Posted By: Jennifer
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I spent two weeks on the Animal Rescue and Conservation Program in San Carlos in the summer of 2012. San Carlos is a beautiful rural part of Costa Rica; it is much quieter and less busy than San José. I stayed with a host family who were extremely accommodating and kind!
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Posted By: Hannah G.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day we chose different tasks ranging from preparing a rich meal of fruits and vegetables for the various animals and supplying them with water to cleaning their cages and babysitting infant orphaned sloths and monkeys.
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Posted By: Shantelle P.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day we chose different tasks ranging from preparing a rich meal of fruits and vegetables for the various animals and supplying them with water to cleaning their cages and babysitting infant orphaned sloths and monkeys.
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Posted By: Jessica
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It is an incredible experience and definitely a dirty job! I loved every second of it and wished I would have stayed longer. When I was there they were transitioning to a new location which had bigger rooms and a lot more space for the animals!
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Posted By: Kelsey M.
#Costa Rica,#Education,#Community Aid,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development,#Central America
The Costa Rica volunteer experience was nothing like I expected, and I had an amazing time. I met friends and worked with people
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Posted By: Bailey
#Costa Rica,#Education,#Community Aid,#Central America,#Community Aid and Development
When my plane landed in San José, I was as nervous as I was excited. It was my first time traveling on my own, and I had no idea what to expect fro the. However, after five minutes of talking to the driver from the Teaching and Social Work program in San José, an incredibly friendly man full of stories about his city and himself, I forgot to be nervous. My host family matched his friendliness; my host mother was always willing to work with my level of Spanish...
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Posted By: Emily M.
#CostaRica,#Education,#Volunteer with Children,#Central America,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
The second place that I volunteered was at the Escuela Granadilla Norte. At this school, I volunteered as aid in a kindergarten classroom. I felt incredibly welcome and at home as I volunteered at the school. The teachers there were very sweet and willing to speak slowly to me in Spanish to help me understand things. I learned a lot about the culture and language in Costa Rica from the teachers at the school as I helped out in the classroom.
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Posted By: Breana
#Costa Rica,#Education,#Community Aid,#Central America,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
There were people from all over the world. We had an orientation, took an oral exam and then were assigned our class.The classes had 4-5 people in them for a better learning experience. In addition, the school offered dance class, cooking class, and extra conversation classes.
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Posted By: Alexis
#Costa Rica,#Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Everyday, something new and exciting would make that day the best day ever. Being waken up by the sound of screaming monkeys in the morning, walking in jungles and seeing dozens and dozens or wild green parakeets in the trees, discovering the sweet taste of Tamarindos and all the other delicious fruits and wonders the trees and vegetation have to offer, seeing baby turtles dig themselves out of the sand and run to the ocean – the list never ends.
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Posted By: Whitney J.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I’ve never been a morning person, so rising at 3am didn’t seem appealing at first, but the morning patrol was always my favorite. At least during my time on the project, the morning patrols were much more active. Baby turtles were hatching from their nests, and we helped them down to the ocean so they could avoid beach predators. Only 1 in every 1000 turtles lives to adulthood, so saving those that actually hatched, from a beach massacre was important!
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Posted By: Sam
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Before I volunteered with Gnarly Troop in Costa Rica last summer I was on the fast track to law school and to becoming a lawyer. However, my experience at the Costa Rica – Sea Turtle Conservation project, helping sea turtles on the Pacific Coast, has changed that forever. I am no longer interested in limiting my life to domestic law, but have broadened my horizons to consider the entire world!
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Posted By: Lior
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
At night we would patrol the beach and look for sea turtles that had come ashore to lay eggs. Once our eyes adjusted to the dark it became easier to spot the silhouettes of turtles and large logs blocking our path. We had to look at the sand carefully and try to find turtle tracks so we could follow them and find the eggs. We would mark where the eggs were on the beach or move them to a safe place. This was nature at its best!
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Posted By: Cassie R.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Seeing the turtles in their natural habitat was a truly amazing experience. Watching them crawl up to the same beach they were born on to lay their own nests was awe-inspiring and I really loved collecting data to ensure their continued survival and protection.
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Posted By: Rodrigo C.
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The beach there is excellent for people who like to surf on their down time. The beach itself is beautiful because you can see the ocean intact without ships or oil rigs to ruin the view. The vegetation is so lush that every time you step onto the beach you enjoy a very rustic and prestigious view that many people could only dream of.
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Posted By: Lindsay M.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
At night, the stars and moon were so bright we didn’t need flashlights and the waves glowed yellow from plankton. The next three weeks were filled with hard work during the day (building the hatchery, cleaning the beach, maintaining the land) and beach patrols at night. We collected eggs from and tagged six turtles in my time. We had each weekend off and would travel to nearby beaches. We were given breaks throughout the day and would spend them exercising, relaxing on the beach and playing games.
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Posted By: Denisse
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
I learned how to stop worrying about unimportant things that take up most of my time, I met amazing people, I saved over 400 turtle eggs and released over 150 baby ones, and I had the time of my life.
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Posted By: Marie L.
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Central America
This trip was sincerely dreamlike. I loved every bit of it.The organism is really efficient and quick to answer when you have any questions. The trips from the airports and schools or to the projects are well organized so you don’t have to worry. The welcome from your local family is warm and kind. You will never lack anything with them.
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Posted By: Cassie W.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The night shifts were absolutely magical; if there were turtles to release we would take them to the ocean. This was a very special and beautiful moment, showing the hatchlings their way back home.
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Posted By: Lauren
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My time volunteering in Costa Rica was truly amazing and it’s hard to sum it up into a few short paragraphs. I would definitely travel back one day, and I recommend this program and trip to anyone hoping to travel!
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Posted By: Alexa
#Costa Rica,#Community Aid,#Education,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#International Internships,#Volunteer with Children
When I visited there were 12 kids there and we played all morning on the playground, with sidewalk chalk, doing puzzles, etc. I think I had just as much fun playing as the kids did.
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Posted By: Maria P.
#Belize,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
It was an amazing experience; I definitely gained a new perspective and more awareness of the issues humans and other animals are doing to the ecosystem. I would recommend it to anyone looking for underwater fun and work.
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Posted By: Jamie P.
#Cuba,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Central America
I had such an incredible, life changing experience on my trip to Cocodrilo. Pre-Trip communication was clear and my pre-trip questions were quickly responded to. I felt extremely prepared and well informed for my trip.
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Posted By: Olympe L.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Central America
The project was perfect to make new friends from all over the world and also, we had a lot of liberty. I am really happy I chose this one to start my adventure in Costa Rica! By the end of my 2 weeks there, I did not want to leave…
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