Field Course Peru: Prima­tology

In order to apply for the programme you need to be at least 18 years old and have sufficient English skills. Furthermore, you should be physically fit – therefore, we need a doctor’s certificate about your state of health and your vaccination record. Moreover, you need to be interested in nature and species conservation, eager to acquire new knowledge and willing to adapt to the schedule of wildlife. You must be open-minded, flexible and a team player. You might need a visa for your journey, depending on the duration of your stay. You should check out the foreign department’s website for the visa standards or ask the Natucate team directly. Last but not least, you must make sure to have valid travel health insurance before departing to Peru.

Prior to your departure we will support you during your preparation and help you choose reliable travel insurance. We will also help you arrange the flights and visa application. Transportation within the programme as well as the transfer from and to the airport is also included (an exception is the optional transfer from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco during the course “Ornithology”). Furthermore, your accommodation and food during the programme will be provided. Your accommodation is equipped with sanitary facilities and you will be provided with mosquito nets, pillows/blankets, bed sheets and – in most cases – towels as well as safe drinking water. Depending on the accommodation you will have access to electricity (in the evenings) and wifi. You can always contact us during your stay if you have questions or if there are problems. Moreover, you will be instructed and taught by experienced staff members that you can also talk to anytime.

Our general advice is: talk to your doctor and see what vaccinations he/she suggests. It is advised to be vaccinated against diphtheria, morbilli, mumps and rubella (MMR), hepatitis A and B. In case of injuries it is also advised to be vaccinated against tetanus and also vaccinations against typhoid and yellow fever should be considered. As you will be working with wildlife on a regular basis you need to be vaccinated against rabies to participate in the programme. Please also talk to your doctor about malaria and leishmaniasis, as there is a certain risk for Peru travellers. Last but not least, the chiggers are other common troublemakers. There are different prevention and treatment methods. Our team at Natucate is also happy provide you with more information – in the end, you always need to talk to a doctor, though. For current information and warnings regarding your destination you should check out the homepage of the foreign department. Pages like the CDC also provide more detailed information and advice. Last but not least, you must get travel health insurance before departing to Peru.

You will be spending a lot of time outside – that’s why you should consider packing light, comfortable clothing which can get dirty and most importantly: dries fast. As you will spend lots of time in the jungle each day, you will need a backpack, water bottle, a wristwatch with timer, insect repellent and binoculars (except for the photography courses). Furthermore, we advise you to pack a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and maybe also a pocketknife. You should also pack a rain jacket in natural colours, a sturdy pair of rubber (knee-high) boots and optional hiking boots, long sleeved shirts, as well as a pair of long pants to protect you from mosquitos. We also suggest packing a laptop, cell phone, an additional towel and zip lock bags to keep your belongings dry. For the time in the camp you should also bring shorts as well as sandals or slippers for inside. Keep in mind that it be quite cold in certain regions/season so bring some warm clothing as well. Since you have to wash your clothes by yourself you should also take some biodegradable detergent with you. Before your departure you should also pack a personal first-aid-kit with enough medication that you need on a regular basis and to treat common complaints (like headaches, medication for digestive or stomach problems, lotions for mosquito bites etc.) and to care for smaller wounds.

Photography workshops: If you participate in one of our photography workshops, you will need a DSLR camera, raw editing software, rain protection (for camera gear and person) and hard drives to store imagery and footage.

We will support you during the planning process before your departure to Peru. Nevertheless, you will have to book your flight(s) to Puerto Maldonado International Airport on your own. Once you arrived, you will be picked up and taken directly to your field station or to a hostel in Puerto Maldonado where you will stay the first night, depending on the course. After the night at the hostel you will take a cab to Laberinto. From there you will go on a boat trip on the Madre de Dios River until you reach the research station after several hours.

Here you can find a short description of different topics and what you will be doing in the different nature courses in Peru.

Primatology: In this course, you will track primate species and groups, observe their behaviour to support long-term studies, take samples to monitor the health of the animals and enter data into a database. Experienced scientists will be by your side at all times to pass on their valuable theoretical and practical expertise. You will be trained in the basic knowledge of rain forest navigation and orientation as well as its corresponding safety measurements. Furthermore, you will gain theoretical knowledge through scientific literature in the fields of tropical biology and conservation work. During the practical work you will gather experiences in the behavioral science of primates, learn to handle the animals and get an insight into the diversity of the Peruvian primates as well as telemetry and the analysis of generated data.

Ornithology: This course will give you the chance to explore the diverse avifauna of the Amazon region as well as their ecology and habitat. Students participating in this course will learn a variety of approaches to gain a deeper understanding about bird behavior, their population dynamics and the habitat quality as well as about telemetry, taxonomy, ecology and conservation methods. Most of the time will be spent in field activities, complemented by theoretical lectures about conservation work, (local) ornithology as well as tropical ecosystem in general. This is intended to foster an interest in conducting scientific research, with a special focus on developing analytical skills relevant to tropical biology.

Herpetology: In this course, participants will develop an understanding of the natural history, anatomy, ecology, and conservation of neotropical reptiles and amphibians. They will additionally examine the roles of chemicals in herpetological studies, focusing on defense, food capture, aboriginal use, and modern pharmacology. Moreover, students will learn about different field-research methods such as telemetry and implementation of field studies. There will be a focus on practical work during daytime and nightly lectures which convey theoretical knowledge.

