WVS are delighted to be supporting Esperanza Verde, a wildlife rescue centre and conservation project based in Peru within the Amazon jungle. Many animal species fall victim to illegal hunting, either for meat or to be sold into the pet trade. Esperanza Verde rescue and rehabilitate animals that have been confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade. Where possible they release animals back into the wild, however sadly this is not possible in all cases. As a result they also provide permanent homes to animals deemed unfit for release. They protect a large area of rainforest and actively look to reforest areas previously lost to farming or logging.

Esperanza Verde are looking for volunteers from all walks of life, be it of a veterinary background or not, there is always plenty of work to get involved in, whether it is caring for the animals, or helping construct cages as they never exactly know what kind of animal will arrive and they try to be prepared for anything. Or you can help our local cook with preparing lunch, or help at the plantation,harvesting bananas and papayas. You can always assist with some general maintenance of the paths and walkways, for example raking the leaves and helping to restore steps that have worn away. Another of our on-going projects you could get involved in is reforestation. This involves planting seeds and seedlings in different parts of the forest during rainy season, as well as noting the GPS locations of the planted.

WVS are delighted to be supporting Esperanza Verde and although we have taken measures to ensure a level of health and safety, all liability falls with Esperanza Verde for the welfare of volunteers attending their project.

The country this project is based in is listed as a high risk of Zika virus on the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) website. Please follow the advice on their website when considering participating in this project.

Itinerary

You will generally be working 5 days a week, with 2 days off.
The day generally starts at 07:30 and ends at 17:00 with a lunch break from 12:00 to 13:00.

Accommodation

The accommodation at Esperanza Verde consists mostly of shared rooms within our volunteer house. The rooms have two or three beds each. You will be living together with other volunteers
in one house (max. of 12 persons). The manager-family (Douwe, Olivia and their children Kayla and Marlon) have their own house a bit deeper into the forest, within walking distance.
You will be provided with sheets, a pillow, and a blanket. Although not a necessity as there is no malaria, some mosquito nets are also available.
The volunteer house has a living room and a bathroom with a toilet, shower and cement table for washing clothes. The general kitchen is in a separate building and also has an additional living room, toilet
and shower. This is where we all (including the manager-family and permanent staff) have lunch during weekdays.
There is a piped water system, which provides water for the house, kitchen and several animal enclosures. In the volunteer house and the kitchen filtered drinking water is also available. Only cold running water is available for showering.
Nearby there is a small waterfall to bathe in, and if you like swimming you can also go swim in the bigger river. During dry-season (July-October) we do sometimes run out of water, so we
always try to use it sparingly. However when this does occur we always have the stream and the waterfall to bathe and wash.

There is no electricity at Esperanza Verde. Evening light is by candlelight and some small solar powered lights are available in the common areas. You can charge some items with a USB charge point, but the power is limited and if there is a queue of items. So try to bring not too many devices, as you won’t be able to charge them regularly. If it is cloudy for few days, charging can take sometime,
as it requires strong sunlight to work efficiently.