Program Reviews

8 weeks in the moist, pungent bowls of the Amazon...

Overall my experience was positive and enjoyable. This program is a potent catalyst for learning. I type this reclined in a hammock on a lethargic Sunday morning two days before departure.

We see the Jungle on TV. But the documentaries do not convey the senses of diurnal and nocturnal Jungle, the quiet chuckle of beetles, the carcofiny of frogs, the warmth of decomposition in the soil, the burn of that insidious caterpillar, the smells born upon the humidity... Volunteering at IPBio immerses you in it all.

I felt our work was beneficial and useful to IPBio, local communities and the environment. Given a comprehensive introduction upon arrival and all this information I asked for I quickly came to know my way around and how to do the work.
Many x-volunteers stay in contact and even use IPBios data in scientific studies of their own.

As a team, we discovered and photographed two new fungal species to science. Don't let this inflate your ego, though, seemingly mundane creatures are just as important as the flamboyant, both are to be measured.

My favorite leisure activity was to swim in the Tapajos river at sun set (and what opulant sun sets they are) and, in the heat of the day, read in the hammoks. We do have a lot of free time (working in the mornings) but often up load and ID photos and audios in the afternoon at lesure.

Carimbo is the local Amazonian dance in Alter do Chao one a week. Volunteers go there to party, I found it a fasinaitng cultural experiance. We were blessed by the Kiss-eek (the cheif) of the local tribe! with water, herbs and smoke!!

I had a few unenjoyable hiccups with other volunteers. Sharing a room with three others and eight of us in the tiny kitchen. Personally, I do not enjoy parties, and prefure to be clean and tidy. Many volunteers didn't wash their dishes or mop up their muddy shoe prints in the bedrooms. My least enjoyable experience here, was repeatably being kept awake by their loud music and partying. Then working next day with them hung-over and not contributing their fair share. (I've never seen the staff like this).

Don't be a person who treats the washing line as a wardrobe and complains about the rain! (this is a 'rainforest').

Yes, there are plenty of snakes, spiders, scorpions, centipedes and caterpillars. With potentially dangerous creatures in the river. I myself was stung by a wasp while buying bananas, burned by a caterpillar in the field and walked into a pit-viper along the road.

However, the Jungle is not 'out to get you'. IPBio gives you all the information you need to mitigate risks. Truly and sincirely, it is not as dangerous as media portrays.

Having the privilege of assisting at both the Atlantic and Amazon forests, getting to see the differences in biomes and wildlife, and directly contributing to science has been a dream come true. Despite growing up as a city kid with a fear of spiders, I learned to enjoy collecting them and other insects to help identify and add to the database. It also wasn’t easy removing invasive Napoleon plants, hundreds of them, yet even still watching the endangered juçara palm saplings fill the new spaces we cleared is a satisfaction that makes me ready to do it all again. Working with people all over the world, practicing portuguese to speak with locals, getting to see wildlife I’d only ever saw on nat geo tv, from dancing manakin birds, to various monkey species, to fishing up piranhas, having a tree frog try to kiss me (still scarred), waking up to tarantulas or wandering spiders in the house, and barbecues with staff, so many memories were made. Would love to come back again, especially to visit the future bases across the other important biomes in Brazil. Even if you don’t directly see the impact you make here, there is proof in the data that every volunteer counts, and this is one you don't want to miss!

I really enjoyed my time in the Amazon with IPBio. The work was varied, interesting and gave me the chance to learn a lot about biodiversity research in a real tropical fieldwork setting. I especially enjoyed the bird inventories, fish inventories, mushroom searches, night surveys and the chance to contribute to species records and data processing. The Amazon location is still developing, so sometimes the structure and working hours were more flexible than I expected, but the staff were supportive and the research itself was taken seriously. Overall, it was a unique and valuable experience where I learned a lot about fieldwork, Brazilian nature, teamwork and working in an international environment.

I had the best three months during my time with IPbio. It is the best introduction to the Amazon. You get to be immersed in the rainforest and surrounded by wildlife while having the comforts most people are used to. The staff is amazing and super supportive. You really feel like you are a part of the team and valued. The free time you have can be filled with a variety of tours, hanging out with the other volunteers, or chilling at the amazing volunteer house. The only bad thing about this programme is having to leave!

