Programs Abroad

COSTA RICA - Environmental Education at Rainforest Center

	Project: Wildlife and Nature Booking Nº: CR112 Country: Costa Rica + Location: Heredia Minimum Stay: 2 weeks Start dates: All year round Price: 2 weeks, from 280 USD
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Task

Development of educational programs that are offered to students of local communities
Maintain equipment and materials ready for activities
Taking partial charge of the educational activities
Develop an individual project during your stay and submit this at the end of the volunteer period

The Rainforest Center has an environmental education program for the local community with the mission to promote values, knowledge and attitudes in the local community that will contribute to conserve the biodiversity of the center and its area of influence. This program is directed towards students from 4th to 6th grade, high school students and their parents in 16 communities surrounding the center. The program offers educational trips, workshops, lectures and support to teachers with various school projects and other activities. The volunteer can have a first-hand experience with a long-term educational program. The main objective is to promote values, knowledge and attitudes which contribute to the conservation of the biodiversity of the local rainforest and its surroundings.

Volunteers develop individual projects during their stay and submit this at the end of the volunteer period. By way of example, past projects dealt with educational activity about an element of choice regarding the rainforest, a lecture or workshop related to environmental protection to present at a school or handouts to support classes and workshops. The Rainforest Center is open to incorporate any suggestions made by you during your stay, based on previous experience working with children and young people or a particular theme that could enrich the content of the program. The local staff will supply literature and volunteers are expected to be able to work independently and show a pro-active attitude towards their responsibilities.

The Rainforest Center, furthermore provides internet access and wireless internet. This can be used from your own laptop or a computer at the reserve. Workspace, library and telephone access is also accessible so that you can perfectly execute your tasks and responsibilities.

Accommodation

Volunteer house
Shared bedrooms
1 meal per day
Facilities to cook and prepare breakfast and dinner

The field station is a perfect place for those who like to have deep contact with nature. It is located in the southeast corner of the Rainforest Center, a 30-minute drive from the downtown area of La Virgen, the nearest town. The access is via an unpaved road accessible throughout the year. The field station is a 50-minute hike through natural trails to the Center’s main offices. There are 2 main buildings located on the same plot of land: the upper building has 7 bedrooms (2 bunk beds per room) and 4 shared bathrooms (with showers) located in common areas. The lower building has 3 bedrooms (two bunk beds per room), 1 bathroom (with shower), and also serves as a dining room and kitchen for the volunteers staying in both the upper and lower buildings. The kitchen has a range top, coffeemaker, and basic dinnerware. The total capacity of the field station buildings is 40 people. This site has solar-panel-powered electricity and an electric generator. Also located near these two buildings is a covered structure used for different activities such as meetings, conferences, presentations, education and more.

Volunteers share rooms with one or more roommates. The volunteer houses have each a fridge and facilities to cook and prepare meals. There is also a washing machine available. The center of the village La Virgen is a 25 minutes walk away or 5 minutes by taxi. There you will find all the basics for your stay (supermarket, pharmacy, bank, medical clinic and others).

Please keep in mind that the lodging includes just the lunch. Volunteers are responsible to buy and prepare breakfast and dinner by their own. But this is a lot of fun and you can adapt the menu to your personal fancy. The budget for food per person is about $100 US per month. Volunteers can also eat at the Center’s restaurant for the reduced rates of US$ 8 for dinner and US$ 5 for breakfast.

Requirements

Language:
Intermediate Spanish knowledge is desired. However, only English-speaking volunteers are welcome as well.

Skills:
Experience with Microsoft Office and Internet, Interest in sustainability topics, Interest in sharing scientific investigation with the public, previous work experience with children, ability to speak in public.

Age:
18+ years

Vaccination:
Not specified. Please ask for medical advice in your home country.

Insurance:
Full travel & medical insurance for Costa Rica.

Visa:
Usually, tourist visa is fine for a stay up to 90 days. However, we recommend consulting the Costa Rican Embassy of your home country.

