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FreeWildlifeBrazil Celine
FreeWildlifeBrazil Celine primarily focuses on the release of native birds and will monitor their progress after reintroduction. The Release Center, with a management area of 4 hectares, is situated in the municipality of Iporanga on the Betary Reserve. We have partnered with IPBio- Biodiversity Research Institute to develop a joint volunteer program.
FreeWildlifeBrazil Celine was founded by the couple Martine Schmid-Fiorini and Pedro Schmid, both Swiss veterinarians, who worried about the fate of the wild animals coming from the illegal traffic and seized by local authorities. In an improvised installation at their residence in Iporanga, they began to care for wild animals, enabling their return to nature. Their activities attracted attention and gained recognition in the region by the local population, as well as by environmental authorities. Thus, familiar with the necessary care and the requirements for the release of wild animals, they founded FreeWildlife Brazil Celine in the Atlantic Forest.
FreeWildlifeBrazil Celine brings volunteers from across the world together to support the conservation of birds in the Atlantic Forest and to combat the illigal trade of wildlife. Brazil has over 38 million species which need to be protected. By combining the skills and ideas of volunteers all over de world, we can do everything that is in our power to reach this goal.
Volunteer Roles
Fruit tree Mapping Inventory
You will help us to: create a map with the positions of the fruit trees in the management area; check when their fruiting period starts and ends; do research about which bird species like which fruit tree species; collect native seeds. With this information, we can better assess where to release the birds as we can direct them towards a food source. Moreover, these birds are tagged and monitored after their reintroduction to the wild to ensure they are adapting well and therefore identifying fruit trees in the area will increase the likelihood of finding the bird to monitor their progress.
Release Center Maintenance
This role is perfect for people who like gardening and don’t mind getting their hands dirty. We have a management area of 4 hectares, which needs maintenance. You will help with maintaining the grounds, gardening and support in our vegetable patches on which we grow the food for the animals. Also you can help us to collect native seeds for our native seedling production. We will use these native seedlings to plant more fruit trees on the reserve so there is plenty of food for the animals which are being released.
Photographer and Videographer
Are you interested or experienced with photography and/or producing videos? Create short documentaries about the birds we release exposing the horrific illegal trade of animals as well as recounting the process of their rescue and their release back into the wild at Celine. Create videos to promote the volunteer program by interviewing volunteers and filming their exciting weekend activities. In addition, you can help us by expanding our wildlife database of photos and videos on flora and fauna of the Atlantic Forest.
Communications
Volunteers can help us raising international awareness about our organization and the illegal trade of birds by improving our website and social media; seeking partners for our organization; developing presentations and pamphlets and writing grants to fund our projects and purchase equipment.
Website Developer
FreeWildlife Brazil Celine is looking for a web developer to add new content (such as a section with independent pages describing our projects); add new features to our website; improve the aesthetics; and organize the website structure.
All Volunteers Will
All volunteers are expected to participate in our animal Inventory. During your work at the organization there is a good chance you will encounter wildlife. All volunteer are expected to support in our fauna monitoring whereby sighting of wildlife should be noted and hopefully photographed in an attempt to identify species living in the area. It is important to know what birds are already on the reserve to understand the natural competition they will face as well as inventory their predators such as the oncilla.
Videos
