Lattitude placements suit individuals with a can-do attitude who are willing to make the most of their placement and above all enjoy it. Lattitude's volunteers must be ready for hard work but also great rewards.

For applicants from the UK, we have a number of bursary schemes available for volunteers from a variety of backgrounds.

Our bursary scheme and funded placement projects reduce the barrier of cost for young people experiencing financial problems. They are designed to help young people who would not otherwise be able to afford to go.

You can choose to do work in conservation or in permaculture. The conservation placements are in a natural reserve in the Atlantic coast, which is also an experimental base for research with turtles and an advanced outpost for research on Atlantic forest biosphere.

The project area was originally covered in rain forest and, at some point, deforested for small scale but since being bought by the current owner, it has been replanted. Work involves monitoring sea turtle movements along the beaches, looking after the exhibition areas, collecting seeds, planting them, watering them and looking after them, keeping records on germination etc., keeping the gardens in shape, clearing trails, accompanying British, Dutch and Scandinavian tourists around the nature trails and undertaking environmental education in local schools, together with Brazilian volunteers.

There is all work in restoring the botanical garden and record keeping, eg. Meteorological data, rainfall etc.

Another placement is with a non-governmental organisation working in permaculture. The project aims to teach and demonstrate permaculture and to apply this information in the construction of a prototype ecological village. While they aim for an appropriate mix of academia and fun, please be aware that this is not Eco Disneyland. It may help to think of it as living/working permaculture construction site.

Volunteers help with daily chores, such as keeping the centre looking, smelling, and feeling good. Each member participates in the daily chores. The chore rotation is a key aspect of running the community and connecting with people from the valley. The centre is constantly evolving and testing methods of sustainable living. Duties will include assisting with cooking, preparing breakfast, animal husbandry, planting and looking after plants and harvesting seeds/fruits.

There is building and construction work to be done using a variety of sustainable methods and local materials.

Few Brasilians speak English, so there is a compulsory week’s introduction to Portuguese in Sao Paulo.

0845 344 7500

Lattitude Global Volunteering has placed over 25,000 17- 25 year olds in volunteer projects since 1977. We are passionately concerned about the issues facing us all in the world and about the positive impact on the communities in which we volunteer. Lattitude is an organisation with attitude. Responsible, exciting, different...