Biodiversity Research Institute in the Tropical Forest of Brazil

Our project was the tree inventory and Phenological mapping of the trees along the trails of the reserve, which aims to be a concurrent project associated with the opening of a bird recovery and release centre opening nearby. Most days we’d be out in the forest along the Reserve trails identifying, measuring and taking bark/foliage samples of all the trees marked for the inventory. Despite neither of us being from a forest or biology background, we enjoyed this immensely, learning and doing lots of new things and practices along the way.

Despite our short stay, we managed to get a feel for the reserve and leave with a greater understanding and appreciation of the significance of the diversity of tree species and how every part of a tree can permeate and preserve our everyday lives. As a volunteering experience, it is one that we would recommend for any budding biologist who wants to get some field experience, or general persons that enjoy the outdoors and would like to contribute to conservation activities.

I was doing a tree inventory project at IpBio Iporanga for two weeks with my girlfriend and was very satisfied.
The facility itself is located in the very beautiful reserve in the forest, which was very refreshing after Sao Paolo.
There are variety of projects for people with various backgrounds, however, some projects require longer stay.
Our project involved marking, measuring and preparing data for identification of the trees, so we were able to spend a lot of time in nature (which is amazing!!)
We were also able to see projects which other volunteers were working on - like researching local frogs, tadpoles, luminescent mushrooms ( they are super cool! ) and audio monitoring of the forest.
Since reserve is located in nature - get ready for the local birds, you will really see and hear them a lot!
One thing that I can definitely recommend is learning some Portuguese beforehand. While some members of IpBio staff speak English, so there's no problem during the stay, you will feel quite limited in communication on the way to reserve, as well as during traveling around on your own.

The staff is very helpful - they helped us to arrange interesting activities (hiking, going to caves etc) for the weekends, as well as figuring out transportation afterward and other practical questions.
If you are coming in winter definitely grab some warm clothes, it can be really cold at night.

I can definitely recommend this place, and I'm looking forward to checking out some other centers they plan to open in Brazil ( especially in Amazonia).

Together with my boyfriend, we worked on tree inventory project at IPBio. Our stay was rather short (only 2 weeks) but it was an interesting and overall happy experience. First of all, the place is beautiful, on the edge of Atlantic rainforest, therefore every day you spend in proximity to incredibly rich nature. We were lucky to observe various birds (imagine colorful hummingbird buzzing and flying as close as 50 cm to you), insects, fish, to enjoy exploring various trees and flowering plants just a few steps out of the door.
For the project, we had to perform trees bark photographing and measurements. This is “field” work which is quite enjoyable (unless it rains :) ). The goal of the project was to identify trees in the area in order to prepare this location for birds release.
There are numerous ways to enjoy your free time here: swimming in the nearby river, hiking or visiting marvelous caves in the PETAR natural park, getting to know local life in Iporanga.
We had great support from IPBio in organizing weekend activities and in preparation for the trip.
I would recommend volunteering with IPBio to anyone interested in nature. Few words of advice though are: try to learn as much Portuguese as possible. The majority of people do not speak English, and though they are super friendly and cooperative, Portuguese will definitely help to get around and to enjoy the country more. Also if you travel during Brazilian winter months (June, July), bring some warm clothes, tropical winter can still be quite chilly.

My stay here at the Reserva Betary has been thoroughly enjoyable, throughout my stay I was working on the forest inventory program which has given me a huge insight into how practical research is undertaken. It also allowed me to further understand why a reserve like this one is so important to biodiversity, and helped me to gain a perspective on what actually working in this field would be like. The weekend trips to caves and boya crossing across the various rivers in Iporanaga have been another highlight, and you definitely need to stay a minimum of a month to be able to explore the various sites within and around the area. If we didn’t have major exploring plans for the weekend a BBQ was always happening, as well as learning how to make Caprihanas to perfection! Staying on the reserve itself has been a whole different experience, being surrounded by the forest gives you the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere and after the practical work of the day, being able to sit in a hammock for hours on end in the middle of the Atlantic forest is something I have taken for granted! I have been here with two other volunteers throughout my stay and whilst it is sometimes nice to not be surrounded by people, I maybe would have like a few more volunteers to have been here too, they are building more housing for future volunteers so is just a question on the time of year you choose to stay. I would completely recommend the reserve to anyone who wants to do something completely different whilst helping the environment at the same time, and getting a feel for a place which has been relatively untouched by commercial tourism!

Minha experiência de voluntariado no Ipbio durou cerca de 3 semanas. Durante a semana, Como estudante de engenharia florestal pude auxiliar em uma lista de flora da reserva Betary, além de trabalhar no aquário com peixes e tartarugas e com análise de desenvolvimento de girinos. A estrutura do instituto não deixou a desejar em nenhum aspecto, a casa amarela (moradia dos voluntários) oferece todos os equipamentos necessários, assim como os locais de trabalho, estufa, laboratório e etc. Os finais de semana foram reservados para conhecer as belezas naturais da região e me divertir com novos amigos. Fui muito bem tratada por todos do Instituto, que fizeram questão de me acolher desde o momento da aplicação até a minha volta. . Estar na região do Vale do Ribeira, onde existe a maior extensão de Mata Atlântica preservada, me possibilitou também praticar hobbies como a fotografia e conhecer mais sobre comunidades tradicionais da região.
Em termos pessoais, foi também uma experiência enriquecedora. À convivência com pessoas novas, não só de diferentes nacionalidades mas também com as pessoas da cidade, me trouxe novos amigos e ótimas recordações!

