Bioacoustics Researcher
Coordinator | Ana
Coordinator | Ana
Book with Flex Option!
Choose new departure dates or change to a different volunteer program at no extra costs.
Use sound recordings to understand species behavior, their distribution, habitat use and peak periods of activity.
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
The Program
IPBio recently won the Wildlife Acoustics
Scientific Product Grant and was donated bioacoustics hardware and software. The objective is to
record species behavior, understand their distribution, habitat use and peak
periods of activity. Moreover, we can combine the footage captured by our
project “OBBIO-Observatory for Biodiversity” with high quality sound, which
would allow us to construct a "sound bank" that can be used to, for
example, compare the differences in sound between species and between
individuals of the same species. By registering scientific data, we can analyze
species well-being and use the data to take action as well as provide
recommendations for conservation efforts of endangered Atlantic Forest species.
We are looking for a volunteer who can
lead this project which means setting up the bioacoustics hardware to collect
data and analyzing the data recovered.
- Identify how many vertebrate species occur inhabit
in the Betary Reserve
- Map species distribution on the reserve and in what/during
period of the year
- Observe the variation in/of species and long-term
distribution, and understand the relationship between the distribution and ecological
succession of the forest
- Identify the reproductive period of these species,
through sound, the recording of images of pregnant or females accompanied by
cubs
- Record the sounds emitted by the species and
understand the relationship between the observed behavior and the type of
vocalization
- Disseminate this data to the scientific community
and the general public
Living at IPBio
Volunteers will stay at the Darwin House, situated on
the reserve itself, which accommodates up to 8
people in 2 rooms. This house has a bathroom with a
hot shower and has a fully equipped kitchen where
volunteers can cook. It is the volunteer’s
responsibility to maintain and clean the house, we
take this very seriously. Volunteers can use our
organic vegetable and herb patch in their cuisine. Shops are in the town of Iporanga
6km away from the reserve, which you can walk or get
a lift, where there are various shops with all you will
need. Every day you will wake up to the sound of
birds, monkeys and frogs and can explore the reserves
grounds. During the weekend volunteers can visit the
State Parks to explore the caves, hike into the dense
forest surrounding them or visit the waterfalls. At the
reserve we have a deck where you can swim as well as
use our tubes (big circular water balloons) to drift
down the river along with the current. Volunteers can
also organize dinners, movie nights or social events which can be enjoyed with a glass
of wine or two. You can use the internet at the Center to Skype loved ones.
Location
The Atlantic Forest stretches from the northeastern to the southern regions of Brazil
and northern Argentina and southeastern Paraguay. Five hundred years ago, the
Atlantic Forest of Brazil covered approximately 330 million acres, but today only 7%
remains. In the Ribeira Valley, our region of the Atlantic Forest, we are at the footsteps
of 21% of the 7% that is left, it being largest contiguous section of the Atlantic Forest.
Despite the forests diminished state it still ranks as a global conservation priority.
Although it is now just a small fraction of the size of the Amazon rainforest, the
Atlantic Forest still harbors a range of biological diversity similar to that of the Amazon.
The Atlantic Forest harbors around 2,200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and
amphibians – 5% of the vertebrates on Earth. This includes nearly 200 bird species
found nowhere else. The Betary Reserve is located next to one of the most famous
Brazilian State Parks named PETAR. The region is called the Cave Capital as it known
for containing over 300 spectacular caves, some which are accessible to tourists.
Typical day
A typical working day will range from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
We are looking for a volunteer who can lead this project which means setting up the bioacoustics hardware to collect data and analyzing the data recovered. This means you will have to create a research plan in the first week of your stay. Once this is completed, you will hike to find a good location to place the recording equipment and set it up. It will need to be checked frequently and the data will need to be downloaded. You will then put them into the software, organize the data and depending on your research plan/topic you will need to use the software to analyze the data.
Free-time activities
- Caves: Iporanga is called “The Cave Capital of Brazil” with over 400 caves in the town. Below are just the highlights.
•Casa da Pedra is the world’s largest cave entrance of 215 meters. The trip involves a 2-hour hike to the opening where there is a place to sit down and have a picnic and swim and then a hike back.
•Temimina Cave has a large opening in the ceiling illuminating its oddly shaped diagonal garden. Then you enter into a dark cave where at the end you find a natural shower hole.
