The Amazon Expedition occurs 3 times a year at the beginning of: August, October and December. August 2022 will not occur. Minimum of 8 participants and maximum of 12 (excluding coordinators of the expedition).
For more information, we will send the Amazon Expedition Info Pack.
IPBio’s primary goal is to teach our applicants about the wonderful biodiversity of the Amazon, so we truly grasp why it is worth protecting, as well as demonstrate field biology techniques so that our participants can understand how the scientific process works to diagnose issues that wildlife face. Moreover, as we are teaching, you are volunteering as we use all the data collected to compare over each expedition to understand trends in biodiversity. We also discuss how this data is used and applied to take action to preserve species and habitats across the globe.
Although our main focus is biology, we believe to comprehensively understand these issues we need to put it in a larger context so we wanted to bring our students into Amazonian culture as a whole. Taste the Amazonian fish. Watch the traditional dances such as curimbo. To prescribe environmental policy without understanding the geography, history and culture of a region is a recipe for disaster.
Highlights Include:
Lectures and Discussion on:
Training in Scientific Methodologies & Field Techniques
Amazonian Culture, History & Food
Tourism & Trips
We have added Day 1 to Day 6 out of 15 days so you can get a feel for what the expedition is about!
Day 1
08:00 – 09:00: Breakfast
09:00 – 10:30: Meet and Greet/ Icebreakers
10:30 – 12:00: Lecture “IPBio – Biodiversity Research Institute and the Work We Do”
12:00-13:30: Lunch (provided by Pousada Amazonia)
13:30-14:15: Presentation on “Rules and Safety” and Signing Paperwork
14:15 – 15:00: Transport Pousada Amazonia to Alter do Chão (CAT Boat Dock)
15:00-19:00: Visit Lago Verde, Enchanted Forest, Moça beach, Lake of Piraña, Lake and Beach of Jacare and sunset at Ponta do Cururu beach with Lecture and Round Table Discussion on “The Brazilian Conservation Dillema – the world wants us to stop, we want to develop so why should we?”
19:00 – 21:00: Traditional Brazilian dinner at Restaurant Lago Verde (in Alter do Chão)
21:00 – 21:45: Transport Restaurant Lago Verde (in Alter do Chão) to Pousada Amazonia
Day 2
07:15 – 08:15: Breakfast
08:15 – 09:00: Transport Pousada Amazonia to Alter do Chão (CAT Boat Dock)
09:00 – 19:00: Full Day Boat Ride to Ponta de Pedras for lunch and Canal do Jari including: bird inventory; trail to see monkeys and sloths, and visit Vitória-Régia lily pads with tasting. Pack dinner on the boat.
19:00 – 20:15: Transport Alter do Chao (CAT Boat Dock) to Pousada Amazonia
Day 3
08:00 – 09:00: Breakfast
09:00 – 09:45: Transport Pousada Amazonia to IPBio – Reserva Jutuarana
09:45 – 10:45: Set up camera traps on the reserve for mammal monitoring
10:45 – 12:00: Flora and Forest Inventory Techniques (set up trail, mark trees, photograph, measure and check for fruiting)
12:00 – 13:30: BBQ/Pack Lunch by the river
13:30 – 16:00: Habitat Monitoring of River (water samples and bio-indicators)
16:00 – 16:45: “Science as a tool for Conservation” lecture and discussion
16:45 – 17:30: Transport IPBio – Reserva Jutuarana to Pousada Amazonia
17:30 – 19:00: Shower and Break
19:00 – 21:00: Traditional Carimbó Dancing and Amazonian Dinner at Pousada Amazonia
Day 4
08:00 – 10:30: Free Morning - you can have breakfast earlier but it will also be provided at 10.30
10:30 – 12:00: Late breakfast buffet and Lecture Bioluminescence – “Glowing in the Natural World” (using TV at Pousada Amazonia)
12:00 – 13:30: Lunch (provided by Pousada Amazonia)
13:30 – 14:15: Transport Pousada Amazonia to IPBio – Reserva Jutuarana
14:15 – 18:00: Diurnal Mushroom Inventory
18:00 – 19:30: Pack Dinner
19:30 – 21:00: Amphibian Night Search
21:00 – 22:30: Bioluminescent Mushroom Inventory and UV light Search and Star Gazing
22:30 – 23:15: Transport IPBio – Reserva Jutuarana to Pousada Amazonia
Day 5
07:00 – 8:00: Breakfast
08:00 – 9:30: Transport Pousada Amazonia to Fish Market
9:30 – 11:00: Visit the Local Vegetable and Fish Market (try the wonderful fruits of the Amazon)
11:00 – 12:30: Transport to Restaurant and Lunch on the Orla
12:30 – 13:45: Transport to Zoounama and Lecture “Illegal Trade of Wildlife and Hunting and Threats to Manatees”
13:45 – 17:00: Zoounama - Visit Quarantine Center and Manatees Rehab
17:00 – 18:45: Transport to View Point and see Encounter of the Amazon River and the Tapajos River
18:00 – 18:45: Transport to Restaurant on Boardwalk
18:30 – 20:30: Traditional Dinner of Amazonian Indigenous Food in Touristic Fluvial Center
20:30 – 22:00: Transport Santarem to Pousada Amazonia
Day 6
07:15 – 08:15: Breakfast
08:15 – 09:00: Transport Pousada Amazonia to Alter do Chão (CAT Boat Dock)
09:00 – 19:00: Boat to Flona National Park; Hike to See Enormous Trees and Wildlife. Lunch in community.
