This workshop is open for people of all ages and backgrounds. However, due to the nature and location of the workshop, please consider the following before applying:

>The days spent with the research teams can be long (sometimes 6am - 6pm out in the field), fast paced and very draining (but incredibly rewarding!). You need to be in good shape to participate, with the ability to walk 2-3 miles a day and a desire to keep up with the ringing teams.

>The accommodation is basic; cold water and no electricity are the norm. As long as you enter with an open mind about this it adds to the charm and adventure of the course.

>The location of the lodge is reasonably remote, a 2½ hr journey in boat from the nearest town – Puerto Maldonado.

>Conditions in the rainforest are very humid (no shock there!), clothes take longer to dry, mould can take hold quickly and electrical equipment can be affected if it is not stored correctly.

>Mosquitoes and biting flies can be a nuisance at times, but are effectively kept at bay with long-sleeved shirts and long trousers/pants and liberal use of insect repellent placed on wrists, neck and clothing only to reduce any harm to birds.

The Amazon is a truly unique place and can offer the biologist and naturalist an amazing and unforgettable experience. If you enter it prepared with the right mindset, the issues above will seem a mere inconvenience compared with the experiences and memories you will take home with you. If you have concerns about any of the above, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss things with you.

The accommodation at the Explorer’s Inn is considered rustic, but comfortable. You will be sleeping in a shared (double) room with other members of the course. If you are travelling with a friend you can request to shareing a roombungalow with them. Each roombungalow has an en suite bathroom with a shower and western toilet. There is no electricity in the rooms and the showers are cold, but refreshing after a long day’s mist-netting in the forest. Rooms are provided with candles. The communal dining area and the auditorium have electricity during the evenings, powered by solar panels and a generator at times.

You will receive a continental breakfast and two filling three-course meals a day. There is a snack bar on site if you require any more food or drinks, and fresh fruit is available throughout the day free of charge in the dining room.

Treated drinking water is available throughout the day at the bar. You can also purchase bottled water or soft drinks from the bar.

The lodge’s chefs are happy to cater for vegetarians and vegans. They will also do their best to accommodate any other dietary requirements. Please let us know in advance if you have any special requirements.

The Amazon is full of wildlife for those who take the time to look for it. As the name suggests, wildlife is wild and frequently unpredictable, but the chances are that you will see many species of animal great and small during the course. Whilst walking along the many jungle trails at the lodge mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles will cross your path (both high and low), and don’t forget to peer using a flashlight into the many holes and crevices in the ground and amongst tree roots, as you may see something looking out at you! Exactly how many of the 599 species of birds recorded at Explorer’s Inn you will see is partly up to you and how many hours of birding you’d like to invest in the area.

The course takes place at the beginning of the dry season, but you will still encounter regular rain storms, every 3-4 days. Thus, come prepared with a rain poncho or good anorak and a pair of rubber boots as parts of the trail can become very muddy. The dry-season also brings with it a number of cold fronts, known locally as Friajes, where the temperature can drop to a humid 10 degrees Celsius! So also don’t forget to bring at least one warm sweatshirt and a pair of jeans or a warm pair of trousers/pants.

For full details please view our itinerary, which can be downloaded here. Lectures will take place for a few hours in the afternoons on most days. Practical classes will take place in the mornings and will generally be based on the themes introduced during the previous afternoon’s lectures. Most of these practical sessions will take place in the forest. The last couple of days (days 7 and 8) both morning and afternoon sessions will be spent in the forest, during which time the leaders and field coordinators will evaluate the progress made by each course participant.

Yes. The method most frequently used to catch fully-grown birds is the mist net. This is a fine net erected between poles, and is designed to catch birds in flight. This method is very effective, but birds can only be removed safely from mist-nets by experienced ringers/banders who have received special training.

The simple answer is no, if done properly. Ringing is carried out by skilled ringers/banders with the utmost consideration for the birds’ welfare. It is not surprising that the ring itself has little effect on birds because relative to the bird’s weight, wearing a ring is similar to a person carrying a mobile phone. It is essential that birds are not affected unduly by the fitting and wearing of a ring; if they were, ringing would not tell us how normal birds behave. Many studies have shown that ringed birds do not behave different from other non-ringed birds.