•Nucleo Santana is a group of caves and is the most commonly visited as it has a wide range of different types of caves. In some caves you can swim.
- Tubing/Boia Cross: is a sport where by you get on a big balloon and float down the river. There are various waterways you can do in Iporanga, some more radical and some in the big river which is very relaxing and can last 3 hours.
- Cananeia: has various islands with dolphins swimming in between which are very easy to visualize. It is also known for its stunning beaches, awesome boat tours, great restaurants and the mangrove reserve where there are many crabs.
- Waterfalls: Iporanga has many waterfalls. “Sem Fim” is a small waterfall walking distance from the reserve. “Vale das Ostras” has 12 large waterfalls in a row.
- Quilombos: during the era of slavery many slaves would run away from the plantations and create settlements hidden in the forest. These communities live in relative isolation and you can visit their small towns. For some of the Quilombos the tours include travelling their by boat and having a traditional lunch at one of the families homes.
- Social Events:
•Dinners: there are many nice restaurants were volunteers can have dinner, some more classy like Casarao and some with traditional Brazilian food. There is also a great fish restaurant. Often volunteer will eat out on the weekends.
•Town Parties: the are a couple of bars in town, some have pool tables and some have dancing areas. On holidays, there are usually town festivals on the streets.
•BBQ: it is very common to have a BBQ on the weekend which is often accompanied with the traditional Brazilian drink called Caipirinha.
Water Sports
Swimming
Climbing
Safari/
Zoo
Zoo
Hiking
Sports
Riding
Yoga/
Meditation
Meditation
Requirements
In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.
You need to speak English (intermediate level)
CV/Resume
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
Education in biology or related field and experience with bioacoustics would be a huge benefit. We need someone who is IT savvy to work with the complex software (Song Scope).We are willing to accept a non-biologist who is very interested, willing to learn and who would stay at least 3 months so they have time to train.You must speak either English or Portuguese at an intermediate level.
Your helping hand will be required on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
from
09:00
- 17:00
What's Included
This covers your accommodation, full access to the reserve, internet access, project costs and the use of any equipment we have. Volunteers will pay for their own food and cook for themselves. Volunteers are also responsible for paying for any extra costs such as travel costs, visa costs etc. Volunteers are also responsible for covering their extra activities costs such as dinner out (without drinks) which ranges from 15 to 30 reais or PETAR State Park tour of caves (including a guide, equipment and entrance fee) which costs around 100 to 250 reais depending on how many volunteers go.
Volunteers will stay at the Darwin Guest House, situated on the reserve itself, which accommodates up to 14 people in 8 rooms. Two rooms are collective rooms and 6 rooms are single rooms. All rooms have air conditioning, closet space and electricity outlets. Individual rooms have a desk with a chair. The house has 4 bathrooms with hot showers, a washing machine and has a fully equipped kitchen where volunteers can cook. A cleaning lady provides basic cleaning services for public areas and will provide fresh bed linen once a week. However, it is also the volunteer’s responsibility to maintain and clean the house; we take this very seriously. Shops are located in the town of Iporanga 6km away from the reserve, which you can walk to or get a taxi, where there are various shops where you can by all the supplies you will need from groceries to toiletries. There is an organic small herb and vegetable patch volunteers can use in the gardens.
Good access at the project site
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.
Food, snacks or beverages are at extra costs.
The nearest airport is Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in Sao Paulo. We assist you to find cheap flights to Brazil.
Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Brazil provides security and is a plus to have.
If you are intending to volunteer in Brazil you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Brazil.
Dates & Fees
NO CREDIT CARD FEES
This program is paused due to COVID-19
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2 - 50 weeks
Program fees
2 weeks
(min. stay)
$380
4 weeks
$760
8 weeks
$1,520
12 weeks
$2,280
24 weeks
$4,560
50 weeks
(max. stay)
$9,500
Average fees
$190
/week
Please note that the above shown program fees are estimated.
IPBio - Reserva Betary
will let you know about the final price during your application process.
The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.
Your final payment will be agreed with IPBio - Reserva Betary during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.
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Bioacoustics Researcher
Use sound recordings to understand species behavior, their distribution, habitat use and peak periods of activity.
$190/week
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