Entomology: The course covers the work with insects ranging from butterflies to beetles, bees, and aquatic insects, among others. Students will be introduced to an astonishing array of terrestrial and aquatic habitats that shelter a greater diversity of plant and animal species than anywhere else on the planet. You will spend most of our time studying insects in the field from the tops of towering tropical trees to the bottom of oxbow lakes. Our field activities will be supplemented by selected readings from the primary literature covering topics on theoretical and applied tropical biology and entomology, as well as conservation in the Andes and Amazon regions. Participants will also gain experience in cutting-edge research in other tropical biology fields in one of the most active biological research stations in the neotropics.

Tropical Biology: This course is intended to provide an introduction and broad overview of Amazon forest ecology and conservation, with a taxonomic focus on plants and a geographic focus on the Madre de Dios basin in southeastern Peru. The overarching theme is the incredible biodiversity of Amazon rainforests, the key factors and processes underlying its creation and maintenance, and the impact of anthropogenic disturbance on these critically important forest ecosystems. Classroom-style lectures will complement extensive field-based activities and interpretation, and individual and group projects.

Primates Genomics: This course aims at gaining more specific information about the wildlife population in the Amazonian habitat to better understand and encode behavior and physiology. During your time in the project you will assist with sample collection and extract, amplify, sequence and interpret genetic data by yourself to support the field research about wildlife ecology and natural history. As the genetic lab is located directly in the rainforest you will be able to experience the whole range of tasks from sample collection to the analyzing sequence data. Your tasks depend on the project you are researching as well as the phase of the project and will be assigned to you.

Photography workshops: The goal of these workshops extends beyond just the techniques that will enable you to get better shots under tough conditions, but also to convey the natural history of what you are shooting. Photography is a highly evocative art form with immense potential to increase knowledge and appreciation of the world’s incredible biodiversity. Your photos can tell stories when words alone fail, and for this workshop, your stories will be about the complex tropical ecology of the Amazon Basin. During the day you’ll be watching wildlife in the rainforest, while the evenings are for discussions as well as using our guides and resources to identify the species that you have seen. We offer three different photography workshops in Peru, they focus on Field Photography, Macro Photography or Arboreal Camera Trapping. No matter, which one you choose – you will always be guided and instructed by an experienced, professional wildlife photographer.

The field course programmes are limited to twelve participants.

The photography workshops consist of around ten participants.

In the jungle you always have to pay attention and be aware of possible risks. The group leaders know what to do and when you need to be extra cautious. In general, you don’t have to worry too much. Dangerous or poisonous animals don’t often come too close to humans and generally only react aggressive when they are attacked. It is still important that you listen to instructions and follow the rules.

In each of our courses you will stay in one or more research stations, located in the Amazonian rain forest in Peru. Before and after the course you might spend one night at a hostel in Puerto Maldonado – depending on the course you chose. In each research station you will sleep in shared dormitories/rooms and use shared bathrooms.
Each station also provides a dining area, classrooms and sometimes even a laboratory and a library.

You will be provided with three balanced meals daily. You will dine together with the other participants in the stations’ dining area. Usually there will be a lot of rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, but it always depends on the season. Throughout the day you can always get additional snacks like cookies and crackers as well as coffee, tea or hot chocolate, or bring your own ones if you want to. In case you need to spend one night in Puerto Maldonado before/after the course (as part of the programme) you will receive breakfast in the hostel; but need to organise all other meals during that time in Puerto Maldonado.

The food is balanced enough to be able to follow a vegetarian diet. A vegan or gluten free diet is not that easy. Please inform us beforehand of any diet you request.

During the field course programmes you won’t have a lot of leisure time as each day will be used extensively to show you the Peruvian rain forest. However, you usually have some free time in the afternoon or in the evening hours.

You can use your leisure time to connect with other participants or to relax a little and recharge your batteries. We also recommend taking some books, card/board games or other small recreational items with you. The station also has a library.

There will always be supervisor on site who help you in case of problems and answer your questions. You can also contact the team at Natucate 24/7.

In general, there won’t be a lot of expenses for you during the project, since food, accommodation and transport is taken care off. You might need extra money for meals, transfers and trips before/after the project, additional snacks and beverages or souvenirs. The currency is the Peruvian Sol (Nuevo Sol). You can exchange and withdraw cash easily at the airport. You can also find ATMs in most of the cities. You should make sure you can withdraw money with your bank card in foreign countries before coming to Peru and maybe also consider bringing a second for more security. For emergencies we advise you to take about 200 Soles with you.

In most of the research stations there will be (slow/limited) internet available. You can take your cell phone or laptop with you to occasionally connect with family and friends. Internet doesn’t work all the time and is rather slow – that’s why you might want to get a Peruvian prepaid card. The mobile network we recommend is called "Claro".

The weather in the Peruvian jungle is usually quite nice and warm with temperatures between 12-24 °C, depending on the course site. Between May and July you might experience cold weather fronts called friajes. During that time, temperatures might drop to 8-12 °C. Pack something warm, especially for the night, since the buildings are only made of wood.

Yes, it is prohibited to consume alcohol during the programme.

Yes, after successfully completing course you will receive a certificate of participation. In some cases your university will give you credit for the programme – you should reach out to your university and ask for information.