My fiance and I spent three unforgettable months participating in IPBIO’s Amazon programme, and it was truly the experience of a lifetime. During our stay, we were fortunate enough to encounter many of the wildlife species we had always hoped to see, making every day both exciting and rewarding.

What really set this programme apart was the incredible team. The staff are not only highly knowledgeable, but also genuinely friendly and welcoming, creating a supportive and sociable environment. They actively encourage new ideas and are open to different methods and techniques in the field, which made us feel valued, involved, and truly heard.

The programme offers a deep and meaningful insight into wildlife conservation, providing essential hands-on experience and knowledge for anyone looking to pursue a career in this field. It’s both educational and inspiring in equal measure.

We only wish we could have stayed longer—every moment was worthwhile, and it was worth every penny!

The Amazon was so beautiful I decided it was the perfect place to propose .

My name is Simon, and I was a volunteer at IPbio in may/April 2026. I traveled to brazil during a gap year after high school, where I made time to follow this program for 8 weeks. I had an amazing experience with this program. The staff is incredibly kind and passionate about their work. The work was enjoyable and there was a large variety in the activities that we performed. I also met a lot of really great people here who I will not forget. All in all, this program left me with 8 weeks worth of amazing memories!

Volunteering with IPBio in the Brazilian Amazon was an incredible experience that exceeded my expectations. The program is extremely well organised, well explained and offers a wide range of biodiversity research activities, from bird inventories and habitat management to mushroom and arthropod surveys and night searches. I really appreciated being involved in both the fieldwork and the post-data process, as it made the work feel purposeful and helped me understand how our contributions fit into long-term conservation goals.

One of the strengths of volunteering in the Amazon is how accessible everything is. Shops, restaurants, beaches and free-time activities are all close by, which gives volunteers a great balance between structured field days and independence outside of work. It also makes it easy to socialise, explore the area and feel part of the local community.

The volunteer group dynamic was another highlight. Whether we were cooking together, exploring Alter do Chão, swimming in the rivers or spending evenings at local events, there was always a strong sense of connection and shared experience. Being surrounded by people who are passionate about conservation made the whole placement even more enjoyable.

Overall, this program gave me practical field skills, unforgettable memories and a much deeper understanding of Amazonian biodiversity. I left feeling incredibly grateful for the experience and would highly recommend this program to anyone wanting meaningful conservation work in one of the most unique environments in the world

I came in trying to understand the issues at stake in conservation, and through the fieldwork, I was exposed to so many different perspectives. The work is a mix of species collection and reforestation, which allows you to connect with nature in many ways. I personally really enjoyed the community engagement pieces like helping reforest Alter do Chao (the island), learning about the local environmental schools, and doing other reforestation projects at different sites. The local community and staff are also very knowledgeable about the plants, and I learned a lot from talking to other volunteers and people around.

My name is Mae and I am 23 years old. In February 2026, I had the privilege of volunteering with IPBio in Alter do Chão. Despite my initial hesitations, applying for this project turned out to be one of the best decisions. I learned so much about nature, about birds, and about myself. I developed a newfound fascination for birds and a deeper passion for protecting the environment, both of which I will carry with me long after returning home. I was fortunate to be part of the first group of the year, where everyone stayed for at least four weeks, which allowed us to truly get to know one another. The hardest part for me was definitely watching people leave. What I find so beautiful about IPBio is that everyone works toward a shared goal. The weekly presentations were a wonderful reminder of what we had collectively achieved, because it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you are out in the field.

I will forever be grateful for this experience and everyone who was part of it!

I had a really great experience volunteering at IPBio and would highly recommend it. The fieldwork was interesting and engaging, and I especially enjoyed working alongside such a friendly and supportive team of coordinators and fellow volunteers.

The small size of the organization creates a welcoming atmosphere where you feel heard and connected. There’s also enough free time to experience Brazilian culture, which made the overall stay even more rewarding.

Overall, a very positive experience with a strong sense of community.