Biodiversity Research Institute in the Tropical Forest of Brazil

First of all, I have to say that my three months at the betary reserve of IPBio have been amongst the best ones of my life. I was there as an amphibian researcher, but this took up less than half of my working time here, the other time I spent together with the eco-volunteers. I always loved the workdays as, even though we worked on a more or less fixed weekly schedule, every day was new and unique in its own way. A big part of this has to do with the mindboggling nature. I think the Atlantic rainforest is greatly underestimated by the wider public. Even I had never even heard of it, Brazil’s rainforest is the Amazon right? But once I arrived here, I knew I was in my own little paradise. It was not only the visit of monkeys or the colorful butterflies everywhere, not even the hummingbirds which are flying around your head like little helicopters, it was the extreme diversity of this place. And because you are volunteering here you live in the forest and through your work you get to interact with the place like no holiday ever can. You start learning the scientific names of a variety of sighted birds, search for macroinvertebrates or just help weeding in the greenhouse. You can feel that your work is valuable and needed and it is apparent that every volunteer makes a contribution to sustaining this wonderful place. As an amphibian researcher I started getting attached to the frogs in our care and see tadpoles grow, and all of this in the name of scientific research and the conservation of this unique place. Of course, it is a non-profit organization and it doesn’t have the facilities an established university has, but we have the dedication to improvise and make it work. The living space was surprisingly comfortable with a working kitchen, a sofa and TV, the rooms have either AC od a fan and the beds are made every week. The weekend activities made the experience complete, whether it was going downriver on a boia or hiking to a cave or going to swim with dolphins in Cananeia!
I have fallen in love with this place, with the stars during the night, the people, the bioluminescent mushrooms and everything else! Leaving IPBio is definitely the hardest thing I have done in my gap year.

I am Zane from Latvia. I was in Reserva Betary in Brazil for 2 months as eco volunteer where I could help for different nature observation projects.
It was amazing!!! Great job, awesome people, beautiful nature, cute animals, glowing mushrooms, fresh air and just wonderful living, traveling and working experience.
I adore that besides all other amazing activities (bird, mushroom, fish, habitant, etc. inventories) I also had a chance to see and to take some photos of butterflies and moths as well as other animals.
And I absolutely love all great caves and stunning waterfalls nearby and delightful mountains and charming trails.
It could be highly recommended for those who love nature and adventure!
Even just being there and feeling nature all around was magic!!!

I’m Matt from Wales and I spent eight weeks at IPBio working in the frog lab and setting up a camera trap project. My time at IPBio has been filled with fun and learning at every stage. From hiking through the forest to check for amphibians in the pitfall traps, to studying disease in tadpoles in the lab. The staff at the reserve are extremely friendly and always happy to assist in any way they can; they know a huge amount about the native fauna and flora so ask many questions! The facilities at the reserve are very good, and the volunteer house is clean and comfortable. The number of volunteers present at any time is perfect. There are many opportunities for weekend activities whilst at IPBio; including swimming beneath waterfalls, exploring huge caves, and if you’re here in early March – Carnival! I recommend you bring plenty of mosquito repellent, and arrive with a desire to immerse yourself in the forest and have an awesome time!

Volunteering at the Betary Reserve was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I’m so happy with myself that I chose to do this program. I had recently finished my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science but am starting my masters in conservation this year and this month being an eco-volunteer was the perfect start to my new life chapter. I feel like I really have learnt a lot about ecology while being here and have gained some applicable skills. The volunteer house has everything you would need (including WIFI) and is quite nice considering its also not too expensive to stay here. The staff are very vegan/vegetarian conscious which made me so happy and I had so much amazing traditional vegan food here! I’m 22 and most of the group was very similar to my age and it was such a heart-warming experience to spend a month living with like-minded wildlife/nature lovers. Overall, I would highly recommend the experience if you love being in nature; even if you have no background in biology. I would suggest staying for a long period of time and also learning a bit of Portuguese before you come so you can communicate better with some of the biologists here and get the most out of your time 😊

I visited Betary reserve for four and a half weeks in January and February. It was honestly the most amazing experience and I only wish I could of stayed longer. I am an ecologist, and have therefore used some of the techniques that were used through my education and work, however I still felt very challenged and learned a lot. I never thought I’d be able to do something like this because I would get too anxious or homesick but the staff are so supportive, and you are kept so busy and physically active that there is really no worries of this and the time literally flew by. I loved the house, it always had a great social atmosphere and whilst the WIFI was slow, having aircon and WIFI in the jungle felt very deluxe. If you love being in nature, and don’t mind getting muddy, I would definitely do this volunteer programme!!

I volunteered at Betary Reserve for three weeks to make an Institutional video about the release center.

I’m doctor based in Buenos Aires and I wanted to really do something about conservation and this was just what I was expecting.

It was an incredible experience working with my husband, all the staff and volunteers, that were so helpful to us during our time there.

The biologists there are amazing persons and really help us in the video with the incredible footage of birds and others animals that can be found in the reserve and the entire park.

The reserve is a beautiful place, with it’s aquarium, green house and the incredible deck in the river, you can live the rainforest like nowhere else.

Thanks to this program I want to do more nature related volunteer work around the globe.

My wife and I volunteered at Betary Reserve for three weeks to make a institutional video for one of the areas of the reserve.

The whole time spent there was a gratifying experience. All of the reserve staff were super helpful to us during our shooting and editing of the video, and that made the work much more easier.

The reserve itself, with great infrastructure and amazing landscapes, grant us the opportunity to see really cool animals, birds, fishes, trees, and the list go on.

The volunteer house was comfortable and well equiped, with internet and a complete kitchen that made our living there very cool.

I really recommend that anyone interested in filming or photography nature contact the reserve and let your talent help an important cause.

Spending the last two months as an “eco-volunteer” has been outstanding. While the projects the volunteers are involved in are not lab-based nor consist of serious field-work/research as I had hoped, they were still enjoyable and I had fun each and every day of “work”.
I wish I had invested more time in learning Portuguese before arriving, but both the staff at Reserva Betary and the locals of Iporanga are encouraging and will patiently listen to your best Portuguese attempt and try to figure out what you’re saying. The staff here are all wonderful human beings and are friendly and caring enough to make the Grinch’s heart grow an extra size. In addition to the staff, the other volunteers I was living with in my time here were nothing short of amazing. My time spent with all these people quickly became more valued to me than the work experience I had been expecting.
Living on the grounds of the reserve is a once in a lifetime experience to be surrounded by so much natural beauty; eating breakfasts with hummingbirds around you, having a natural aquarium with turtles and fish steps away, or exploring the greenhouse for the dozen’s of frogs croaking at night, it has been a dream. And, with all of this, the small but beautiful town of Iporanga is just a ~10 minute drive away (groceries came out to about 30 Canadian dollars a week).
The Reserve is isolated but the journey to airports in Sao Paulo or Santos is efficient and doable in less than one day, so travelling before/after/while staying here is very easily achievable.
The pitfalls program here was my favorite aspect of the work and only runs in the summer season, if possible I would recommend coming during that period if you enjoy some hiking and getting a first hand look at the wildlife here!
Additionally, Imran is a very good manager and the volunteer program would simply not be the same without him.