My name is Morgane Holley. I'm French/American and Swiss. As the daughter of a diplomat I was fortunate enough to spend most of my life travelling from a young age. Brazil was always somewhere I was really hoping to come visit one day. It's reputation for having some of the friendliest people in the world does not disappoint. My boyfriend Matt and I came to this program together and lived in the village, Iporanga. Everyone was extremely welcoming, whether we were at the local grocery shops, getting a hair cut or having dinner at one of the restaurants in town (which are actually all really good!) I highly recommend the Dona Sinhana at Casarao, you won't regret it! Everyone is all smiles and hellos in Iporanga. Not to mention the staff at IPBio who, having lived most of their lives in Iporanga, are incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to the diversity one can find in the Atlantic Forest - and eager to share!

The natural beauty of the sights never ceases to amaze. We've seen magnificent rainbow colored birds of all shapes and sizes (the reserve is a haven for hummingbirds, they're seriously more common than pigeons in Venice), monkeys swinging over tree tops, frogs, bugs, trees and flowers of all kinds (maybe an ocelot - it's still up for debate who saw what). The jungle here is full of surprises, every element of wildlife has evolved to be bigger, more colorful and all around more exceptional. Here things you wouldn't stop to look at twice back home will make you question the very nature of reality. You might find yourself staring at grass for ten minutes straight. Don't worry, we've all been there.

IPBio offers so many incredible experiences to its volunteers. On weekends there's always some cool activity to take part in whether that be "boya crossing" (tubing down local rivers and rapids), trekking through caves waist deep in water, climbing to high mountain peaks for a breathtaking view of the jungle, or night excursions in the forest in search of large patches of glow in the dark mushrooms. A few bus rides away there's also a beautiful beach town called Cananeia - which encompasses Ilha do Cardoso - it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen - if you get the chance, don't miss it! Imran, IPBio's Volunteer Coordinator, makes all this possible and more! He often has people over for barbecues and takes us out to the local bars - he goes above and beyond - one can't overstate how pivotal a role he has in making all of this possible.

Meeting the volunteers at IPBio was of course also a huge highlight of our trip here. Although IPBio's volunteer program is still relatively new there is a growing base number of volunteers present at all times on the reserve. This is a strength in that there is something for everyone in the balance between introversion and extraversion as well as a lot of opportunity for hands on experience with tangible responsibility. Your work has a direct impact. Coming from all over the world everyone we met was very amiable despite coming from completely different experiences. We had a lot of fun and met some awesome people who I really hope we get the chance to meet again along the way.

In terms of my role specifically, I was helping IPBio by making promotional videos to showcase their volunteer program (check them out on OBBIO's Youtube Channel!) I really loved what I was doing because I got to take an equal part in everyone else's roles too. Not a single day resembled the other. The whole while, filming served as the medium through which I got to observe all the beauty IPBio has to offer. I learned a lot while I was here: about biodiversity and the issues concerning the preservation of ecosystems such as the Atlantic Forest, about the way people in rural Brazil live, about editing software and film techniques which I got to further develop for my own skill set and last but not least about myself and what it is that I want to do with my life moving forward. I couldn't have asked for more.

It goes without saying at this point I highly recommend volunteering with IPBio!

My time working at IPBio could not have been better. My work saw me take on a variety of different roles as I helped other volunteers in their work. In particular, I focused on assisting with the amphibian program, which enabled me to hike across the reserve weekly to assist in field work. Additionally, I created a brand new volunteer package for the organization, as well as numerous information packages on many different subjects, ranging from local tourism - to wildlife guides. Living at the reserve is comfortable. The Darwin House has a fully equipped kitchen, nice bedrooms, a full bathroom, and most importantly, air conditioning! After work the other volunteers and I would relax, play games, watch movies, and swim in the river (which is amazing, and so refreshing on a hot day). The weekends were exciting and were spent doing many different fun activities. We explored caves, hiked to waterfalls, tubed down rivers, went camping, and so much more. The Atlantic Forest really is a nature lovers dream, and IPBio is such an incredible organization. Definitely and incredible experience, I would recommend it to anyone looking to do meaningful work in an amazing setting. Worth every penny! Go volunteer!

I had a wonderful time at Reserva Betary!
You cross a hanging bridge over the river and suddenly you realize you are in the middle of the rainforest, surrounded by nothing but nature. It was amazing. Every morning I woke up and started my work with Rafael. My choice to help him in the garden worked out great for me! Even though it was definitely the hardest I have ever physically worked, I was very happy to prove to myself that I can do this kind of work.
Of course gardening is repetitive, but since the environment here is so different to what I am used to and there is so much to see, I did not mind. Plus, it gives you a lot of time and space to think, so I never got bored.
Rafael is the most patient and kind person, so even with my terrible Portuguese skills, we got along really well! In general, the people I worked (and also spent my free time) with are all together extraordinary and make you feel like you are at home here. They seem like one big family, happy to welcome you. Living with the other volunteers was also very cool. Since it was my first time volunteering, I expected there to be more difficulties, but excepting some food-related issues (which definitely occur every time one lives with a lot of people), we had a great time!
Summing it all up, I definitely recommend a stay here. I am sure you will enjoy the time!