Para La Tierra

  Paraguay

Rural Area

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Not Applicable, Spring, Summer, Throughout the year, Trimester, Winter 
Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: throughout the year

Description: Come and join us at Laguna Blanca in Paraguay. This mosaic habitat of cerrado and Atlantic Forest is one of the most beautiful, unique and understudied sites in the world.

Join us onsite at Laguna Blanca as a volunteer, intern or researcher.
Volunteering is a great way to broaden your experience and research skills. You can design your own project based on a your specific interest (the scientific team will help you decide if it's achievable), assist with an existing project, or undertake one of our pre-written projects from our database. We have space for up to eight volunteers at any time. Choose from one of the following options:

Conservation Volunteerships - No experience necessary, just an enthusiasm for nature and willingness to get involved! Volunteers assist with scientific fieldwork, learn new techniques and get the opportunity to see their name and the results of their work in print. Come and have fun in a beautiful setting and help us by contributing to the conservation effort in Paraguay!

Internships - for young scientists and recent graduates considering a career in research, this is the opportunity to get some real experience of fieldwork in the Neotropics. Develop your own research project and learn new skills to make you a more effective scientist. We will train you in project management and field techniques vital for becoming a research scientist. We will give you a full academic reference after your stay.

Visiting Researcher - all the support needed for professional scientists so that they can work in safety and in comfort - the only thing you need worry about are your results!

Projects:
Our main on-going projects cover birds, specifically the white-winged nightjar, invertebtates, bats and rodents, mammals and amphibians.

Other projects will cover all major flora, fungi and fauna, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, fish and invertebrates. Projects are wide ranging and can include inventories, population and behavioural studies and photography.

We're always interested in hearing your ideas for projects!

Highlights: Enjoy the peace and quiet at Laguna Blanca. Create your own project and timetable, with bi-lingual staff on hand to advise you and make sure you have everything you need. You are free to relax and take in the surroundings, take a stroll and do some wildlife spotting or, of course, work hard on your project!

The estate at Laguna Blanca is on the frontier of the fast-disappearing Atlantic Forest and contains a representative variety of habitat types associated with the Cerrado eco-region, including a natural lake, grassland, shrubland, marshland and forest, offering a truly unique habitat for varied studies.

Laguna Blanca is home to the white-winged nightjar, a critically endangered species of nocturnal bird known to breed here and at just two other locations worldwide. With a population estimate of only 1000 to 2500 individuals, the need to conserve its habitat cannot be overemphasised.

The Cerrado is still extremely under-studied in Paraguay. It is highly likely that there are significant numbers of species here, particularly invertebrates, that are as yet unknown to science, and perhaps some new species for Paraguay. Come and help us find them!

Qualifications:
* No qualifications or experience necessary.
* Ecologically-minded individuals over 18 years of age.

Cost in US$: 800 USD for first 2 months, 700 USD per subsequent month

This fee includes:
* Provision of bed and board,
* Collection and return from Santa Rosa, Departmento San Pedro at the start and end of the stay,
* Three daily meals with unlimited tea, yerba and diluting juice.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: An individual with an interest in science, nature or conservation, or someone who wants to experience life in a different country off the beaten track.

Age Range: over 18

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Paraguay Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of variable sizes

Application Process Involves:

• Written Application

Para La Tierra's Mission Statement: Come and join us at Laguna Blanca in Paraguay, one of the most beautiful, unique and scientifically unstudied locations in South America. Join in as a volunteer (no experience necessary) and discover what nature has to offer while working alongside professional scientists. Do your own project or help someone else with theirs! If you have a degree (or are working towards one), you can be an intern and improve your fieldwork skills while learning about South American flora and fauna. Be in charge of your own project and the scientific team will guide you through from the methodology to the write up of your project.

Year Founded: 2009