Our Autumn Exped team have hit the 1 month mark! We couldn’t be prouder of all their hard work this last week, volunteering at Inti Wara Yassi’s wildlife sanctuary, Park Ambue Ari. It definitely hasn’t been easy for them! The team have been helping to construct a management cage for rescued puma Leo and helping to control the destruction of forest fires, so it’s been a week of long days and hard work in difficult conditions- and they’re still smiling! Awesome job team!

Big thanks to their team leader, Karen, for the following update of what the team have been doing since arriving at the park.

Collecting Materials

We spent a few days carrying rocks and sand through a 10 minute long jungle trail, to our construction site.

Muscles!

Digging for Posts

We then dug some holes 80 cm deep for our posts and went into the local town Santa Maria to collect the posts and frame. They were being welded there as the town has electricity.

All smiles!

The group have worked so well and so hard. All materials are carried out on our backs and it’s been hot and humid. Even when they were too tired to talk, they just kept putting one foot in front of the other to get everything out there!

Team digging posts

Forest Fires

Unfortunately we’ve had forest fires in the park since Friday. The fires are due to a very dry, dry-season and the park’s neighbours slash and burning.

Ed however has been an absolute superstar using his Spanish skills from Sucre to work with the Bolivian construction team and the fire brigade from Santa Cruz.

Ed working with fire-brigade

Lauren helped guard the fire trail and put out any small spot fires with some volunteers- and tried to escape to incessant bugs!

Guarding the jungle trails

Whilst Rosa and Emily helped to get our big cats and camp animals fed and cleaned.

Feeding time!

Thankfully all volunteers and animals are fine and the fire is now under control and we hope burning out.

With the forest fires now controlled, the volunteers should get to enjoy two weeks taking care of the rescued resident animals, including jaguars, pumas, ocelots and monkeys.
Want to make a difference too? Check out the expedition in full and apply here: