EcoSwell is a multiple award-winning sustainable development non-profit (NGO) helping vulnerable communities in Peru through environmental, educational, infrastructure and socio-economic projects.
Through our partnership with a local organization in Cusco, this volunteer internship combines ecosystem restoration, applied research and community entrepreneurship in the Peruvian Andes. You will support work that helps restore degraded land and strengthen the livelihoods of rural families.
Rural communities face environmental degradation and poverty as overgrazing, poor land management and erosion damage farmland, reduce incomes and contribute to migration. Our partner organization works alongside local families to restore these landscapes through reforestation and sustainable productive activities. Training in farming and business development, supported by friendly community contests, encourages improvements in natural-resource management, livelihoods and home life.
As a volunteer intern, you will work alongside the partner organization’s team and local families. Depending on the season and the stage of each project, your activities may include:
• Seedling and tree nursery care: Tend and protect young seedlings until they are ready for planting.
• Tree planting and reforestation: Support planting campaigns involving pine and native species, help source seedlings, map planting locations and monitor tree survival.
• Data collection: Record water infiltration and plant species to support assessments of soil erosion and biodiversity.
• Applied research: Explore practical innovations, such as bird nesting structures and improvements to irrigation systems.
• Market research and development: Help families strengthen small businesses and identify markets for community products, including edible mushrooms, guinea pigs and cattle.
• Community engagement: Participate in rural community life, with opportunities to contribute to celebrations, offerings and ceremonies from mid-December to February and engage with communities on weekends throughout the year.
The position combines outdoor manual work with research and office-based support. Activities and the frequency of community visits depend on local needs, so participants should be flexible and willing to contribute to different tasks.
You will gain practical experience in ecosystem restoration and community development, learn from local farmers and explore the relationship between environmental recovery and sustainable livelihoods. Accommodation is with a local family in Cusco, offering opportunities to experience everyday life in the city.
Undergraduates, postgraduates, PhD students and professionals are welcome. Participants must be at least 18 and have an academic or professional background, or personal motivation, in business, environmental science, forestry, agriculture, rural development or a related field. We ask for a reasonable level of physical fitness, willingness to undertake outdoor manual work and a positive approach to teamwork and learning.
The communities are located at high altitude, so we recommend allowing a few days to acclimatize. Applicants will be interviewed by EcoSwell and a member of our partner organization to assess their suitability for the program.
