If you’ve ever wondered how many fresh-off-the-plane, pasty faced English people it takes to notice that their trekking buddy has a tarantula on his back, I can reveal that it’s six. But that was in week one before our jungle training, and by week four we were all bronzed, lithe jungle bushmen; perfectly in tune with the rhythm of the forest, constantly alert and aware of every one of its splendid inhabitants. In fact, three or four of my team mates weren’t in the least surprised to receive playful nips from scorpions that had lodged in their boots during the night. And I was actively expecting the troupe of bullet ants the size of small puppies that re-routed along my hammock strings just before bed time one happy evening.

But enough about the good times. This was serious conservation work and we had just 8 weeks to build a 90sqft rangers’ station completely from scratch for the Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve. With Trekforce there is no option of not completing the project and we worked hard to get it finished. And it’s still standing today, working as a vehicle checkpoint for monitoring traffic through the reserve.

I had been looking for an adventurous wildlife conservation project for my gap year. Somewhere exciting and different that was part of a real conservation effort – not just a project to keep gappers busy for 6 weeks. So when I eventually opened my inbox to an email from Trekforce, headed ‘Amazon Rainforest!’ it was a real eureka moment. It had it all; remote, exciting, unusual and jolly well in need of conserving!

It was only six months later and with a fortnight to go before D-day that I really began to consider the implications of my decision. I mean, two months with no hair straighteners. Really? Feeling my resolve weaken I tried to think what David Attenborough would do. I decided he’d probably go to the jungle and take his chances with the frizz, so that’s what I did.

And to date it’s still the best decision that I’ve ever made. In those two months I learnt from jungle experts how to live in one of the world’s most extreme and potentially hostile environments with no more than what I could carry on my back. I contributed to ground breaking international conservation efforts in one of the planets most biologically diverse regions. I went to sleep every night in a hammock under the jungle canopy to the echoing sound of howler monkey calls. I saw animals that may well never have been seen by people before. I pushed myself physically harder than I ever had. And I couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of the Trekforce leaders and guides who went above and beyond to take us where no volunteers had ever gone before!

Find out how you can embark on your own adventure at the Trekforce website.