Darkness falls around 6 pm. On some evenings we will be going on night walks on the trails around the lodge, going on caiman searches by boat on the Tambopata River, listening to talks given by Fauna Forever researchers and Resident Naturalists, and other evenings will be free for you to decide what to do. The main dining room building, where the bar is also located, has solar-powered lighting during the evenings and is an ideal place where you can meet with other members of the course, visiting researchers and ecotourists, have a cold beer or cocktail, play a game of chess or cards or simply relax and read a book.

We limit the number of participants on each course to 15 people so that you will get the most from this experience. Most of the time participants will be split into 2 or 3 groups in order to receive more personalized attention from the course instructors. Group work will always be at the heart of the course, so expect to accomplish tasks in cooperation with your new found friends on the course.

You can fly to Puerto Maldonado from Lima or Cusco with any of two airlines that run scheduled services on a daily basis (LAN / Star Peru). If you are looking for a budget option you can take a bus from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado which takes around 15 hours!

We will meet you at the airport in Puerto Maldonado on your day of arrival and will arrange all the necessary transport to get you from the airport to the Explorer’s Inn lodge and back again. The trip from the airport to the lodge takes about 2½ hrs.

You are responsible for arranging your own visa to Peru. Please check whether you need to organise a visa in advance of arriving in Peru. Remember that your passport needs to be valid for at least further 6 months after you arrive. Having said that, it is our experience that citizens of most countries are issued with a tourist visa on entry to Peru, which is valid for at least 2 months.

In and Around Puerto Maldonado

> Serpentarium (a rescue centre for snakes and other reptiles)

> Amazon Shelter (an animal sanctuary and rehabilitation centre)

> Anaconda lodge (nice swimming pool, good Thai-based food, and a few domesticated monkeys swinging from the trees)

> Lake Sandoval (the largest oxbow lake in the Tambopata National Reserve, another great opportunity to see birds and giant river otters)

There is limited internet (via satellite) available at the lodge, though access to it will cost extra. No telephone or cellphone reception is available at the lodge. Puerto Maldonado has many internet cafes and you can make international telephone calls from here too.

There is a generator at the lodge which can be used for charging your batteries and powering your laptops and other electronic devices. The generator is available for charging during set times each day.

Electrical voltage at the lodge is 220V, so please bring a converter if required. Please see the following link for more info: http://treehouse.ofb.net/go/en/voltage/Peru

A yellow fever injection is required for travel to this area and should be given at least 10 days before travel. Go to your general practitioner or travel doctor and talk to them about this and other injections they recommend.

To the best of our knowledge there have been no cases of malaria contracted at the lodges, although a few cases of locals contracting malaria have been reported in Puerto Maldonado. Although the instructors and other leaders of the course do not take anti-malaria pills, we still strongly advise you to seek and follow the professional advice of your doctor. For more information on malaria and safe travel visit http://www.malariahotspots.co.uk or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office http://www.fco.gov.uk

Travel/medical insurance is required to take part in the course. You will need to arrange this ahead of time and provide us with a copy of your insurance details.

Once at the lodge the only place you can spend any money is at the bar or gift shop. Everything else will be provided for you and is included in the cost of the course. Therefore, allow some money for snacks and drinks at the bar, and for emergencies. If you plan to stick around in the Puerto Maldonado area after the course, then do bring extra funds for this.

There is a fee of US$ 10 for entering the Tambopata National Reserve. This goes towards managing the Reserve and funding rangers. This fee will be collected from you on your day of arrival. Airport tax in Puerto Maldonado is US$ 3, and thus insignificant. Apart from these there are no other additional costs involved in attending the course.

Trip extensions For those course participants interested in a post-course birding experience or two, Fauna Forever and CORBIDI can help arrange modestly-priced sidetrips and extensions to:

1) Paracas National Reserve (a shorebird and rocky-island birding paradise if ever there was one, including the option to look for Pacific pelagics);

2) Lomas de Lachay National Reserve (an oasis for birds located on the misty, western edge of the Andes about 100 km north of Lima);

3) Pantanos de Villa Reserved Zone (a wetland and Important Bird Area located a mere 40 minutes from downtown Lima which hosts numerous resident and migrant bird species);

4) Birds of Arequipa Andes, coastal wetlands and beaches (includes the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve, the Lagunas de Mejia National Sanctuary and the Arequipa Pacific ocena shoreline between Mejia and Moyendo;

5) Inambari cloud and elfin forest (a new birding destination accessed by highway from Puerto Maldonado).

Ask us also for our recommendations regarding trips to Cusco, Machu picchu, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa and dosens of other Peru tourism destinations.