Amazon Rainforest Research Assistants and Photography/Videography with IPBio

This was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life so far. Alter do chao is so beautiful the location you are in is amazing many activities to do many necessities near by and so many great people. It’s truly amazing, irman and Marleen the people that run this organization are such amazing people they are so nice and so helpful with anything you need they truly are friends for life. The other volunteers are also so amazing you meet so many cool people that all have the same interests it’s truly amazing. The living quarters are amazing I couldn’t ask for more, you have an amazing pool with a big kitchen and the rooms are nice and cold with good beds it’s great. This was truly one of the best experiences ever and I recommend it to everyone. Definitely will do again!!!

I am an undergraduate biology student. During my 7 weeks at IPBio, I witnessed a lot of biodiversity in the Amazon forest. The programme itself is well organised and executed, with the volunteer coordinators Imran and Marleen being very responsive, supportive, and instructive. The only drawback was that the location of the programme is in close proximity to human settlements, which restricts the extent of biodiversity present. However, this is balanced out by the close proximity to food shops, cultural immersion, and social activities.

We were well looked after by the coordinators Marleen and Imran from start to finish. The trip gave me a really genuine experience of Brazil, experiencing capoeira, carimbó and the local food including fish. It was a really good chance to help out the organisation, learn loads about biodiversity research, and practice your photography skills. It was amazing to see the huge range of animals in the Amazon. On top of this there was plenty of exciting excursions to go on such as hikes, kayaking, visiting manatees in the zoo and visiting Santarem.

I chose this program to fulfill an internship requirement for my degree program but the IPBio Amazon volunteer program went above and beyond my expectations. Not only did I have the opportunity to engage in meaningful work everyday either the field or in the local community in Alter do Chao but I got to work alongside brilliant and passionate volunteers and staff. I will always look back on my 8 weeks in the Amazon fondly. If you are looking for an opportunity to participate in field research, explore amazing wildlife, and make great friends then this is the program for you!

My time spent working with IPBio was assuredly one of the best things I have been involved in to-date!

Firstly, it is to be noted that the Amazon branch of the organisation is very new comparatively to the Atlantic Forest, meaning that the facilities are different but this is by no means a negative! The accommodation is lovely, being in a re-purposed AirBnB, complete with swimming pool, affectionate cat and the loveliest neighbours you could ever hope to meet. On top of that, the coordinators are fantastic, being helpful, friendly and informative regarding both work, down-time and anything in-between.

Even though I had travelled for two days to the other side of the planet, I had never felt more at home. Meeting likeminded volunteers from across the globe was really one of the highlights of my time there; the others being the inventories: Traveling to different locations to photograph bird populations, discovering new species of mushrooms, exploring the night-time world of the rainforest searching for fluorescent creatures, catching a huge frog and naming it "Bruno"... the list goes on!

Some of the best extra activities we did were visiting Santarem to see the pink dolphins and on our way back from the Bird Inventory at Canal do Jari, taking a tour to see sloths and squirrel monkeys. The beaches around Alter do Chao are also some of the nicest I've been to!

The work IPBio does is essential, considering that the Amazon Rainforest is home to so many endemic species and yet so little is known about them. By conducting inventories over time, species can be monitored and the impact of threats can hopefully be identified to help conserve one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.

Overall, I think IPBio exceeded my expectations, acting as an educational and immensely fun project full of diverse work and wonderful people. While I was there a whole month, I feel that I could have honestly stayed there for longer, discovering new things and spending time in one of the most Amazing places I have ever been!
I would highly recommend IPBio to friends, family and anyone looking to make a difference in the conservation of the natural world: I very much believe in the work they do and thoroughly appreciate just how accessible the project is to volunteers.

The IPBio program is an amazing, once in a life time experience! Being able to be apart of important research whilst making life long friends. I would definitely recommend doing this program if you get the chance. Be prepared for physical work, but also a lot of fun along the way!
This program is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in biodiversity research within the Amazon rainforest. It’s a great way to step out of your comfort zone and learn so many new things.
Both Imran and Marleen are hands down the best instructors to do a program as special as this one.

I spent 3 months volunteering with IPBio on the Amazon project and absolutely loved it. Pre departure they were brilliant at communicating information, answering any questions and generally making you feel comfortable with what to expect. Once on site the IPBio team were professional, supportive and a lot of fun. I found the work to be interesting and varied with plenty of free time to explore the local area and culture. The other volunteers tended to be like-minded, hardworking and fun loving. There were usually 8 volunteers sharing a comfortable house and there was always something happening from Capoeira lessons with the neighbor to Carimbo Dancing with the locals and not forgetting the forest night searches and riverside BBQ’s. I truly can’t recommend this company and the Amazon Biodiversity Research experience enough.

This was the best experience I could have asked for. The team are super responsive and organised before you arrive. The accommodation is great and you only pay a small price for a great place to stay. The amount of time per day that is normally from 8-1ish which works well in the heat and weekends off. Each day the team does different data collection/inventories (fish, trees, mushrooms, reforestation, and birds) as well as one night search per week. The people I met there were open, kind, hard working people with great personalities. The volunteer organiser is really kind and sometimes arranges BBQs or social activities. It's super easy to explore the surrounding area by yourself of booking tours into the forest. I had moments in this programme that will last me a lifetime. Like finding bioluminescence on a night search, snorkelling through the small crystal clear streams of the Amazon, dancing with the other volunteers at the local Carimbo. This is one of the most transparent, well organised and dedicated organisations I have come across.