Volunteer Abroad in the Amazon Rainforest: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador

Taking a volunteer trip during your school break, a gap year, career break, or just for a short vacation can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to step out of your comfort zone. You can learn new skills, explore new places, and get in-depth experience that is sure to boost your career and let you make new, lifelong connections.

A visit to the Amazon rainforest is truly unique. There is nowhere else in the world that offers the same variety of flora and fauna, and your volunteer contributions are particularly critical in this area. After all, tropical rainforests serve as the Earth's lungs by pulling carbon dioxide in and sending oxygen out into the atmosphere. Your efforts to preserve the extraordinary Amazonian ecosystem will help protect this global treasure for generations to come. Whether you're helping with wildlife research, contributing to environmental conservation intiatives, or even helping to encourage sustainable development and resource use within different communities, there are so many ways that you can make an impact.

These are just a few of the volunteer abroad programs available to you if you are passionate about preserving our planet:

International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ)

IVHQ is the volunteer abroad program of choice for leading universities like UCLA, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and University of California at Berkeley. Travelers of all ages and backgrounds alike are welcome to become part of IVHQ's amazing programs worldwide, whether you're traveling solo, with a group, or with a friend. Programs are affordable, and the organization has helped more than 90,000 travelers plan their life-changing volunteer experiences since its founding in 2007.

IVHQ offers a rainforest volunteering project in Peru, where you will live and work on-site at one of the Amazonian jungle conservation bases. Support Peruvian rainforest reforestation, contribute to basic research, and conduct animal inventories with the guidance of local full-time staff members. Learn more and sign up here!

Maximo Nivel

If you want the expertise of a volunteer organization that specializes in Latin American programs, Maximo Nivel may be the right choice for you. Programs have been internationally accredited, and many qualify for college credit. Maximo Nivel operates all of their programs locally, so you know you'll benefit from local support and expertise before, during, and after your trip. Travel solo, with your family or friends, or with your school and immerse yourself in Latin American culture!

The volunteer abroad specialists at Maximo Nivel are committed to ensuring your safety and comfort while you focus on lending your skills to improve the health of the Peruvian rainforest. Combat the effects of deforestation by planting trees and shrubs, removing invasive bamboo, and conducting educational workshops for local communities. Learn more and apply today!

Volunteering Solutions

Community responsibility and volunteer experience are the guiding principles of every Volunteering Solutions project. Each program has been carefully crafted to ensure that participants have a safe, rewarding experience, and recipient communities benefit from the visitors. Better still, Volunteering Solutions programs are designed to be affordable, so that more adventurers have an opportunity to participate.

Through Volunteering Solutions, you can visit the Ecuadorian rainforest and work with a variety of local birds and animals. Learn from licensed veterinarians as you rescue and rehabilitate wildlife, then release the animals back to their habitats. Learn more here!

Love Volunteers

Founded 10 years ago, Love Volunteers has become one of the fastest-growing volunteer abroad organizations in the world. This team puts an emphasis effective methods of partnering with local communities, and the fees for program participants are always affordable. If you are ready for an Ecuadorian adventure, check out these projects available from Love Volunteers!

Sometimes the animals who live in the Amazon rainforest run into trouble, and they find themselves in need of rescue and rehabilitation. When you join the Animal Sanctuary Program in Ecuador, you can be part of the solution. Work alongside members of an indigenous Quichuan community to keep wildlife safe and healthy.

If you prefer to protect the rainforest through educational activities, the Rainforest Conservation Project may be right for you. Partner with local experts to research and create workshops for members of local communities, as well as larger international audiences. Learn more and sign up here!

Projects Abroad

In the past 25 years, Projects Abroad has placed more than 100,000 people in amazing volunteer projects and internships all over the world. Its track record of success has allowed this organization to become one of the world's largest international volunteer abroad services.

If you are ready to pack your bags for the rainforest, Projects Abroad's volunteer program in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru may be right for you. You will be on the frontlines of wildlife and forest conservation efforts working at the award-winning Taricaya Ecological Reserve - learn more and apply!

Fronteering

The most adventurous volunteers and explorers are flocking to Fronteering programs, because the organization is devoted to taking participants farther off the beaten path than ever before. Get deeply involved in your project and stretch the limits of your skills with immersive volunteer adventures.

Head to the Brazilian rainforest to teach tourists about minimizing the impact of their visits, or partner with local experts to educate members of the community on eco-friendly living. Sleep in hammocks under the Amazonian stars and learn survival skills for staying safe during rainforest exploration when you choose Fronteering's Amazon Guide - Brazil program.

If you prefer to make an impact on the area's small businesses, consider an internship with the Amerindian community. You will support local eco-lodges through education in the fields of IT, Accounting, and Hospitality, improving their ability to attract tourists to the area. Learn more here!

A Broader View Volunteers Corp

A Broader View is a US-based charity sending travelers on impactful volunteer programs worldwide - with first-class customer service, A Broader View offers more than 245 trips to 25 countries, and projects range from healthcare to childcare, and everything in between.

If your first love is protecting the environment, consider A Broader View's Community Development program in the Ecuadorian rainforest. You will join a community made up of 40 aboriginal families, and you will share your skills in English, education, and technology to assist the families in improving the success of their small businesses. Learn more and sign up here!

Ready to Travel?

Whether you would like to pursue a volunteer adventure or even an in-depth internship to boost your career in environmental conservation and research, there are lots of ways to make a positive impact in the Amazon Rainforest! And if you're looking for additional travel opportunities in South America, check out these articles for inspiration:

Volunteer in Brazil: Conservation, Teaching English, Sports Development

Volunteer in Brazil & Ecuador: Amazon Conservation, Carnival & More

Volunteer in South America & Latin America - Brazil, Costa Rica & more

• Rachel Roderick
• Writer

Based in Rhode Island, Rachel researches and writes about volunteer, intern, and teach abroad programs worldwide. She has traveled to some of the world's most exciting destinations - including Iceland and South Africa - and in her spare time loves skydiving, rock climbing, and canoeing.

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