Reforestation Volunteer in Rio: Planting Trees at the Tijuca Rainforest
Rio Lacraide moving rocks in the river
If you enjoy the outdoors consider working as an environmental volunteer in Rio de Janeiro. You can choose to help conserve the city’s forest or grow vegetables in a community organic garden in one of Rio’s favelas.
From nature conservation projects to urban renewal, there are many environmental tasks in Rio. Therefore, IKPVA has built partnerships with a range of NGOs and social projects.
Volunteering as part of these environmental projects is helping to protect Rio’s breathtaking landscape. Together with local residents, you can grow vegetables and salads in the organic garden of the Favela. While working in the garden, you can both help to provide the residents and with healthy vegetables as well as donating fruits for the local crèches.
Tijuca National Forest: The World’s largest Urban Forest
You can volunteer with the reforestation project at The Tijuca National Forest, the world’s largest urban forest. While you are volunteering on this project, you will be helping in the tree nursery, in order to prepare trees for planting. But there is more, what you can do:
counting species of tropical trees and typical plants
planting trees
opening and cleaning hiking trails in the forest
cutting branches,
painting fences / signals,
among other activities.
See First Hand the Ecological Challenges that Rio faces…
Destiny
Volunteering with the environmental program gave me the opportunity to see first hand the ecological challenges that Rio faces and make a difference myself while also having the chance to witness the incredible beauty of the city and parks as I was doing it! I also loved the independence that Iko Poran gave me! – Destiny
Planting Trees as a Reforestation Volunteer in Rio
So far I have had a wonderful experience volunteering in Rio de Janeiro with Iko Poran’s Urban Environmentalism program. I am half way through my two-month stay in Rio and I already know that it will be a very valuable experience for me.
The project consists of work in Tijuca National Park and at a large community garden in a favela, where they grow almost every sort of common vegetable in Brazil. The people I work with in the communities are all incredibly kind and welcoming, not to mention they are doing work that makes a big difference for themselves and the environment. – Elisa
Experience working at the Community Garden
In the mornings I worked in an ecological garden that provided food to the poorest families in the community and to the local school, and in the afternoons I helped in what they call “the library”, which is a space where children from the neighborhood come to hang around playing, drawing, painting or learning English.
The best part of the gardening project was meeting the people who work there: nice, friendly and welcoming people, who quickly opened the door of their home to me and their hearts. – Paulina Dañino
Magnificent Landscapes in Rio
Rio de Janeiro boasts one of the most magnificent contrasting landscapes in the world. It stands out for the cascading forests on massive mountains adjacent to a world-class city. However, this contrast isn’t always mutually beneficial, as many of Rio’s treasured green spaces are damaged by urban sprawl.
As a volunteer for an environmental program you can help to support and develop some of the most precious natural spaces. Moreover, you will also help in a community vegetable garden and experiencing favela life.
Projects in Rio de Janeiro Brazil start on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Participants on our volunteer in Brazil programs should arrive on Sundays. You can choose to volunteer from 3 to 24 weeks
Orientation
Orientation takes place on Monday after the arrival date.
Fees and what is included with the volunteer program
The program fee is paid directly to the host organization.
All of the projects incur a registration fee of U$ 149.00 on top of the program fee.
What is included in the volunteer in Brazil program fee?
Airport Pickup
Orientation plus tour in the area including some tourist sites
Accommodation for all projects
Breakfast
Support from local staff & Program supervision
In-country 24/7 support throughout your stay
In-country administration costs
Donation to support the local project
There are no hidden costs. These projects are the most affordable to volunteer in Brazil.
Iko Poran is an NGO based in a developing country. We are dedicated to helping you help others, at the lowest possible price. We are interested in making volunteering abroad more accessible so that more people can help do really important work.
Participants in our Brazil programs normally find US$150 to be sufficient for weekly expenses in the country.
The program fee should be paid to the host country and it is due 30 days before the project start date.
When you plan to stay during the New Years Eve in Rio as a volunteer in Brazil, you are required to pay a surcharge of U$ 100 to cover accommodation premium prices from Dec 29 to January 2nd.
