west frontier town ...