Eco-Volunteering Research | IPBio

My time at the Betary Reserve of IPBio was an unforgettable experience. I came here as a student to complete my bachelor's degree thesis and internship. Alongside helping with the eco-volunteering activities, I also worked on my own research project. The staff gave me great guidance for my project! As most of the staff have lived in Iporanga all their lives, they know so much about the Atlantic Rainforest. I learnt a lot from them! The reserve is located in a beautiful area with lots of amazing wildlife. It was such an amazing opportunity to help with research activities over here! I stayed in the volunteer house with the other volunteers and made friends for life. In our free time, we enjoyed lots of fun activities, such as visiting caves and waterfalls, swimming in the river or barbecuing with all the volunteers and staff. Iporanga, the closest town to the reserve, is a very safe and lovely place. The locals are really kind and very welcoming. I would definitely like to come back here in the future!

I had an amazing experience volunteering in the Atlantic Forest, thanks to the magnificent natural environment that surrounds the area, where conservation programs are developed to study the biodiversity, which is endless. The local team also played a key role in making this experience so rewarding. Before my arrival, they provided detailed information and support, and once I was there, they offered thorough training and guidance. They truly transmit a deep sense of connection with nature and responsibility for its preservation, valuable learnings that will stay with me forever. I found the experience so enriching that when I returned home and shared it with my friends and family, my sister immediately wanted to experience it herself. She didn't hesitate to follow in my footsteps and become part of this incredible project.

Last summer I was lucky enough to volunteer at IPBio Betary Reserve in Brazil, and I can say that it was an amazing experience. For a month, I was lucky enough to enjoy a very well-organized volunteer experience with very competent people. The centre’s managers are very friendly and flexible, and always ready to help in whatever way you need. I was able to share this experience with other wonderful volunteers from various countries. The atmosphere was very good and during our free time, especially on weekends, we could enjoy excursions and leisure activities in the region, which has very beautiful and interesting natural sites to visit. I definitely recommend to volunteer with this amazing NGO if you are looking to do some meaninful voluntary work in conservation field in Brazil! :D

Having the privilege of assisting at both the Atlantic and Amazon forests, getting to see the differences in biomes and wildlife, and directly contributing to science has been a dream come true. Despite growing up as a city kid with a fear of spiders, I learned to enjoy collecting them and other insects to help identify and add to the database. It also wasn’t easy removing invasive Napoleon plants, hundreds of them, yet even still watching the endangered juçara palm saplings fill the new spaces we cleared is a satisfaction that makes me ready to do it all again. Working with people all over the world, practicing portuguese to speak with locals, getting to see wildlife I’d only ever saw on nat geo tv, from dancing manakin birds, to various monkey species, to fishing up piranhas, having a tree frog try to kiss me (still scarred), waking up to tarantulas or wandering spiders in the house, and barbecues with staff, so many memories were made. Would love to come back again, especially to visit the future bases across the other important biomes in Brazil. Even if you don’t directly see the impact you make here, there is proof in the data that every volunteer counts, and this is one you don't want to miss!

What a wonderful time i had learning and meeting the team. Everyone was super welcoming knowledgeable and just all round great. Definitely wont forget my time here and what i learnt over the short time of my stay!

Volunteering at IPBio was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. From day one, I felt welcomed by a dedicated and passionate team who truly care about conservation and community engagement. I had the opportunity to participate in biodiversity monitoring, including fungi and bird surveys, while also learning about the incredible ecosystems of the Amazon. What I valued most was the balance between scientific work, cultural exchange, and teamwork. Every day brought something new, whether it was exploring the forest, contributing to meaningful research, or sharing meals and laughs with fellow volunteers from around the world. The living environment was comfortable, and the staff were always supportive and ready to help. IPBio is not just a place to volunteer, it’s a place to grow, to connect with nature, and to leave knowing you’ve contributed to something bigger. I will always be grateful for this experience and the memories I made here.

