Programs Abroad

COSTA RICA - Volunteer Work in a National Park

	Project: Wildlife and Nature Booking Nº: CR114 Country: Costa Rica + Location: throughout the country Minimum Stay: 2 weeks Start dates: all year round Price: from 2 weeks, 685 USD
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Task

The volunteer work at a National Park in Costa Rica is a full-time volunteer position. Altogether there are more than 42 National Parks and protected areas in Costa Rica which take up 11% of the country's total surface, harboring an estimated 75 percent of all Costa Rican species of flora and fauna. Due to the great number of National Parks there are plenty of different tasks volunteers are able to carry out.

Your tasks will depend on the park you chose to work in, which will be defined once you get to Costa Rica. The working hours and responsibilities depend on the total work load, the amount of other volunteers in the center and your personal abilities, skills and knowledge. Usually you will work between five and six days per week from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with one hour for lunch each day. You will have at least one day off per week allowing you to explore the area around you, catch up with other volunteers or just have a relaxing day! We assure you that you will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the country's natural beauty!

The tasks volunteers usually carry out in the different National Parks include:

Supporting services for visitors

Clearing and maintaining hiking trails

Cleaning beaches

Maintaining parks' installations and facilities

Protecting the local environment

Taking care of animals

Supervising and surveying animal populations

Working in administration at the parks' office

Organizing projects with local communities

Educating on environmental issues

Upon arrival, you will learn about the different possibilities of volunteer projects in each of the many National Parks in Costa Rica. There are many National Parks; all of them protected and some are even designated World Cultural Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Each park, its infrastructure, and volunteer tasks will be explained to you using photos, maps and detailed explanations. You will get to know each park's characteristics, flora and fauna, locations, and the best time of the year to visit. Afterwards, it's up to you to choose one of the parks (you can choose more than one if you stay longer than six weeks) for your volunteer experience in Costa Rica based on the availability. During your stay in Costa Rica's beautiful and amazing National Parks you will get the possibility to gain many unique experiences.

Through this program you will have the unique opportunity to work in different National Parks with no additional fee. If you stay longer than 6 weeks you can experience more than one National Park allowing you to explore the nature of the different regions of the diverse country! The minimum stay in each park is 2 weeks.

Accommodation

The accommodations vary for each National Park in Costa Rica. During the volunteer work, the accommodations will include:

A single bed in a volunteer house or in the administration building of National Park.

Full-board is provided

Shared bedrooms

You will be accommodated in the National Park during your volunteer work. In most of the National Parks, the administrative building is large and offers bedrooms for the local staff and volunteers. The larger parks usually have separate houses for their volunteers. Whatever the case may be, you will share a bedroom with other volunteers of the same gender. In some cases you might be given a private bedroom, especially during the low season when there are not as many volunteers on-site. The accommodations have other facilities like a kitchen, bathrooms, common rooms at your disposal and often hammocks where you can relax after a hard day working. During your whole stay at the National Park you will be provided with all of you meals with the exception of personal cravings for sweets, chocolates or other snacks.

Depending on the arrival day, the program includes between one and three overnight stays in a single room with a Host Family (half board) or in a hostel in San José.

Requirements

Language:
Functional Spanish skills (language courses can be booked through us)

Skills:
No professional skills or experience is required.

Age:
18+ years

Vaccination:
not required. Please consult us and your doctor for specific recommendations.

Insurance:
Full travel and medical insurance is required. You can purchase a full coverage, no deductible health and travel insurance at a special rate for our participants by contacting your South America Inside representative.

Visa:
Tourist visa valid for 90 days. For further information regarding visa requirements please contact us and the corresponding embassy or consulate in your home country.

Details

Your volunteer work in Costa Rica will take place in one or more National Parks spread throughout the country. Although Costa Rica is a very small country the vegetation and wildlife is very diverse. The National Parks system was established to protect the country's unique nature and biodiversity during the beginnings of the environmental conservation movement. Costa Rica is known for its extensive eco-tourism industry making the country's National Parks world famous travel destinations. The parks are dispersed throughout the country offering a huge range of attractions from beautiful beaches, volcanoes, mountain ranges, rain and cloud forests, lagoons, rivers, waterfalls and very many diverse animals.

Most parks have a very diverse eco-system and unique flora and fauna. They are important refuges for endangered species while offering outdoor activities like hiking, horseback riding, rafting, kayaking, canopying and much more. The species that make up Costa Rica's wildlife include a variety of mammals, beautiful birds as well as fish and reptiles. Among them are Howler monkeys, Capuchin monkeys, tapirs, jaguars, pumas, deer, squirrel, coati, peccari and plenty of marvelous butterflies, frogs, iguanas, toucans and parrots.

Furthermore you can find a huge array of water birds and about 70 different types of reptiles like snakes and lizards.The main attractions of many of the coastal National parks are the sea turtles. A lot of parks focus on the protection of these amazing reptiles that are in danger of extinction. The beaches of Costa Rica on both the Caribbean and the Pacific coast rank among the most important areas for sea turtles to lay their eggs. Thousands of sea turtles, reaching up to 900 kg, come every year for reproduction. Still there are many unexplainable myths about this species.

cr114_volunteer_work_national_park

Source: Google Maps

Prices

Program Duration	in USD
2 weeks	685.-
3 weeks	880.-
4 weeks	1,070.-
Additional week	175.-

Registration fee 75 USD.

What’s included:

Accommodation
3 meals / day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Orientation kit
Local support
24h-Emergency Number
Airport pick-up
Volunteer Work Placement
Certificate of participation

What’s not included:

Flight
Medical Insurance
Visa (if necesary)
Local Travels

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 and environmental projects to ensure the protection and conservation of the tropical habitat. When walking the streets of Costa Rica, make sure to ask Costa Ricans, 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 tourism), a variety 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 exploring rain forests.

The dry season of Costa Rica is between December and April, though like most Latin countries, schools are closed, beaches full and finding last minute hotels may be tricky. 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 lush green vegetation with the rainy season. Lastly, Costa Rica encompasses year round possibilities for surfers, fishing enthusiasts and wildlife lovers alike. Depending on what coast you want to surf, what fish you want to catch and what bird you hope to see, there are 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 and always with a smile!