Biological Research Volunteering in Peru

At International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), we unite people from over 96 countries who want to make a meaningful difference while exploring the world. With 300+ projects in 40+ destinations, IVHQ offers the widest selection of volunteer programs globally—from Teaching and Childcare to Wildlife Conservation, Medical Outreach, and Environmental Sustainability. Since 2007, IVHQ has supported over 147,000 volunteers on life-changing journeys. We specialize in fully-hosted volunteer trips that are safe, affordable, and accessible—starting from just $20 per day. Your experience includes airport pick-up, accommodation, meals, and round-the-clock support from our local teams. With flexible booking options and no change fees, planning your volunteer adventure has never been easier. Our programs run year-round and are available for 1 to 24 weeks across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, South and Central America, North America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Volunteering with IVHQ is about more than giving back—it’s about growing, learning, and building genuine global connections.

Medical and healthcare projects provide volunteers the opportunity to work in hospitals, clinics, assisted living, and other healthcare facilities. Work alongside doctors, nurses, therapists, and other medical professionals. Depending on your medical experience and Spanish language skills, you’ll have a number of responsibilities: shadowing a doctor or nurse, assisting with general check-ups, running medical campaigns, assist with vaccinations and triage, taking vital signs, organizing patient records, preparing materials and equipment, and assisting during mealtimes. This program is available all year round, with start dates every Monday. It’s designed to take place for as short as 1 week and up to 1 year. NOTE: This program qualifies for 3-4 university credits via our School of Record. Volunteers must be over 18 years of age or accompanied by a parent or guardian. We require background checks and proof of medical insurance.

Join the ranks of forward-thinking healthcare professionals through International Medical Aid's (IMA) Physician Assistant and Pre-PA Internships. Our program, rooted in the educational standards of Johns Hopkins University, is designed to propel undergraduate students, PA school attendees, certified PAs, and high school students into the heart of global health care. IMA, a non-profit entity, extends beyond traditional borders to bring essential medical aid and education to underserved regions in East Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. The internship, underscored by an ethics-based approach to care, enhances clinical skills and lets you explore the cultural and societal nuances of healthcare, facilitated by our seasoned mentors. IMA's commitment to improving global health while also enriching the educational journey of each intern is evident in our comprehensive support system. From day one, interns receive personalized guidance, from field-specific orientation to admissions consulting for PA school, ensuring a seamless transition into international medical settings.

Do you dream of living and working in the Amazon Rainforest? This program is perfect for young conservationists and wildlife researchers to get the chance to work as closely with such an array of wildlife - monitor and study the flora and fauna of the Peruvian Amazon. During this program you’ll work as part of a conservation-focused nonprofit that takes a multi-faceted approach to protecting the rainforest - running youth empowerment and community development programs aimed at reducing the need for environmentally harmful activities as well as poverty in the area, monitoring endangered species and their habitats, organizing community outreach programs that promote sustainable practices. Your role will be to trek deep into the Amazon Rainforest where you’ll deploy camera traps, monitor habitats, and conduct surveys on specimens of mammals, birds, wildlife, fish and plants. You’ll work alongside international and national professional biologists, learn from their expertise, and receive training in the use of wildlife-monitoring equipment and biology research methods. You’ll also gain experience writing reports and corroborating your findings for informational resources.

Find out why more and more people are choosing to become a Love Volunteer! Love Volunteers is the most affordable way to volunteer and help local communities in developing countries! Why are we cheaper than other organisations? Firstly, we are just a handful of passionate people working hard to help volunteers and local communities around the world. We don't have huge overheads - no company cars, no downtown office - we're just volunteers who knew we could do a better job. Secondly, we work with local organisations wherever we can to keep administration costs to a minimum and also to feed as much money and skills into the local communities where we operate. All of Love Volunteers partner organisations have been fully vetted to ensure that, not only does a genuine need for assistance exist, but that the environments that we place our volunteers are safe and of high quality. Choose from one or more of our 200+ amazing community-based programs in 37 developing countries around the world. Every program has been personally visited by one of our dedicated staff members and is regularly audited to ensure it meets our high standards in terms of safety, sustainability, and local impact.