My name is Chloe, I am from the USA, I turned 20 during my volunteer experience with IPbio. When I found this program, I had just left what I thought was my "dream school", but I turned out to hate. I returned home feeling lost and not sure what to do next. That's when I found IPbio. It might be the best thing that's ever happened to me. I spent April to the end of May in the Atlantic as an eco-volunteer and then June through July in the Amazon. Those 4 months helped to remind me who I am and what I am meant to be doing. I think I learned more about myself, the social and political state of the world, and of course, biodiversity during my time with IPbio than I have at any school. Living with people of all ages, from all different backgrounds, cultures, and countries, brought together by a shared passion for the environment, was incredible. The programs are different from each other in many ways, with the Atlantic feeling more established with infrastructure such as a laboratory, visitor center, aquarium, and greenhouse. They also have a team of amazingly knowledgeable local biologists! In contrast, the Amazon has none of the infrastructure and fewer staff (for now), but you really feel as if you are on the frontier of scientific discovery, frequently finding species that haven't been recorded yet on inventories (and could even be new to science!). Overall, I couldn't recommend this program more. The staff are great and the mission of IPbio is sound and more critical than ever. Every day felt like watching a nature documentary, but there's no screen infront of you and where you would expect David Attenborough's voice, there's only the sound of the forest and your own awed gasp as a toucan flies overhead or a massive anaconda silthers past, or a mushrooms glows brilliantly before your eyes in the dark night, or....

I decided to go to Brazil for a million reasons. What I found was exactly what I wanted, a month of field work, friendship, fun, nature, music, dance, brasiliano vibes and extraordinary landscapes. Even though I am 34 years old and I thought before leaving that I would be the oldest and that it would be difficult to share a room with other younger guys. On this point I have to change my mind, the programme is made for everyone, universal, worked, students, young, not so young. There is space for every personal contribution. I had a fantastic month, I would do it again a million times!

Nice leaders, nice group - work at the brazilian Amazon. Half day working in form of bird- mushroom- and fishinventorys and a nightwalk one time a week. Sometimes cleaning the beach, making soil and planting at the beach. Everywhere it is possible to see nice animals... After the work free time to relax at the house with pool or walking to the beach or photographing... The weekend is free - free to make excursions, painting, to do things what you want or only relaxing.

I spent almost 6 months volunteering here and would definitely say it’s one of the best places to volunteer over the world! The programs here for eco volunteer are so diverse that you get to do different things everyday: trees, fish, frogs and mushrooms etc…a very enjoyable and unforgettable experience for sure!!

The experience I had during my 3 weeks at Ipbio was incredible. They were extremely helpful in pre-planning, coordinating your travel to the reserve and all of the trips to town for groceries. During my stay they improved the internet speed and added fiber optic internet so there was no disconnect if you didn't want to. The volunteer house was comfortable and they provided everything they said they would and some. The staff are all very friendly and will get you involved if there are monkeys/toucans/anything of interest that you should check out! The data collection days are all super fun! My favorite was the mushroom day and river inventory. The mushroom day was fun because of the crazy variety of mushrooms you find every week! The river day was fun too because the water is cool and refreshing to work in. There are so many fun things to do around the reserve during my time the parks had just opened up from COVID restrictions and I highly recommend going to PETAR park nearby. I commend Ipbio for their safety practices during COVID and although I was vaccinated on my visit I still was happy to follow all guidelines and rules which were clearly explained to us. The reserve is spectacular I'll never forget the birds and animals I saw there and the things I learned about how special and endangered the Atlantic Forrest is. Thank you Ipbio for an amazing time, I look forward to returning!

I had the pleasure to volunteer at the reserve for 8 weeks and it was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend it for people who are interested in ecology and would like to get more hands-on work in gathering data. I'd also like to add that you do not need to have prior education as the reserve will teach you. Workdays are Mon-Fri with some evening night searches. The available weekends were great as there are many opportunities available. The town is absolutely beautiful and the workers are the sweetest. I definitely plan on returning!

IPbio is a wonderful place for everyone who loves nature and adventure. The staff is very welcoming and attentive and everything is super well organised. They gave me all the info I needed to prepare and enjoy my stay as much as I could. The volunteer house was very comfortable and has good facilities. The area is truly breathtaking. Everyday was a new adventure and saw lots of wildlife and stunning views. The projects were very interesting and diverse. In the weekends we visited caves, waterfalls, did Boya cross and trips to the beach at Canenaia. At the end of the program a presentation was held of all the data that was collected. It felt very fulfilling being able to contribute to the scientific research on the biodiversity and ecology of the flora and fauna of one of the most endangered rain forests in the world. The interesting work, beautiful location, comfortable house, fun weekend activities and sincere warmth and kindness of the staff was a perfect combination that will assure you have an amazing time at IPbio! I will definitely come back some day, looking forward to it already..

