Take a Gap Semester Abroad in South America

Peru

Start your journey in Puerto Maldonado, where a boat ride will take you deep into the Amazon Rainforest, where you will live and work at our Conservation Project. Care for animals, support their release programme and help with farming and maintenance. You'll also conduct research and collect turtle eggs from riverbanks.

Conservation

By observing and recording details about the species you see during surveys, you’ll help us better understand how to protect them. This type of work can include: 

Data Collection

• Bird censuses conducted from a canopy platform
• Collecting video footage using camera traps
• Recording data on species characteristics during trail hikes

With the help of your work, we produce a technical report every year to demonstrate our environmental impact. The data for these reports comes directly from our volunteers’ daily observations. Thanks to this work, the reserve is increasingly recognised internationally as a research centre. It has contributed a number of important research papers at international conferences, especially in the field of ornithology.

Animal Release Programme

We run an animal release programme, which involves our project partner, Animal Defenders International (ADI). ADI confiscates illegal pets or circus animals, including Amazon rainforest monkeys. We then rehabilitate these rainforest animals at the rescue centre and release them into the wild if possible. These are usually endangered species like scarlet macaws, whose populations are steadily decreasing in the Amazon. 

You’ll help with feeding these animals and doing general maintenance. This includes tasks like cleaning enclosures or repairing fences. Although this may sound like menial work, it’s a chance to get up close to beautiful wildlife while also helping prepare them for a life of freedom. For animals raised in captivity who can’t be released, you’ll be helping to give them the quality of life they deserve. 

Breeding Programme

Turtles:

• help with our turtle breeding program
• patrol riverbanks for turtle nests
• collect the eggs and incubate them at the center
• release hatchlings into the sea

Butterflies:

• catch butterflies (our butterfly-catching methods are completely safe and leave the butterflies unharmed)
• house them in optimal conditions for our rainforest animal research
• help them breed
• study their behavior 

Pilot Farm

We have a pilot farm where we work on developing and perfecting sustainable farming techniques. We then teach local people about sustainable farming to reduce the negative impact of farming in the area. Your work at the farm will include: 

• tending to crops 
• promote sustainable farming

We also run a mahogany programme that aims to grow mahogany trees close together and study them. This particular Rainforest habitat project shows local loggers that this is a cost-effective alternative to cutting down trees from the rainforest, and we can share the timber from these trees to use in production. You will: 

• help maintain the plantation 
• study the trees by taking measurements

Raise Awareness

We work to raise awareness about conservation on both a local and a global level. Through research and publications, the conservation centre provides groundbreaking data that draws attention to the work we’re doing in the Amazon rainforest and its ecosystems. You’ll be involved in:

• collecting this data and contributing to large-scale research work
• help raise awareness about conservation in local communities through creative means: recycling competition in a local school or conduct a workshop on the small things people can do to combat climate change

Learn more about our Animal Rehab in the Amazon rainforest. 

Archeology

After two weeks in the rainforest, you’ll join our staff in Cusco to help protect the country's history by preserving and maintaining Incan and pre-Incan ruins. Learning from professional archaeologists, you will engage in: 

• Artefact cleaning
• Site maintenance
• Mapping and classifying
• Traditional ceramic workshop
• Guided tour Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay

Visit the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

No visit to Peru would be complete without visiting the famous Machu Picchu. Journey with expert guides who share the deep cultural history and magic of this legendary Inca citadel.

You'll start your weekend with a full-day journey through the Sacred Valley, exploring ancient Inca sites, vibrant Andean villages, and breathtaking mountain landscapes.

You'll then head to the ruins of the Lost City of the Incas for a guided experience through the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu, taking you across terraces, temples, and hidden viewpoints. 

Education & Community

Work alongside local teachers to assist students in the classroom and take part in a light renovation project to enhance the learning environment: 

• Lesson planning and delivery
• Resource creation
• Outdoor and sports activities
• Arts and crafts
• Health and hygiene workshops
• School ground or classroom light renovation

Galapagos Islands

You'll fly to San Cristobal and support the Giant Tortoise and Sea Lion Conservation project for your first two weeks in this unique location. Our partnership with the Galapagos National Park gives us exclusive access to the wilderness Darwin once studied.

Conservation

Join park rangers, conservationists, and community-led initiatives to protect the island's biodiversity. The tasks you will take part in will depend on the need of the project at the time of your trip but could include the following:

Wildlife Monitoring

• Monitor sea lion populations and behaviour 
• Participate in surveys of seabirds and marine iguanas

Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre

• Feed and care for Giant Tortoises before they are released into the wild
• Harvest otoy and other plants to feed the Giant Tortoises
• Assist National Park Rangers with cleaning and maintaining Giant Tortoise enclosures and habitats 

Invasive Species Control

• Walk and play with dogs at a community shelter that neuters and finds homes for stray dogs.
• Help remove harmful, non-native plants and reintroduce indigenous species to restore the natural balance of the Galapagos ecosystems.

Plant Restoration

• Work at our plant nursery to grow native and endemic plant species.
• Transplant seedlings from the nursery into the wild.

Community Engagement

• Join beach clean-ups to protect wildlife and maintain the pristine environment.
• Contribute to data collection by weighing collected litter to identify problem areas and track progress.
• Share your passion for conservation by participating in educational programmes at local schools.

Santa Cruz weekend

There is so much to see in the Galapagos. Each island has different landscapes, wildlife and terrain. In order to experience the full diversity that makes the Galapagos so extraordinary, you’ll take a speedboat to Santa Cruz for one weekend. 

You’ll visit the El Chato Tortoise reserve and Charles Darwin Research Station to gain unique insight into the history and research techniques of conservationists on the islands. The group will see Giant Tortoises roaming wild as well as different ages in a breeding centre.

Learn about the endemic plants and species while exploring highland forests, and walk underground through lava tunnels.

On your final day, the group will visit Tortuga Bay, famous for its sea turtles and marine iguanas. Take time to snorkel and relax by the beach before taking the speedboat back to San Cristobal.

During your final two weeks here, you'll also have the chance to volunteer with children on the island. Help children learn through play, run educational games, and teach English. You can also work with small groups of kids in the community for sports coaching.

Education

On your Gap Project abroad in the Galapagos Islands, you’ll be able to add real classroom and sports coaching work experience to your resume. Our Teaching Project has a lot of variety. A big part of your experience will be teaching English to school kids or to children at the community centre.

The biggest focus of our Education Project in the Galapagos is ensuring that young kids learn the skills they need to thrive once they start school. We work in overcrowded and understaffed kindergartens, giving teachers extra support in the classroom.

Children learn through play, so you can do things like the following:

• Plan and run educational activities, games, and arts and crafts
• Teach songs and rhymes so kids can practice and remember the English they learn
• Play and teach sports

You don’t need previous experience working with kids; we’ll provide training, workshops, and resources so you’ll have everything you need to do the work. 

Read more about Teaching and Sports Coaching in Ecuador.