Looking to apply your talent and expertise to a good cause? Find a program that matches your interests and skills through Volunteer World! We are the largest volunteer abroad comparison platform around the globe, enabling you to seek and compare offers from major travel agencies as well as smaller grassroots NGOs and local specialists in more than 80 countries. All these with just one click! Find projects in wildlife, teaching, community development, and several other areas. Simply choose your desired destination and desired travel date, and our search engine will compare the best volunteer abroad programs on your behalf. Whether you wish to gain experience at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa or teach English at a monastery in Nepal, we've got you covered. Volunteer World guarantees a quick and easy application. We will guide you through this process, as well as help plan your next meaningful trip. We provide free access to quality-checked projects and flexible options. And if anything goes wrong, we've got your back with our qualified support team and our refund guarantee.

Lima, the capital of Peru, is located on the west coast of the Pacific along the Rímac River. This large, international city balances both modern and traditional influences, which evolved from Peru's history as the home of the Inca and numerous other civilized cultures dating back as far as 2000 BC. Opportunities vary from rehabilitating marine life to working with disabled or at-risk youth to creating environmental protection campaigns. By partnering with community-based organizations and following a structured, reflection-based curriculum, you will learn how local experts address these issues with available resources while developing intercultural and leadership skills in a real-world context. Each of our community-based organizations is unique, so visit our website to learn more about your options. Although all our programs are great, we especially recommend Lima for students who are interested in marine biology or human rights.

Projects Abroad's private reserve Reserva Ecologica Taricaya is a slice of unspoiled, untouched Amazon rainforest. You can find it on the edge of one of the Amazon's mighty tributaries, the Rio Madre de Dios with mammals and birds abound. We don't work in isolation, but rather in co-ordination with local people. They help us with our conservation projects and we help them with their farming and by helping look after their unique environment. We have an experimental farm where we pass on ideas and techniques to local farmers and then support them - growing mahogany, coffee and cocoa along with livestock management and crop rotations. Projects Abroad is helping local people to avoid potential damage and to conserve the few remaining areas of untouched forest. Patrolling our reserve is crucial, as poachers have been known to enter illegally to hunt. Constant monitoring of the area is therefore necessary and, due to the hard work of more than five hundred volunteers who have visited the Reserva Ecologicà Taricaya over the past few years, we now have a 50km trail network that makes this possible.

Volunteer with the Peru Amazon Conservation Project through Globalteer to help research, conserve, and protect the rich and biologically diverse rainforest. Volunteers must be aged 18+, with a passion for conservation, learning, and the outdoors. A moderate level of fitness is important as this project requires hiking. Working alongside conservation experts, volunteers act as researchers, forest rangers, nature and wildlife photographers, or general conservationists. These roles allow them to live and work in an untouched part of the endangered Amazon rainforest. Based on a 5,000-hectare conservation area in the Madre de Dios region of the Amazon rainforest, the area is recognized by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot and wilderness area. This area has a huge diversity of plants and wildlife, including jaguars, pumas, sloths, boas, macaws, monkeys, and an array of other rare species. The project has been working for more than 15 years in the Amazon rainforests of Peru, focusing on research, education, and conservation to protect the forests and their biological diversity that are currently endangered by illegal gold mining and Brazil nut harvesting.

Inspire, Educate & Empower Communities Across the World Are you passionate about education and cross-cultural exchange? Do you dream of making a positive impact while traveling the world? With Volunteering Journeys’ English Teaching Programs Abroad, you can inspire young minds, build confidence, and open opportunities for children and adults across Peru, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the Maldives. Whether you’re a student on a gap year, a certified teacher, or simply a fluent English speaker looking to make a difference, teaching abroad is one of the most rewarding ways to contribute to global education while immersing yourself in fascinating cultures. In many developing regions, English proficiency opens the door to education, employment, and better economic opportunities. However, limited resources and teacher shortages often leave students without access to quality English education. By joining Volunteering Journeys’ teaching programs, you’ll help bridge this gap. You’ll work in local schools, community centers, or after-school programs — improving English literacy, conversational confidence, and cultural awareness.