I recently spent 2-weeks volunteering at IPBio as an Eco-Volunteer and also helping out on the Amphibian Research project. There is potentially no such thing as a more beautiful place to volunteer and carry out research as Reserva Betary. The scenery and wildlife are stunning - I was particularly excited by all of the colourful hummingbirds that visit every day, without fail. I learnt a lot about the history of the area, the features and importance of the Atlantic Rainforest and what IPBio are studying to better understand the organisms that live there. Even though I was only there for a short space of time and for less than the 6-weeks I had planned (due to worries about getting home during COVID-19), I felt like I settled in quickly and soon became friendly with the volunteer coordinator (Imran - who always goes out of his way to help organise things for the volunteers), field coordinators and the other amazing volunteers. There really is a sense of community and it is also exciting to be working alongside local people who live in the neighbouring town, Iporanga. I would definitely recommend volunteering here if you are interested in carrying out ecological research on long-term, well-thought out studies and want to experience living amongst the rainforest. I would definitely consider going back to the reserve in future to experience more of what it has to offer and get to know the local area better!

I was an Eco-Volunteer at IPBio for 3 weeks. During my time as a volunteer, I participated in various ecological field research projects, learning how to take inventory of birds, mushrooms, and fish in their natural habitat, and monitor the health of a pond. Additionally, the organization of the Volunteer Program is fantastic. Imran, the volunteer coordinator, maintains excellent communication with the volunteers via email and WhatsApp (but note- he does not work on Saturday or Sunday), and holds meetings with us every morning. Furthermore, the volunteer house is very nice for the middle of a forest! It has a fully functioning stove, oven, and microwave, and enough pantry space for all volunteers. The first day, you will be introduced to the organization of IPBio, rules & safety, scheduling taxis, etc., as well as protocols for the volunteer work. I recommend two important things. First, get a plan on your mobile device that allows you to use WhatsApp, Messenger, and make calls without WiFi. While there is internet at the Reserve most of the time, it sometimes turns off randomly, which happened to me a day before I was meant to leave. Secondly, learn some Portuguese before you arrive. If you want to learn about the lives and points of view of locals, you cannot get by with just English. Since the Reserve is fairly far away (6km) away from town, our interaction with locals is unfortunately limited. But make sure to visit Iporanga on weekends and afternoons to talk with people, for example by going to a bar or gym with other volunteers. For me, since I am Catholic, I attended Mass in Iporanga (highly recommend to better understand local culture), which was a great way to meet locals.

I am a sixty year old retired wine merchant with no experience in a placement like this and certainly just distant scientific knowledge from my scooldays. Volunteering at IpBio was an amazing experience, the group I was with were understanding, informative, patient and most of all fun. The day to day projects were interesting and varied, who could not love paddling around in ponds and rivers in hot summer sun or tropical downpours? Another day would be looking for, photographing and then hopefully identifying various species of birdlife or sifting through foliage looking for mushroom species. During my stay I inflammed an old knee injury, so was unable to do the hikes, but was more than happy being left with the tasks of identifying wildlife filmed in camera traps or weeding the ponds in the greenhouse. The team at IpBio themselves were knowledgable and supportive and treated you as grown ups.

Working as an Eco Volunteer with IPBio and living on the reserve was a great experience. During my short stay I learned a lot about the Atlantic forest and its biodiversity by doing a variety of different jobs. I also got to meet many different people and learned about Brazilian culture by living with the other volunteers and going on the trips that are organized for the volunteers. The organization of the programme is incredible and the people on the staff are super helpful and kind. Personally, there is nothing I would criticize. I would definitely recommend this programme!

Imran does a great job communicating with all the volunteers before they arrive to the program to dismiss any doubts and possible fears of traveling to another country. The program structure is created to allow those staying just two weeks to experience every aspect of what IPBio is about. It was easy to connect with other volunteers and I had a great time!

I left my career as a Mechanical Engineer looking to connect with nature and travel. IPBio afforded me the opportunity to experience natural phenomena that exist in very few places on the earth! The work is meaningful, the people are fantastic, and the Atlantic Forest is truly a special place. I never once felt unsafe or bored. I would recommend this experience to anyone excited about protecting the preserving nature!

This never felt like a volunteer program. It felt like 2 months I had a new home surrounded by great people amazing opportunities and spectacular wildlife. The volunteer projects were never boring because the wildlife was constantly changing. Bioluminescent mushroom walks, stargazing, waterfall hikes, swimming in caves, bird watching, running into monkeys, glowing larvae, afternoon river swims, trail hikes, and dancing at festivals in town were experiences I cherish. I cant wait to go back and have more experiences of a lifetime!