ATTENTION! Semillas Life is not a real Conservation Ecology internship – it’s very misleading. No team, no lab, no equipment (apart from a few camera traps). No structured projects, just rushed jungle tours with no clear learning. Supervisor has no experience, doesn’t speak English, and was unprofessional (even blocked me when I got sick). Christian, the director, lives in Berlin – there is no proper on-site management. The programme is no longer in Puerto Inca (where the forest is almost gone due to deforestation). Instead they’re in Codo de Pozuzo, claiming to do “reforestation”, but it’s just planting a few trees in a school backyard. Living conditions are dirty, unhygienic, and overpriced. A nearby hotel with private bathroom and TV was cheaper than their camp. This is not conservation work – it’s just jungle tours. If you are serious about learning ecology, look elsewhere.
Response from provider
ATTENTION!
We apologize for the inconvenience. At Semillas Life, we take feedback from our volunteers and interns very seriously.
As a small nonprofit organization, our budget is very low. Fortunately, thanks to your feedback and the funds raised through the arrival of other interns, we decided to prioritize purchasing various equipment to facilitate our conservation work. More information about the new gear is available on our Instagram page @semillaslife.
However, we feel that some parts of your feedback are very unfair.
For example, when you say there is no structured plan for the work we do. We had a schedule and work plan created to work with you, but your last-minute cancellations, even when you weren't sick, negatively affected the development of our work. We don't want to go into the details of your private life, but your nightlife greatly influenced these last-minute cancellations. It's difficult to start work at noon, as you sometimes requested. Theoretical conservation knowledge sometimes confuses people and distances them from reality when it comes to putting this knowledge into practice, especially in the Amazon rainforest.
Schedules must be respected for the best development of the work plan.
Regarding the hygiene of the cabin where our volunteers stay, thanks to your feedback, we are conducting more frequent checks to prevent similar issues. This is a team effort that includes our volunteers and interns. We are all responsible for the cleanliness of our cabin.
Our cabin is rustic, and we communicate this to all our volunteers and interns before they arrive. That's why it's important to read our information document before coming. We even send photos of the accommodation upon request so you know where you'll be staying and avoid false expectations.
We want to clarify our location. We are located in Codo Del Pozuzo, Puerto Inca, Huánuco, Peru.
Codo Del Pozuzo is one of the five districts that make up the province of Puerto Inca. We explain this in the information document we provide to our volunteers prior to their arrival.
Regarding Spanish classes, we provide to interns four hours of Spanish classes a week. Unfortunately, you declined because the person teaching Spanish doesn't speak English.
Regarding our reforestation project, most of it takes place during the rainy season for obvious reasons. You were with us during the summer, so you weren't part of it. The tree planting you participated in at a local school is part of our environmental education project.
Regarding our supervisor's unprofessional behavior, we understand your discomfort at not receiving a response when you were ready to work (12:00 p.m.). However, we also understand our supervisor's frustration with your lack of commitment to scheduling.
It's worth mentioning that we now work with a new supervisor with experience in nature reserves.
Being a non-profit organization, the cost of participating in this internship is much lower than other places. If you had done business directly with us, you would have paid less, but you did so through a third-party organization that charged you a placement fee. Despite our low budget and all the expenses we incurred during your stay, we gave you a US$500 refund for the inconvenience.
The US$2,299 we charged for your 12-week stay was used for the following:
-US$150 for the biologist supervisor's weekly salary + breakfast and lunch at a restaurant.
-Your meals at a restaurant, breakfast and lunch from Monday to Friday.
-Salary for other employees to take you exploring the surrounding area on weekends + gas.
-Accommodation and other expenses.
We learn a lot from feedback, even better when it's objective. Thank you for your feedback, and we apologize again for the inconvenience.
We wish you all the best.
Semillas Life Team.
