Project details:
There are a variety of projects located around the country including national parks, turtles and community based eco-tourism projects. With the majority of the conservation projects we work alongside a local NGO that was founded in 1989 and are dedicated to volunteer work in protected wilderness areas.
Why the project needs volunteers:
One hundred years ago 14% of the worlds surface was rainforest, now this is about 7%. In Costa Rica the remaining tropical forest is disappearing by at least 520 square kms per year. However, about one-quarter of the country is under some form of official protection with the help of many volunteers each year. Turtle poaching is very common in Costa Rica and before the conservation projects started up the poaching rate was over 95% however this has now decrease to 10%.
What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
You must like the outdoors and be happy without any luxuries. You must be prepared to get involved in any activities required to the best of your ability and be prepared for some physically hard work. During the turtles projects you may be required to take part in night patrols and also work during the day and so this work can be very tiring. You will need to be flexible and be prepared to move around the country and stay in various types of accommodation.
Your role as a volunteer:
All volunteers unless specified will be placed in at least one turtle project during your time in Costa Rica You will partake in a rotation and spend approximately 10 days to 2 weeks at each project. In the turtle project depending on the project you may get involved in night beach patrols, clearing the beach, preparing hatcheries, collecting nesting turtles eggs and general maintenance work. Within the national parks you could be involved in maintenance work, reforestation, community farming initiatives, and clearing trails amongst others. Generally the turtles seasons are from January to July on the Caribbean coast and July to December on the pacific coast. However the research has shown evidence of turtles in the Nicoya area all year round. You will work 6 days a week and have one day off throughout the week to be decided with the project host.
Where the project is based:
You will be in one or more of the many national parks in Costa Rica, including Barra Honda, Ballena National Marine Park, Tortuguero, Carara Biologcal Reserve, Cabo Blanco Absolute, Gandoca Manzanillo. You will be in very basic accommodation and must be prepared to have no running or hot water, basic food and no electricity. You will not have access to internet or international telephone but will be able to get to a local town for these during weekends. You will need to arrive into San Jose Santa Maria (SJO) airport on your arrival date.
