Program Reviews

I came to the Atlantic Forest after deciding to take a sabbatical from the business world before starting my Master’s at Oxford. I was determined to go to Brazil and decided that travelling without a purpose was not for me. I had heard about the Betary Reserve as my friend Imran is a volunteer coordinator. The project also appealed to me in its conservation and research aims.
When I arrived, I had no experience in biology, conservation or research. Still, I hit the ground running, soon having a number of projects to contribute towards. During my time at the Reserve I helped set up a course for volunteers, prepare volunteer presentations in addition to helping around the reserve around the research projects. It was validating to watch my efforts contribute to the crucial conservation and education aims of the organisation. My favourite research projects were the Fish Inventory, where I searched for Fish in the river on a hot sunny day, the Frog Night Search, where we looked for Frogs (you guessed it) at night to gauge the biospheres biodiversity.
Outside of the Reserve I didn’t lack things to do either. I arrived on the weekend of the town’s anniversary and had a reggae concert to attend pretty soon after. Still, the best party was definitely Carnival. We all decided to go to Cananeia (a beach paradise, 2.5 hours away from the reserve) for a day at the beach, dolphin and crab watching, before heading to town for an amazing seafood dinner and the main event: Samba schools parading through town. I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences I have had so far.

Volunteering for IPBio is something I could not have imagined. And I mean that in all the best ways. The welcome was warm and informative at the same time and my six-week-stay in the volunteer house couldn't have been better. During the day I was working as a video producer, putting my editing skills to good use. There already is an immense archive of footage made by the great biologists and previous volunteers on site and images caught with camera traps in the forest. The beautiful tropical plants and animals only make you want to add your own sightings to the film stock. With these images I was able to make some video's for the website and the youtube-channel (you should check it out, it gives a good idea of what life and volunteering here is all about). In the evenings and during the weekends you had time to take part in group activities or you could just chill. The surrounding area has a lot to offer: caves to explore and rivers to swim in. The forest in itself is amazing and has a diversity that is unmatched anywhere on the planet. It was delightful to actually experience this wonder of nature and take part in the effort of conserving it.

I have stayed at the reserve for three weeks, and I am still captivated by the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest. IPBio offers volunteers a chance to experience living in a rainforest, without having to sacrifice certain comforts (such as WiFi!). There is a great family dynamic at the reserve, and the place does start to feel like home.

Undertaking field research in the Atlantic Forest was an unforgettable experience, the views, the wildlife and the people made it both interesting, and enjoyable.
Contributing to Atlantic Forest conservation was incredibly rewarding, I only wish I could have stayed for longer. I highly recommend IPBio, it was a fantastic experience and one that I would love to try again.

In Reserva Betary, you will get a glance of the immensity of the Atlantic forest, the biodiversity is ridiculous, you will see more trees and insects than you can count, you will be amazed at the colors of plants and birds and you will be tired of the size and quantity of insects.
The people here really makes it easy for you, not only the volunteer coordinators, but also the local Brazilians working here, the biologist, gardener, managers, everyone is really welcoming and will always make your stay great.
There is always something interesting to do on weekends, either if you want to do some tours to giant caves or waterfalls, or having a barbeque with the other volunteers in the reserve, advancing and going deeper in your job, or just getting your camera and going for a walk into the jungle, it is very hard to get bored here.
Overall, I had a great time, learned a lot, got to know great places, great people, saw incredible landscapes and got amazed by the biodiversity of this place, it is an experience I will always remember, and will also, always recommend, eyes closed.

Being a volunteer at Reserva Betary is a very enjoyable experience. The Atlantic Rainforest is so beautiful and interesting things happening around you every day. You can spot loads of pretty birds, frogs and flowers at the reserve, seeing lizards walking around, watching tadpoles swimming in the pond, observing dragonfly laying eggs, wasps making nest and ants attacking cockroaches. At night, you can watch the starry sky, discovery bioluminescence mushrooms and insects, listen to birds, frogs and cicada singing. All the people working here are super nice and helpful. They make you feel at home and provide a relaxed working environment. I did tree inventory and some creative art projects. Also helped in other project when more hands needed. I am happy to stay so close with nature and spend time on making art. I learned basic knowledge of marking trees in the forest. Wish the tree inventory project could teach volunteer how to identify different tree species and let volunteer learn more things in the future. I highly recommend Reserva Betary for everyone.