19:00 – 20:15: Transport Alter do Chão (CAT Boat Dock) to Pousada Amazonia
20:15 – 20:45: Showers
20:45 – 22:45: Dinner Pousada Amazonia
Our expedition is jammed with activities already but on the few days you have free time we can give you advice on some interesting hikes and water sports although keep in mind the expedition already includes a lot of these type of activities anyways so you may want to use your free time to actually rest.
The IPBio – Amazon Expedition is all-inclusive. Once you arrive at the airport, EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED. Airport pick-up, tours, food and transport so you genuinely do not even need to take your wallet. Of course, it is always good to have some cash for an emergency and if you wish to buy an extra snacks or souvenirs at shops. IPBio does not cover visa or flight costs.
I. If we accept your placement on the Amazon Expedition, we will send you a confirmation email at which time you will requested to make a deposit of 50% of the total fee via our paypal non-profit donation link (NON-REFUNDABLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES unless we do not make our minimum number of applicants to conduct the expedition) and ask you to pay the VolunteerWorld commission (also refundable if expedition doesn't meet minimum number of applicants)
II. Once we have confirmed enough applicants, we will reach out to confirm the Expedition is going ahead. At this time, we will ask applicant to purchase the flight tickets and send us the booking details. Moreover, we will ask you to pay the remaining 50% payment at this time.
All transportation and tours are hosted by Selvagem Tours. Their service, quality of boats and punctuality makes them a perfect partner for IPBio. For most of our boat tours, we will be on the “Selvagem Sol Boat”, a double decker boat with a comfy area to sit on puffs on the top floor. Downstairs there is a bar, 2 bathrooms, tables and more couches.
On the boats, fresh fruit and juices are served free of cost. Moreover, they have provided us with a private van which will be used to take the group to all the destinations on land.
We will ask for your booking details so we can set up airport pick up. Details of flights should be discussed before purchase to make sure they are compatible the program.
Pousada Amazonia is one of the highest rated hotels in the region. Moreover, it is owned by Joseph Newnham, a British ex-volunteer at IPBio – Betary Reserve in São Paulo, who visited the region with IPBio staff years ago and loved it so much he decided to stay and open up a hotel in the Amazon!
The luxury resort-style hotel has gorgeous wooden rooms with air-conditioning, swimming pools, a restaurant and extra features like a large BBQ area and a ping pong table. Participants will stay in shared rooms with a maximum of 4 people per room. Room allocation is decided by IPBio for the most appropriate assortment considering the applicants for each expedition taking into account factors such as age, gender and more.
*Note: Hotel provides laundry service for 50 reais a load for cleaning and ironing, if requested by participant.
*Note: if you wish to extend your stay in at Hotel Pousada Amazonia to do more tourism after the expedition simply let us know and we can organize the extra nights but keep in mind they get booked up far in advance.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner is included for every day of the tour from DAY 1 – 14. DAY 0 food will be included depending on the arrival time of each participant. And DAY 15 only breakfast is included before your flight out.
For all meals, the food is already selected for the group (considering the groups dietary restrictions expressed in the “IPBio Amazon Expedition Interest Form”) and Amazonian fruit juices and water are served with all meals.
Any drinks, except for water and juice are not included and will have to be paid separately but only coordinators are allowed to order at restaurants so all this information is noted down to settle bills if any extras are ordered.
Alcohol is strictly forbidden for lunch or on nights where there are nocturnal activities.
At the Hotel Pousada Amazonia, you will also be allowed to create a tab if you wish to purchases extra stuff from the hotel but this will be paid by the participants before departure at check-out.
IPBio hosts 3 expeditions a year, the application deadline means at that time if the minimum number of applicants is not met then the deposit is refunded. If the applicant minimum is met, we will give the go ahead to book flights and request the remaining fee.
Fly in 1st – Fly out 16th of August: deadline - need minimum of 8 applicants by the 15th of June
Fly in 1st – Fly out 16th of October: deadline - need minimum of 8 applicants by the 15th of August
Fly in 1st – Fly out 16th of December: deadline - need minimum of 8 applicants by the 15th of October
Amazon Expedition
A 15-day all-inclusive expedition including biological research, tourism, wildlife watching, Amazonian culture and food, lectures as well as cooking and capoeira class.
$220/week
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