Costa Rica Service Learning Trip for College Students

College students are invited to join SEE Turtles and EcoTeach for a 12 day sea turtle volunteer trip to Costa Rica. On this trip, we will spend 8 nights working with two sea turtle conservation organizations working to protect leatherback nesting beaches along the Caribbean coast.

This trip will be led by an experienced EcoTeach guide and accompanied by award-winning young conservationist Zander Srodes. The group will stay in basic accommodations in each town and meals generally will be typical local dishes. Vegetarians can be easily accommodated.

Deadline to sign up is Wed, 3/30.

Price: $1,595 per person which includes all in-country transportation, meals, lodging, activities, guides, and a donation to turtle conservation (does not include airfare).

Conservation Impact: $370 to conservation (23%) (including $100 to SEE Turtles) and $335 to local communities (21%).

Activity Level: Moderate, involves 8 nights of patrolling a nesting beach, 4 hours of walking each night.

Date: May 16 - 27, 2011

*Please note: This trip is for college students and recent graduates only.

Fill out the form to receive registration information.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Work with local researchers to collect data on critically endangered leatherback sea turtles and hatchlings;
• Explore coastal rainforest reserves, looking for sloths, monkeys, and other wildlife;
• Relax on pristine Caribbean beaches;
• Visit an indigenous reserve with an iguana farm and rainforest hike;
• Take a boat ride along the Tortuguero canals, as well as whitewater rafting and ziplines through the jungle.

FULL ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival

We will meet our guides at the airport upon arrival and head to the La Rosa de America hotel outside of San Jose. Take a dip in the pool or stroll the gardens.

Day 2: South Caribbean

After breakfast, our group will board our bus for the 4 hour drive to the South Caribbean region of Talamanca.  We will arrive in Gandoca, at the first turtle project in the afternoon.

Researchers with WIDECAST Latin America will give us a training in tagging and data collection and then we rest until evening patrols. This project is one of the oldest and most respected conservation projects in the country and one of the few leatherback projects in the world with increasing numbers. After dinner, our group will join up with researchers and other volunteers for a 4 hour patrol. We will share rooms in a simple, local cabina while in town.

Click here to learn more about what volunteering on a turtle nesting beach is like.

Days 3-5: Turtle Volunteer Work

We will spend the next three nights patrolling the nesting beach. On the patrols, we search for nesting turtles, collect their eggs to move to the hatchery for protection, and collect information such as length, width, and tag numbers of the turtles. Generally, our days will be free to relax, walk along the beach, and swim. We may have one shift in the egg hatchery during the day, in which case the night will be free.

Day 6: Cahuita

After breakfast, we will head to the laid back surfing town of Cahuita. We will have a picnic lunch on one of the country’s most beautiful beaches, enjoy the warm water, and explore the park’s trails. That evening, we will relax at the hotel and rest up for the next part of the turtle work.

Day 7: Estacion Las Tortugas

Today, our bus will take us north to catch a boat to Estacion Las Tortugas, a project run by a family along the northern Caribbean coast. Once we arrive, we will have time to visit the turtle museum before dinner and a presentation. Tonite, our group will patrol this leatherback nesting beach, helping researchers collect data and protect the eggs. We will be staying for the next four nights in a simple and clean cabin.

Days 8 – 10: Turtle Volunteer Work

For the next three nights, we will help local researchers patrol their beach.  One day, we will go on a tour of the canals looking for wildlife such as crocodiles, sea birds, and monkeys. Other days will be free to relax, explore the area, or help with the hatchery.

Day 11: Return to the Central Valley

After our final night of patrols, we will board our bus to head inland. Along the way, we’ll finish our adventure with stops to go whitewater rafting and ziplining in the Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui area. That evening, we’ll return to La Rosa, where we will rest up for our departure the next day.

Day 12: Departure  

We will take shuttles to the airport the next day. We’ll return to the US with a newfound appreciation for the hard work of conservation and ready to share our experiences with our friends and family.