After graduating from the University of Bath with an Economics degree and working in London for a couple years, I decided it was time to travel and do something radically different that is actually worth doing. Whilst I have been interested in environmental research and conservation for some time, I had not taken any real steps in that direction until coming to IPBio. And I am very glad I did.
As a Volunteer Coordinator, I guided volunteers and supported the team here on several projects ranging flora and fauna as well as diverse settings. This allowed me to gain experience in many different tasks, from monitoring animal pitfalls and recovering the precious bioacoustics recording deep in the forest to working in the lab looking for signs of BD disease in tadpoles and testing bioluminescent mushroom substrates. One of my favourite activities (understandably I think!) was searching for these glowing mushrooms at night in the forest, which we did a couple times. I also really enjoyed being responsible for the daily feeding of animals (yes, by the end I felt like we had developed some sort of relationship, although to what extent that was a one-way thing I am not sure) and occasionally supporting the Volunteer Programme Manager with his research and other ad hoc tasks.
Apart from the work, there are many opportunities to visit the surrounding region and all it has to offer (magnificent caves and waterfalls instantly spring to mind) as well as the small but charming town of Iporanga. As if that’s not enough, the reserve is well-run by some very friendly people (most of which are local) and there is even a beautiful, tranquil swimming spot one minute away from the volunteer house. So make sure you get some insect repellent and come along!

During a trip through South America, I set aside a month long period to volunteer at an NGO. I could not have chosen a more suitable location than the IPBio Reserve, situated in the diminishing Atlantic Rainforest. The reserve is situated in a very unique position, in that it is an unparalleled nature sanctuary, but also just a short drive from the town of Iporanga. This offers the opportunity to not only be immersed in the conservation projects occurring at IPBio but also near enough to civilization to grab essentials (great for long-stay individuals) and make the most of free time.
Given the variety of projects ongoing at IPBio, there is the opportunity to partake in a wide range of projects and also to be placed in an area of personal interest. Given my professional background, I was able to assist in a number of research projects, but also help in volunteer coordination and various administrative tasks.
The staff at IPBio allowed for my time spent at the reserve to be the most memorable. At other NGOs, I have experienced a lack of organization and general discoordination amongst the staff. This could not be further from the reality at IPBio. From the carefully prepared volunteer package; outlining everything necessary for your stay, including how to get to the reserve with ease, what to expect, what projects are ongoing, etc. to the daily involvement from the volunteer coordinators and research staff.
Overall I would recommend the volunteer program at IPBio to everyone looking to become further involved in an NGO on the forefront of biodiversity conservation. Given the breadth of the projects, there are opportunities for people with a science background looking to become involved in a leading research institution but also those with less experience hoping to become grow their conservationist perspective.

I have really enjoyed my time at ipbio; working as a Biological Research assistant for the Bioluminescent Mushroom Project has been so interesting. I have had so many opportunities to do things that I never normally would have been able to do, from designing the new mushroom project logo to searching for undiscovered species in the forest. As the work is so varied, I never found it was too repetitive and felt like I was making a valuable contribution to the reserve and to the conservation of the natural area. Ipbio’s location in the amazing Mata Atlantica also adds to the volunteer experience, a day doesn’t go by when you haven’t seen something new or strange!
Overall I would definitely recommend working at ipbio!

Every little step counts. Every time a volunteer joins a program, he/she impacts not only through their work, but also with the unique perspective derived from their skills and experience. And even with their relationship with the staff, local communities and other volunteers.

I have volunteered on several projects around the world and avidly fed on the passion that spurs from everyone involved in these conservation or education projects. And IPBIO was no exception. In fact, it is probably the best experience I have had so far. Maybe because of everybody’s commitment. From the passionate founder, Sergio, who will be amazed by every little frog, insect, bird or animals he sees, with you. Add the extensive knowledge of all the biologists who devoted their lives to conservation. And the amazement of volunteers, who deeply believe their work matters, sparing no effort in all their projects.

This is why I hope you too will come to Reserva Betary. And help the Biodiversity Research projects of IPBIO and Celine.

Whether it is tree inventory, bio-luminescent mushrooms, camera traps, pitfalls, as well as cave exploring. Your help will matter. And you’ll make many new, very special friends. As I did. New friends to treasure. And, hopefully, meet again.

If you love nature, the Betary Reserve is the place for you. No wonder it is called Biodiversity Research Institute; the biodiversity at the reserve is mesmerizing. All you need to do is pay attention, and you will encounter different species every day, so make sure you bring a camera with you! Volunteers can be involved in many different activities; I helped with camera traps, to record the mammals of the reserve; tadpole research, to observe the presence of a fungus responsible for the most deadly and infectious disease in amphibians; mushroom inventory; tree inventory; and feeding the animals that are used for environmental education. On top of all that, the reserve’s location is the best if you want to go visit beautiful places on your days off, like amazing caves and waterfalls. I had a great time volunteering at Betary Reserve and recommend it to anyone wanting to have a memorable experience immersed in the Atlantic Forest!