We're looking to add new members to the Tapiche family! If you've ever dreamt of working in the Amazon rainforest and making a real difference in person and on the ground, check out our volunteer and paid positions below:
Volunteer Positions
If you crave the satisfaction of physically being somewhere and getting personally involved for the sake of environmental conservation, this is your chance! We’re looking for volunteers to join our Tapiche Citizen Science Turtle Rescue Project for June - September 2022! Last year we broke our previous record and collected over 10,000 turtle eggs. We need your help more than ever this year to keep the positive trend going!
Volunteers will have direct conservation impact on species survival, collect scientific data to inform future conservation plans, and set positive conservation examples for surrounding areas, maintaining good relations with local communities.
Every year thousands of turtles lay their eggs on the beaches of the Tapiche Reserve from June-September. The turtles and their eggs fetch a high price on the black market and are heavily poached outside of the reserve. We carefully collect eggs from the beaches, incubate them at our hatchery, and raise the babies in our nursery until they are strong enough to start their lives back in the wild. We may monitor the beaches before sunrise, midday, and especially late afternoon/evening. We collect data like nest location, species of turtle (Yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle-Podocnemis unifilis, Six-Tubercled Amazon River turtle-Podocnemis sextuberculata, Arrau turtle-Podocnemis expansa), how many eggs, time of day, relative air and water temperature and moon phase.
-6 week minimum commitment
-Conversational Spanish required minimum
-Volunteer sustenance fee USD 15/day includes one round-trip transport between the city of Iquitos and the remote lodge (10-12 hour travel day), accommodation in our volunteer house with shared bath facilities at the lodge, and all meals while at the reserve.
-No use of recreational substances and no smoking at the reserve
-Be ready for physical work, e.g. helping to build and maintain egg incubation boxes on the beach in front of the lodge, carefully collecting turtle eggs from the beaches around the reserve, and re-burying eggs in the incubation boxes. Your hands will be in the sand, so you must be willing to get dirty!
Bonus if you have knowledge or experience in the following: fiberglass and aluminum boat maintenance, mechanical knowledge of outboard motors, handling canoes and smaller watercraft with paddles and long-arm economical motors (locally called peque-peque), driving an outboard motorboat both with remote steering as well as directly from the stern of the boat, carpentry, outdoor leadership/guiding visitors in jungle habitat; identifying wildlife, first-aid training, hospitality experience, experience with minor electrical, plumbing, solar or mechanical repairs.
Learn more about our turtle rescue on our dedicated page here and in our collection of turtle rescue blog posts
Email us tapichejungle@gmail.com with subject “Volunteer” to apply. Please tell us a bit about yourself, let us know when you can arrive, how long you can stay, and what relevant skills and experience you may have. We work hard to ensure a good fit between volunteers and the reserve—we want the benefits to be mutual!
Paid Positions
1. Lodge manager
The lodge manager's main responsibilities include: coordinating the logistics of guests, staff, volunteers and supplies between the city of Iquitos and the remote lodge, supervising and coordinating tasks of other employees and volunteers, ensuring smooth operation of the lodge facilities (water supply, plumbing, solar and generator-powered electricity), ensuring the cleanliness and safety of lodge structures and conditions, and monitoring boat and engine cleanliness and safety. The lodge manager will also be the primary point of contact for the local people we work with, so fluency in English and Spanish is a minimum requirement.
Minimum commitment 6 months. Training will be provided by the current team members with a trial period of one month. During the trial period, a small fee of $17 USD per day will defray operating costs of sustaining an extra human at the lodge. After the trial period, the lodge manager will be compensated in an amount to be negotiated, and meals and accommodation at the lodge will be provided at no fee.
Like all other positions, the lodge manager will take part in and assist with all aspects of maintaining the lodge, the boats, and the property as needed. We’re looking to fill this position immediately.
Please email a cover letter and resume or CV to tapichejungle@gmail.com with subject “Lodge Manager” to apply.
2. Translator/naturalist guide
This position involves facilitating communications between local guides and guests. The individual should be knowledgeable about tropical flora and fauna. We receive a mix of guests, some who are specifically birders and/or mammalwatchers, and some who have a general interest in nature and are not necessarily focused on birds or mammals yet appreciate learning species names and making lists to take home and share (brag about) with family and friends. Our local guides will co-guide with the naturalist guides; our local guides have extensive experience at the reserve and excel at finding and spotting individual animals and plants. The naturalist guide is encouraged to help highlight the knowledge and skills of our local guides and may choose to provide additional technical or species information not covered by the local guides. The naturalist guide will be able to expand his/her knowledge of the flora and fauna at Tapiche by working with our local guides. It is essential to be fluent in English and Spanish. Typically, there are morning and afternoon outings and, after dinner, there may be short evening walks around the immediate area of the lodge. Lodging and meals at the lodge provided. Compensation to be negotiated.
Like all other positions, the naturalist guide will (time permitting) take part in and assist with all aspects of maintaining the lodge, the boats, and the property as needed. However, the highest priority of the naturalist guide is to work with our local guides to assure that the guests safely enjoy viewing the amazing flora and fauna of Tapiche. We’re looking to fill this position immediately.
Please email a cover letter and resume or CV to tapichejungle@gmail.com with subject “Translator/naturalist guide” to apply.
3. Trail and lagoon monitoring and maintenance
During the low-water season, guests explore the property on foot on our system of trails and also visit the lagoons on the property. Trails and lagoons must be maintained in good condition, and it also helps us to track the movement of different animal species throughout the reserve. The in-person presence also helps to detect and deter unauthorized visitors in a peaceful manner. Much like other protected areas, the success of Tapiche as a nearly pristine rainforest, as well as its appeal to the visitors who are the main source of our income, requires that our team continues to protect the forest and the wildlife as we have done for the past 12 years, minimizing the amount of unauthorized take of animals and plants as much as possible. Our team’s experience has shown that the presence of staff on the trails and in the lagoons, along with our work with local communities, is key to this effort.
Experience as a park ranger would be ideal but not required. Individuals must be able to drive boats with outboard motors, maneuver boats with paddles, be willing to learn to drive small boats with local long-arm motors (peque-peque) and must speak English and Spanish. Lodging and meals at the lodge provided. Compensation to be negotiated.
Like all other positions, the monitoring and maintenance staff will (time permitting) take part in and assist with all aspects of maintaining the lodge, the boats, and the property as needed. However, their highest priority is the monitoring and maintenance of the property. We’re looking to fill this position immediately.
Please email a cover letter and resume or CV to tapichejungle@gmail.com with subject “Trail monitoring and maintenance” to apply.
For all available positions, high priority will be given to candidates who, in addition to having the skills and experience required for their role, may have knowledge or experience in: fiberglass and aluminum boat maintenance, mechanical knowledge of outboard motors, handling canoes and smaller watercraft with paddles and long-arm economical motors (locally called peque-peque), driving an outboard motorboat both with remote steering as well as directly from the stern of the boat, carpentry, outdoor leadership/guiding visitors in jungle habitat; identifying wildlife, first-aid training, hospitality experience, experience with minor electrical, plumbing, solar or mechanical repairs.
Banner photo: Double rainbow at the Tapiche Reserve
© Deborah Chen