Amazon Rainforest Conservation & Animal Rehabilitation School Trips

Projects Abroad

The rehabilitation and conservation project in Peru is a unique opportunity to contribute to a groundbreaking and truly meaningful project.

It is an adventurous and awe-inspiring challenge, three hours by boat from the nearest town, living in camp huts in a jungle clearing by the riverbank.

This initiative was established over 20 years ago and has been working towards tangible environmental improvements and education in conservation matters ever since.

The goals of the project, in which your students will play a full part, include:

- Animal Rehabilitation -

It is a government-licensed rehabilitation and release centre where animals that were intercepted on their way to being trafficked overseas are brought. The centre nurses them back to health and releases them in an appropriate manner when ready. The species include tapirs, spider monkeys, macaws, and, occasionally, jaguars.

- Maintaining species lists -

Using a variety of survey methods, your students will assist in identifying birds, reptiles, insects, and, through infrared camera traps, mammals in the area. It is vital to monitor and understand the species present, their number, and their habits. As the project develops and the health of the jungle improves, more species have been identified. The list of birds sighted there is now over 500, and new species of bats have been discovered in the last 10 years.

- Pilot Farm -

People are living even at the heart of the jungle. The project engages with these communities to encourage sustainable hunting, fishing, and farming practices. The pilot farm experiments with quick-growth cash crops that benefit the local environment and don't require forest clearance.

This interface between human community needs and environmental needs provides a crucial and fascinating insight into the tug-of-war enacted on so many ecological front lines around the world.

This is a highly hands-on, scientific, and physical project in an incredible setting. The activities are varied and educational and contribute to the initiative's ongoing goals. It will be a meaningful and truly memorable experience for your students.

school tours Amazon Rainforest Conservation & Animal Rehabilitation

Amazon Rainforest Conservation & Animal Rehabilitation school groups

Amazon Rainforest Conservation & Animal Rehabilitation photograph

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Example Itineraries for our 2026 trips

Days 1-2
You will arrive by plane in Puerto Maldonado, where the local Projects Abroad team will greet your group. You will then transfer to boats and head up the jungle-lined river to the camp.
Once settled in the camp accommodation, you will take a tour of the camp to meet the animals in their rehabilitation runs and cages before a safety briefing, along with a presentation on the initiative's objectives and accomplishments.

Embark on a guided walk through some of the jungle trails so you and your students can familiarise yourselves with your new environment.

Days 3-6
Conservation activities. The camp team will split your group into small teams, each taking turns on various projects. Some will clean, feed, and observe the animals in the runs, while others will work on observations and surveys (pitfall traps, mist netting, etc.).
Other activities include work on the pilot farm and trail maintenance, as well as using machetes to keep a clear path for the team to be able to reach all parts of the reserve.
As a larger group, your students will collect turtle eggs for incubation, hatching and release (seasonal, usually around June – September) and undertake nocturnal bat surveys.
Throughout the week, in the evenings, you will participate in night walks to observe the different characters of the jungle after dark and listen to educational talks about the different species and the ecology of the rainforest. Your students will be able to test their new knowledge and relax with quizzes and fun activities.

Days 7-8
Over the weekend, you will take the boat back to Puerto Maldonado, where you will be able to enjoy different foods, stock up on snacks and contact home (there is a satellite phone at the camp but no wifi).
Alternative itineraries would include regular rest breaks during the week, work activities on weekends, and a trip to Machu Picchu after day 11 or 12.

Days 9-13
Back to conservation activities, we will ensure that your students are involved in all aspects of camp life and the full range of conservation and animal care activities. The rainforest has wet and dry seasons, which give the jungle a very different personality, so activities will vary at different times of the year.

Through their time in the rainforest and these activities, your students will learn many new outdoor skills and gain a rich understanding of a stunning ecosystem and the nature of the struggle to preserve and improve it. They will also develop resilience, perspective, teamwork and leadership skills while contributing to a longstanding and meaningful initiative.

Day 14
Your group will pack up and take the boat back to Puerto Maldonado with our Projects Abroad team. Transfer to the airport and take the short flight back to Lima for international departures.
This programme can be extended to three- and four-week trips incorporating activities in and around Cusco.

Which Curriculum Subjects do we cater for?

Science

Your students will learn more about the Amazon Rainforest's fauna and flora, developing their knowledge of the main challenges nature faces in this part of the world. They will also learn how to preserve this environment and its ecosystem by participating in field research and caring for the animals in the centre before they are rehabilitated in the wild.

Conservation Wildlife Animal Care

You will stay in our rehabilitation centre where our team will introduce you to the animals in their rehabilitation runs and cages. There, students will take turns in various projects, from caring for and observing the animals to observations, surveys, and data collection.
Depending on the season, you and your students will join our turtle conservation effort (egg collection for incubation, hatching, and release) and participate in nocturnal bat surveys.
You will also learn about the local ecosystem, its main struggles, and what can be done to help preserve it.

What size groups do we cater for?

All group sizes of 5 or more. Free staff place with every 9 students.

Access for visitors with disabilities?

Disabled facilities can be offered on request.

Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

Visitors with special educational needs can be catered for on request.

Anything else?

Projects Abroad provides an individualised service and schedule planning, which is backed up by excellent pre-departure preparation and by a dedicated and highly experienced local team in each destination.

We aim to provide a challenging and rewarding experience for every student, promoting self-belief, resilience, leadership, teamwork, reflection, and a new perspective on the world.

Get in touch today! Our partnerships team is happy to answer any queries and guide you through the process of booking the school trip of a lifetime!

Who are Projects Abroad?

Projects Abroad arrange challenging, meaningful, educational, and safe overseas service and internship programmes.

We have been taking students overseas since 1992 and work in over 20 developing and emerging countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Key to our work is the dedicated in-country staff whose diverse skill sets, local knowledge and love of their community allow us to develop relevant, immersive and worthwhile schedules for school trips which give the students responsibility and teach them to see the world through a different lens.

We offer programmes in community development, conservation, construction, education, sports, empowerment, human rights, and healthcare, among many others. These projects are designed to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, broadening the student experience to see the contribution of a few to a movement for global change.

All school trips are individualised. We realise that each school has its own goals and interests, and the students have their own passions. We work with the school to develop a tailored itinerary that reflects their values and allows the students to make a connection with the community in which they serve.