placements

Here you can check what sort of placements are available.

Resident Naturalist           
A Resident Naturalist (RN) is often a graduate of the environmental or social sciences who undertakes all manner of environmental, social and education tasks under the leadership and tutelage of the administrator or research coordinator at a host lodge or research station. Common tasks include maintenance of trails, updating information displays and local guide books, developing and presenting evening talks to visitors, language and natural history training for local tour guides, and so forth. The list of tasks depends on the lodge or research station hosting the placement. An RN is frequently expected to devote between 1 and 6 months of their time to the placement. Some RN placements are free, where the host covers all accommodation, food and local transport costs. Some hosts require minimal levels of payment to cover basic maintenance costs. Resident Naturalists frequently go on to post-graduate education and return as principal researchers or field assistants (see below). Many have gone on to work in environmental consultancy

 Principal Researcher        
A Principal Researcher (PR) is the individual responsible for leading a research initiative in the field, and frequently oversees the work of research assistants (see below) and other personnel. In many cases, PRs have a good idea of the research theme they want to pursue, but are unsure of the best location to undertake it. Occasionally, lodges and research stations identify priority research themes or questions and seek PRs to help develop and implement a field research project to address these. PRs tend to be graduate or undergraduate students interested in fulfilling their own research thesis priorities, or lecturers and professors in higher education looking to establish long-term field projects for their own professional reasons and/or as a mechanism for involving and training their students. Principal Researchers are expected to cover transport, accommodation, food and other costs associated with their stay at a lodge or research station. Costs vary depending on location and duration of stay.
 
Research Assistant           
A Research Assistant (RA) is often a graduate or undergraduate of the environmental or social sciences interested in joining an established field research team with the aim of gaining valuable field experience through hands-on participation. Occasionally, data collected by a research assistant may be utilised to fulfil thesis research requirements. Research Assistants are expected to cover transport, accommodation, food and other costs associated with their stay at a lodge or research station. Costs vary depending on location and duration of stay.
 
Tour Guide          
A Tour Guide (TG) is an individual with language skills, natural history knowledge and relevant experience sufficient to lead tourist groups around the rainforest. Tour Guides are often graduates of the environmental or tourism sciences who choose a placement in order to gain further experience and to specialise in rainforest environments. Several lodges offer tour guide training courses.
 
Tour Guide Assistant
A Tour Guide Assistant (TGA) is an individual interested in gaining experience in the rainforest ecotourism industry by assisting established tour guides who mentor them. Many TGAs undertake this sort of placement to determine whether tour guiding is where they want their careers to go. Several lodges offer tour guide training courses.

Skills share
People with a specialist skill, such as photography or Geographic Information Systems (GIS), willing to share their knowledge are occasionally required by lodges, research stations and established research teams to help accomplish their respective aims. Relevant equipment is usually supplied by the specialist.