Join a dynamic and impactful volunteer internship in northern Peru, where you’ll work on community-based reforestation, conservation, and sustainable development initiatives. Based in the coastal communities of northern Peru, this program offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on environmental experience while supporting local livelihoods and restoring critical Dry Forest ecosystems.
Support reforestation and conservation efforts by working directly with local families and maintaining tree nurseries and permaculture gardens.
Help promote ecotourism as a sustainable alternative to deforestation in Peru’s unique Dry Forest ecosystem.
Gain professional experience in environmental research, education, and NGO operations—on-site or through a flexible online option.
Live and work in a coastal paradise, with opportunities to surf, explore, and immerse yourself in local culture.
As a volunteer participant, you’ll work closely with local families—conducting house-to-house plant monitoring surveys, planting and maintaining native trees, and helping to conserve degraded landscapes. You may also participate in environmental education workshops, contribute to communications campaigns, and collaborate on research projects with academic partners.
In Piedritas, support our growing ecotourism initiative, designed to provide sustainable alternatives to illegal logging. You’ll help promote and improve this conservation effort while deepening your understanding of the Dry Forest’s rich biodiversity and endangered species.
You’ll also contribute to the maintenance of reforestation sites and permaculture gardens, assisting with seed collection, nursery upkeep, and irrigation, while keeping key tracking documents up to date.
Can’t travel right now? Take part remotely through our online program. Get involved in data analysis, research, feasibility studies, and grant writing, while attending exclusive online seminars led by our directors on topics like NGO management, sustainability standards, and digital outreach.
Before applying, please make sure to review the required financial contribution. This program is ideal for those with a strong interest—or background—in ecology, biology, sustainability, or environmental science.
Requirements
This volunteer internship is open to individuals from all academic and professional backgrounds, but is especially well-suited for those with an interest in:
Reforestation and habitat restoration
Wildlife and biodiversity conservation
Environmental science, biology, and geography
Sustainable development and permaculture
International development or ecological research
We welcome undergraduates, postgraduates, PhD candidates, and professionals alike. Whether you’re looking to gain hands-on field experience or deepen your knowledge of environmental sustainability, this program offers valuable opportunities for learning and impact.
Minimum Requirements:
A background (academic, professional, or personal) in environmental science, conservation, biology, geography, sustainable development, or a related field
Aged 18 or older
Basic teamwork skills and the motivation to contribute in a remote, field-based environment away from home
Logistics
Getting to us is a breeze! With daily flights from Lima to Talara, you’ll be warmly greeted at the airport and whisked away directly to Lobitos, ensuring a seamless journey to your home-away-from-home.
During your stay with us, you’ll be provided with airport transportation and private accommodation at one of Lobitos’ best hotels with ocean view. All meals will be provided.
You will also have access to one extracurricular-activity per week for free: surfing, yoga, capullas caves visit, fishing with local fishermen, jiu jitsu class, kayaking out to sea, etc. —all included in your financial contribution.
The cost of the programme is;
| Total Project Fee | |
| First 2 weeks | $2,692.68 |
| 3 weeks | $3,608.36 |
| 4 weeks | $4,474.58 |
| 5 weeks | $5,301.70 |
| 6 weeks | $6,204.72 |
| 7 weeks | $7,107.74 |
| 8 weeks | $8,009.62 |
| 9 weeks | $8,638.94 |
| 10 weeks | $9,510.91 |
| 11 weeks | $10,382.88 |
| 12 weeks | $11,254.86 |
This includes;
- Private Accommodation All meals + weekly restaurant experience A weekly extracurricular activity
- Airport Pickup & transfer to project All project-related activities
- Premium Support Package with 24/7 Support
This does not include;
- Flights Visas (if applicable)
- Vaccinations
- Travel Insurance
- Personal spending and any extra activities
Testimonials
The people at the project and Lobitos touched my heart and I felt like the entire house was a big family. I didn’t feel lonely at all in Lobitos, the people were very warm and everyone waved at each other on the street. Even though I came only knowing a few Spanish phrases, people taught me Spanish words along the way and were very patient about it. The language barrier didn’t stop us from finding things to laugh about, and google translate was a great help.
After my first week I told Ellie that I felt I could be doing more work and she was responsive and gave me more responsibility at the next weekly meeting. This gave Daniella more time to create a report on Ecobricks for the next volunteers as well. I felt honored to be trusted with irrigating and looking after the dry forest by myself. I did more transplanting on my second week as well. Something that upset me was seeing the young algarrobo trees being affecting by a plague and not being able to really help them. We made homemade neem pesticide for better understood pests and started some trials on it.
I feel that the project is doing impactful and altruistic environmental work that Lobitos is proud of. I wish I could have stayed longer and done more to help the project, but I know the plants I looked after and transplanted will have grown one day if I come back and that I made a small but real difference. The project exceeded all of my expectations and I highly recommend volunteering for them. On the weekends we went out to Talara, explored, went on a boat to see the oil rigs covered in seals and I even tried surfing. Naiana, the VP coordinator, held Yoga classes in the evenings during sunset which were very peaceful.
Overall, volunteering here was one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of my life. Thank you to the Global Nomadic team for leading me to this opportunity.
One of my best experiences abroad! Peru has definitely left a mark on me.
As a volunteer for the NGO I participated in many projects in such a short time! Time flew! These are some of the projects that my team and I were involved in:
- Planting day🌱! Although we had to wake up every week at 6:00 it was very fun!
- Reforestation to protect the Peruvian “Cortarramas” bird and restore its habitat
- Website translation (Spanish and English)
- Facebook and Steemit marketing
- Buying groceries, etc in Talara for all the ecoFamily
- Writing a letter to the Mayor to obtain permission to install our sign
- Designing and building a solar distiller to produce drinking water from seawater
- Trialling different materials in the dry toilet to reduce water and form compost
- Designing a renewable energy system for the rural health clinic to avoid disposing the vaccines after a blackout
- Checking the performance of a PV system
Apart from this, Lobitos is a great place to learn to surf, go fishing, eat ceviche, watch the sunset, learn spanish, see wild animals in front of your house, and even swim with turtles!
It was sad to say goodbye so soon, I would’ve loved to see my major project finished. Thanks for everything! I wish you the best and that you are very successful with your future endeavours. I will recommend this experience to everyone who asks me!
A Word from the Founder
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