Hoja Nueva

Hoja Nueva is a registered 501c3 nonprofit in the U.S. linked to the Peruvian nonprofit, Hoja Nueva Rio Piedras. Our goal in the Peruvian Amazon is to develop a successful permaculture program within the communities of Lucerna and Rio Piedras, located along the Piedras River in Madre de Dios. We are an experimental center that integrates research, conservation, education, sustainable community development, and reforestation into our everyday permaculture efforts, and we are looking for interns worldwide with novel research projects to help us further our mission in Peru!

Hoja Nueva strives to incorporate as many sustainable practices as possible into our everyday site management and community efforts. By creating and using biochar, we are increasing crop yields and the longevity of agricultural soils- soils that will last for 100 years compared to the current 2-5 years. Sustainable practices like this prevent the abandonment of nutrient-poor soils and further deforestation from occurring. We are actively restoring and reforesting abandoned sites by planting a variety of native tree species, especially those that are endangered such as canopy trees like mahogany, cedar, and shihuahuaco. In addition, we are incorporating other sustainable applications include solar panels, grey water recycling, rain water collection, slow sand filtration, a gravity fed water system, traditional compost, composting toilets, and fermented bio fertilizer/pesticide.

Our agroforestry methods are complemented by rigorous scientific research that provides us with the knowledge and background to successfully implement sustainability and community development projects. We have been surveying the biodiversity of this wild, lush region, both flora and fauna, and plan to increase and improve our monitoring efforts in 2017. Several of our projects include using soil and water sampling, canopy research, camera-trapping, community waste-management audits, and other monitoring methods to gather data on human impact and wildlife dynamics.

The benefits of Hoja Nueva’s vision stretch much further than the boundaries of our chacras. Not only do we want to see the environment prosper, but the communities and people that inhabit them.

Hoja Nueva Programs

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Peru

Agroforestry & Conservation Internships with Hoja Nueva

Program Rating 8.7 3 Reviews

Have you ever dreamed of researching in a tropical rainforest, rafting biodiverse streams and rivers, tracking threatened wildlife, or farming with remote jungle communities...

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Hoja Nueva Reviews

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Overall Rating

6 / 10

Internship Placement
6
Program Administration
6
Living Situation
5
Work Environment
10
Health & Safety
5
Social Life
10

A great test of the self

Submitted by J - - | December 15, 2016

As I recall, I was one of the first individuals to volunteer with Hoja Nueva, before there was a legitimate internship. I was only in Las Piedras for a short time but the experience was quite impactful. Volunteering with Hoja Nueva you're going to get to see a world that most people will never get to witness, and a world that might not be around for much longer if we don't do things right. I arrived on a whim and with nothing but a single backpack. I'm not sure what their facilities are like now, but I was sleeping in a hammock in a small hut and we got up as soon as the sun came up and got down to business. This isn't a trip to take for the faint-hearted, but if you're interested in genuine personal growth you're going to find it here. It's a true test of character to go to a place completely foreign to you and learn how different people live their lives and the kind of struggles that they experience. Furthermore, the work you're going to be doing matters.

Program: Agroforestry & Conservation Internships with Hoja Nueva

Overall Rating

10 / 10

Internship Placement
N/A
Program Administration
10
Living Situation
10
Work Environment
10
Health & Safety
10
Social Life
10

A week in the Amazon

Submitted by Tyler Hartunga - University of Washington | November 16, 2016

Hoja Nueva was incredibly accommodating during my week-long stay in the Peruvian Amazon. I was able to get out into the jungle and see all kinds of wildlife (shoutout to Loco Harry, best herpetologist ever), interact with locals (Lucerna is a town full of extremely friendly people), and even contribute to building the Hoja Nueva lodge. The staff was a group of awesome people whom I would consider lifelong friends after my time there. Living along the Las Piedras river was an eye-opening experience and one I would recommend to anyone looking to get off the beaten path and see how truly beautiful the Amazon can be.

Program: Agroforestry & Conservation Internships with Hoja Nueva

Overall Rating

10 / 10

Internship Placement
10
Program Administration
10
Living Situation
10
Work Environment
10
Health & Safety
10
Social Life
10

Creating a waste management plan for remote developing communities

Submitted by Danielle Bogardus - University of Washington | October 30, 2016

Hoja Nueva has given me the opportunity to make my research ideas a reality. I am currently working with the community of Lucerna to create a framework for waste management for remote developing communities that can be applied regionally. This would not be possible without the facilitation of Hoja Nueva. Hoja Nueva has opened up a relationship with the community of Lucerna that gives a social depth to this project that will help insure longevity to a waste management plan. Hoja Nueva helps to address problems in the region from an interdisciplinary and creative look, while respecting the locals and the local knowledge. The new lodge is comfortable and sustainable and the cooking is traditional, with participation in the preparation being encouraged. This helps you gain an understanding of the local culture and creates more of a community while in the jungle. Community events in Lucerna are a highlight and Hoja Nueva makes sure to participate in events like birthday parties and soccer games every Sunday. Hoja Nueva has provided me the foundation to go after my research goals and I am so grateful for that.

Program: Agroforestry & Conservation Internships with Hoja Nueva