The Opwall Peru project is based in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, found deep in the forests of the Amazon basin—so deep that this project involves living and working off a river boat! The first few days are spent completing a wildlife ecology and conservation course en route to the site, traveling along the river on a restored and converted boat from the rubber boom era. Once at the site, your group moors the boat and conducts surveys involving everything from pink river dolphins to macaws to caiman alligators. Operation Wallacea is a research and environmental organization working alongside university and college academics to build long-term datasets to put towards various conservation management goals. We recruit volunteers who can help with data collection, training them in the skills and background needed to help effectively. There's also the option to complete dissertations or senior theses at our sites. This project is currently open to school/college groups every March.

Do you want to contribute to the research of the Amazon rainforest and learn about the rich flora and fauna of the Peruvian rainforest? Become part of an international research team of students, interns, and volunteers and support the protection and conservation of the rainforest through monitoring and research programs in tropical South America. As a volunteer, you will support the maintenance of the protected area, help monitor wildlife, tree, and plant species, and assist the current studies of students or researchers. As a student or intern, you can conduct your own research on other topics and get help with your scientific project and fieldwork or support other students with their data collection. Everyone can use this opportunity to learn about valuable research tactics, fieldwork, and identification skills useful for study, career, or personal development. Please note: Be advised that the presence of insects and other critters is common in this area. Also, hygiene standards will certainly be lower than what you are accustomed to.

As a volunteer at Amazon Shelter, you’ll be immersed in every part of our vital conservation work. From preparing specialized diets and feeding the animals to enriching their enclosures, collecting fresh leaves for our Howler monkeys, cleaning habitats, and assisting with repairs and maintenance, you’ll play an active role in the daily care and rehabilitation of wild animals. Every task you take on helps restore the lives of animals affected by deforestation, illegal trafficking, and habitat destruction. Your work directly supports the health of one of the planet’s most fragile and essential ecosystems. You'll learn from experienced wildlife keepers and veterinarians, gaining hands-on knowledge about how a real conservation project operates and deepening your understanding of native Amazonian species. And perhaps best of all, you’ll live in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, surrounded by a community of people who share your love for nature, wildlife, and sustainable living. Come ready for hard work, deep connection, and a life-changing adventure. This is more than volunteering; it’s your chance to be part of something significant.

Join Earthwatch's Amazon Riverboat Exploration and experience the adventure of a lifetime deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. This expedition invites you to travel aboard a riverboat through one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, while actively contributing to groundbreaking environmental research. Alongside expert scientists, you'll monitor wildlife, investigate delicate ecosystems, and uncover how climate change is reshaping the rainforest. Location: Amazon Basin, Peru Why Choose This Program: Protect a Global Treasure: Support research that guides conservation of the Amazon and its incredible biodiversity. Get Hands-On with Real Science: Help track river dolphins, survey wildlife, and monitor ecosystem health alongside expert scientists. Cultural Exchange: Learn from Indigenous communities with deep-rooted knowledge of the rainforest. Adventure and Purpose: Explore remote regions few ever reach, while making a meaningful impact. Join Earthwatch's Amazon Riverboat Exploration and play a part in preserving one of the planet's most precious natural treasures. Book your spot today and make a lasting impact on the future of the Amazon rainforest.

Kawsay is a biological station located in the Peruvian Amazon, close to Puerto Maldonado. Staying with us will give you the opportunity to gain an inside look at how the forest is conserved and studied through training, monitoring, research, conservation programs, and specialized tours. We make research and conservation available for everyone. Don't be afraid to help out at a biological station. Of course, we work seriously, but we also believe that everyone can contribute in a certain way. Come and discover this beautiful forest as well as work in the field. Volunteers mostly assist in main projects and activities, including maintaining the conservation area, monitoring wildlife (e.g., behavioral studies, camera trapping, mammal transects, pitfall traps, phenology study), evaluating habitats (vegetation plots), and assisting researchers.