Environment Volunteering in Sao Paulo, Brazil

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!!

Oii, I´m not a man of great words, but able to capture my surroundings with my camera. Observe the world with an open mind and some patience. Spending 3 months in the beautiful and stunning Atlantic Forest at IPBio Reserva Betary as a volunteer was like this: check my YouTube playlist and my travel website Cheers Thomas

Hiya, I´m not a man of great words, but able to capture my surroundings with my camera. That´s why I don´t have to much to say, but more to show: Check out my personal travel related website for the images I took while spending 3 months in the beautiful and stunning Atlantic Forest at IPBio Reserva Betary as a volunteer and check my YouTube playlist „IPBio“ to see what it is like to volunteer at IPBio and what you can expect to see, if you observe the world with an open mind, a bit of luck and some patience. Cheers Thomas

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 an oasis of rainforest among the ever shrinking Atlantic forest. The people working there truly have a passion for nature, conservation, and community. They do everything they possibly can to ensure your stay is enjoyable, safe and remains focused on these passions. From glowing mushrooms, to monkeys, fish, frogs, and rehabilitating birds and coatis, IPBio has something for everyone in the realm of conservation. Even all of your food scraps are converted into fertilizer for the gardens, from which you can eat fresh lettuce, peppers and pumpkins. IPBio is a truly magical place. During my three month stay, I discovered a new species of Cordyceps mushroom and photographed a novel species of robber fly, among many other wonderful specimens of the wildlife there. The friendships you make here will last a lifetime, maybe more, and the place will draw you back for repeated visits to one of the most amazing places on Earth. Iporanga.

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..

My time at the reserve was amazing. The staff were super friendly and receptive and very supportive of my work. The nature is breathtakingly beautiful and I had the opportunity to see a lot different species. Seeing the glowing mushrooms is truly a one of a kind experience. The program allows for artist to participate in eco-volunteering and was totally flexible so that I could get the best out of my time there. Recommend it!

A really organised and hands on volunteer experience where they give you all the advice and teaching necessary whilst still allowing you the freedom of independent research. I learnt more about ecology in 3 months that school could teach be in 3 years. Just brilliant!

I could not be more pleased with my stay at IPBio. It was by far the best decision I made after finishing my environmental degree. I was able to get exceptional experience for grad school and had a blast every day. Everyone who works there you will find to be incredibly helpful and fun to hang around. There are all kinds of programs in the science field. I had the role of bioluminescent mushroom researcher. I got to go out on hikes looking for new species of these mushrooms as well as work in a lab trying to cultivate them. I loved my job and being able to learn from the staff. My job was like a puzzle. I look at all the information I can on growing mushrooms and then look at all the past projects that have been done at IPBio. I needed to figure out a way to get some of these mushrooms to grow by inventing a new experiment. It was also amazing to learn how to photograph the bioluminescence in the dark room. My fruiting box with Mycena lucentipes logs in it ended up fruiting which was really exciting. My job gave me enough time in the lab for good experience but also brought me in the field which is so much fun. Imran was the biggest help from the day of my interview until I got home safe and sound. The staff all have expertise in different fields making them excellent resources for different things. The place where I stayed was clean and even had some private rooms. I was doing the mushroom researching for three months and had a room all to myself. However, the entire volunteer house really was like a hotel clean and comfy. Outside of work hours, I got to explore the cave capital of Brazil and even see every cave in the guidebook. Imran helps set up these guided tours for outside of work time spent as well. These were incredible experiences. Recalling all of the time spent working at IPBio really makes me miss that place. I will have to go back because it really was a perfect of a trip.

My time in Brazil was incredible, and I already want to go back. Situated in the Atlantic Forest, the Reserve was the most beautiful place I have ever lived. With vegetation everywhere, birds flying overhead all day long, and a river right behind the house to swim in after work, the living situation was ideal. The house had a great kitchen and even had AC in each room. I loved the work I did with amphibians, and the research aspect was perfect for me. It was even better, however, that we got to fully immerse in amphibians twice a week, but also help on every single other project they has going on. We did something different each day of the week, which kept it interesting and fun-and allowed me to get great experience in all sorts of biological work! One of the best parts of the program, however, were the activities we did in our free time. The volunteer coordinator made these particularly easy to coordinate too. If we told him the week before we wanted to do something, he would arrange guides and transportation for us. We got to explore caves, go to the beach, float down the river on tubes, see waterfalls, and really explore the region. I would highly recommend this program and hope I can go back one day!