Climate Change and Forest Conservation Internship
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About Program
The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world and has thousands of species of trees, plants, insects and animals. Also, the rainforest is a key consumer of carbon - one of the greenhouse gases - and about one-fifth of the freshwater that runs off of Earth’s surface is carried by the Amazon River. For thousands of years, Amazonian indigenous peoples have lived in the forest and dedicated themselves to agroforestry-style farming to feed their families and generate income. Today, the rainforest is a major producer of oil, lumber, and minerals [e.g. gold, copper], many of which are extracted in unsustainable ways that damage the environment.
This a unique opportunity for interns to learn about the intersection of ancestral knowledge and climate change mitigation and how they can come together to conserve the forest, preserve cultures, generate income for local communities, and combat the effects of climate change.
- Work with farmers, foresters, park rangers, and/or environmental engineers experienced in forest conservation, agroforestry, agronomy, participatory community development, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable farming
- Learn about national and local efforts to mitigate climate change and support on-going projects to diversity local farms, implement environmental education programs, and make the region more resilient to climate change
- Learn about Amazonian cultures and their connection to ethnobotany, agroforestry, and plant medicine
- Accompany locals into chakras (agroforestry farms) and plant, weed, and harvest
- Opportunity to support communities with eco-tourism projects, go on hikes into protected forests, and participate in reforestation projects