Carnival in 2019 is from March 1st to 9th. If the duration of your program in Brazil includes the Carnival week in Rio, you have to pay a surcharge of US$ 200 to cover accommodation premium prices during this period. Note that all projects will be closed during the Carnival.
Accommodation & Meals
As a volunteer in Brazil you will be staying in a happy and charming Hostel located on the lower part of Santa Teresa neighborhood.
The hostel has many leisure areas, free Wi-Fi everywhere, and laundry service. Breakfast is provided and there is a fully equipped kitchen that volunteers can use to prepare other meals. All rooms have lockers (just bring your own lock).
The house has 3 floors. On the first floor there is the reception where you can always find a friendly face, a large living/TV room, a veranda with a bar and tables to chill out, a big kitchen with a dinning area next to it, a big dinning table, and even a music room; if you play any instrument you are welcome to bring it along and/ or play with the instruments that the hostel already has.
On the second floor there are the shared dorms where our volunteers and other guests stay, and bathrooms. And on the third floor there are private rooms available at an extra fee.
The hostel tries to book one room exclusively for the volunteers. However, when this room is full, we accommodate volunteers in other rooms.
All services, such as supermarkets, drugstores, banks (ATMs), bars & restaurants, delis, fruit store, bus stops, and others are literally 5 minutes walking distance
The metro station to get to Ipanema, Copacabana and other areas is only 15 minutes walking distance. Volunteers stay in a peaceful oasis right “next door“ to the most vibrant and picturesque area of Rio de Janeiro.
Lapa is Rio’s buzzing nightlife spot with lively bars, pumping nightclubs and street parties that last all night. Lapa attracts foreigners and locals every weekend to drink caipirinhas and dance out some moves with many varieties of music playing. Whilst at night it comes alive, during the day it is a quiet neighborhood where you can wander the winding streets and visit the tourist sites and small bars.
The neighborhood Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro
Santa Teresa is a bohemian area with an intense cultural life. The charming neighborhood stands out for its unusual architecture. Enjoy a trip with the hundred and ten years old tram which still runs through its winding cobbled streets!
A residential sanctuary in the heartbeat of the Mata Atlantica (Tijuca National Park), the world’s largest urban subtropical rainforest, it provides access to the Christ statue of Corcovado as well as to the city centre, Sambodromo (where the samba schools compete during Carnival) and the city´s beautiful beaches.
Santa Teresa prides itself of the atmosphere reminiscent of that of a small town, and also enchants visitors with its panoramic views. Moreover, Santa Teresa offers a variety of options for eating local dishes to international cuisine.
Requirements
You must be at least 18 years old at the start of your placement.
All volunteers must have adequate volunteer travel insurance and are required to provide a criminal background check to local staff on arrival in Brazil or during orientation.
Language Requirements
Knowledge of basic Portuguese is desired but not a pre-requisite. You will already learn a lot practising in your project where nobody speaks good English, but if you would like to speed up your learning we recommend that you take advantage of a very affordable 20 hours Portuguese course taught at your accommodation for only U$ 180.
Safety
You will have a competent support and advices from the local team and project leaders. Someone will always be available in the case of any emergency. Please keep in mind that you are in a different country and should take some precautions to avoid exposing yourself to certain risks.
The local coordinators will give you all the information to have a safe and unforgettable experience. We are based in Brazil and have been receiving approximately 400 volunteers per year since 2003 and we never had any major problem.
Moreover, volunteers can do valuable work on community development in Rio, in order to improve the living conditions of the residents of the favelas.
You can also bring your artistic talents and do workshops as an arts volunteer. Finally, volunteers can participate in the preparations for Carnival at a Samba School in Rio de Janeiro.
More Volunteer Opportunities with Environmental Protection
As a volunteer in Brazil you will be staying in a happy and charming Hostel located on the lower part of Santa Teresa neighborhood.
instrument you are welcome to bring it along and/ or play with the instruments that the hostel already has.
The metro station to get to Ipanema, Copacabana and other areas is only 15 minutes walking distance. Volunteers stay in a peaceful oasis right “next door“ to the most vibrant and picturesque area of Rio de Janeiro.
subtropical rainforest, it provides access to the Christ statue of Corcovado as well as to the city centre, Sambodromo (where the samba schools compete during Carnival) and the city´s beautiful beaches.