Details

The Rainforest Center is an internationally recognized, non-profit organization created to conserve the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica. It provides environmental education to the local community, students and eco-tourists and accommodates scientific research. Located within the rainforest and river environments of Sarapiquí County, the center is a Private Wildlife Refuge which protects 852.5 acres of mid-elevation (pre-montane) forest through which 5½ miles of trails pass. One third of the forest is used for ecotourism and environmental education, keeping the majority of the reserve naturally intact. The center’s conservation education efforts and beautiful natural rainforest have made it a primary tropical science research center as well as a popular ecotourism travel destination.

The main objective of the center is certainly environmental education. National and international students from elementary, high school and college visit the center daily to participate in eco-education programs. In 2009, over 6,000 students visited the reserve. The activities focus on hands-on activities where students learn about ecology, biology, biodiversity and sustainable development. Students that visit the reserve have the opportunity to develop practical field studies and use the available resources offered by the reserve. Also in 2009, more than 35 local schools participated in the environmental education programs at the center.

Furthermore the reserve offers ecotourism activities. They count more than 8,000 tourists annually for its one-of-a-kind tropical rainforest experience. The diverse tours offered allow visitors to experience the amazing beauty of the natural rainforest and learn about specific biological groups — birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, plants, chocolate tour etc. — and the ecological interactions that occur between these groups. The ecotourism effort provides education in order to stimulate awareness of the issues facing rainforest health, and encourages conservation of the forest. We invite you to be part of this initiative that protects one of our most amazing natural treasures and give social, environmental and economical benefits to the area.

The reserve additionally gives vast research and study opportunities. Today, conservationists, scientists and students from around the globe use the reserve to study important relationships in tropical ecology. The infrastructure, accessibility and type of forest make the reserve a special place for research purposes. Many projects have been carried out at this site, including long-term research, graduate-theses study, museum work and doctorate study by national and international visitors.

Prices

Duration	in USD
2 weeks	280.-
3 weeks	410.-
4 weeks	550.-
5 weeks	690.-
6 weeks	820.-
7 weeks	960.-
8 weeks	1,100.-
Additional week	140.-

One time registration fee 75 USD.

What’s included:

Accommodation
Orientation kit
Local support
24h-Emergency Number
1 meal per day

What’s not included:

Flight
Airport Pick-up
Medical Insurance
Visa (if necesary)
Personal expenses

Country

Country information Costa Rica

Costa Rica stands as one of the smallest countries in Central America with approximately 19,000 square miles and a coastline of 810 miles. The country borders Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south and the Pacific and Caribbean Sea on either side. Costa Rica is home to 4.5 million people with upwards of 350,000 people living in the capital city of San Jose.

The Costa Rican climate is commonly humid and warm year round, although temperatures in the highlands are typically colder and cloudier. Incredibly, 23% of an already small amount of densely populated land remains protected territory by National Parks and/or private reserves. This protected land is home and host to a wide variety of exotic plants, animals and social/environmental projects to ensure the protection and conservation of the tropical habitat. When walking the streets of Costa Rica, make sure to ask Costa Rican natives, who typically know heaps, about their national treasures.

Further, Costa Rica is the most politically stable country in Central America, with a disbanded army for more than sixty years and a relatively high standard of education. Tourism is one of the main economic income sources for Costa Rica. With over 2 million tourists exploring Costa Rica each year, the country stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region. Through eco-tourism programs, (which CR was one of the first countries offering this type of programming), range of activities and year round tropical weather, the country attracts tourists from all over the world.

Aside from protected land, the true jewels of Costa Rica are the surrounding islands with serene beaches and breath-taking nature. This country offers beautiful landscapes for dream vacations of beach lounging, surfing, snorkeling, hiking volcanoes, zip-lining, rafting, bird watching, fishing and/or exploring rain forests.

The dry season of Costa Rica is between December through April, though like most Latin countries, schools are closed, beaches full and finding hotels may be tricky at last minute notice. A second peak season arrives with the Europeans and North Americans during June and July. As the off-season arrives in May, so does the green with the rainy season. Lastly, Costa Rica encompasses year round possibilities for surfers, fishing enthusiasts and wildlife lovers alike. Depending what coast you want to surf, what fish you want to catch and what bird you hope to see, there are some variations on ideal months to further research.

Finally, Costa Rica is a perfect place to learn Spanish, as the Spanish spoken here is typically slow without strong accents and layers of slang. The Costa Ricans are very friendly, energetic people and rarely without a smile!