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Costa Rica Environmental Quests
Volunteer Abroad Programs: 1-52 weeks

In Costa Rica, United Planet Volunteers have a wide variety of Quests to choose from. Each option offers the volunteer a meaningful and enriching way to experience firsthand, the life of friendly and warm Costa Ricans while doing something meaningful. Feel free to choose the one that suits you best!

We have two types of volunteer programs in Costa Rica: Environmental Quests and Community Development Quests. Volunteers involved with Environmental Quests can work at conservation areas, national parks, wildlife refuges and more. We offer a wide range of different experiences: from creating trails in the cloud forests to cultivating medicinal plants, guiding tourists and patrolling protected turtle beaches. There are no Spanish language requirements for the environmental projects.

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Short-term Environmental Quests (1-12 weeks)

1. Conservation and Environmental Education
Many of our conservation projects are located in rural areas or inside the national park system. The main goal of these projects is to support conservation efforts and increase environmental awareness in the local community. Daily volunteer duties may include any of the following: constructing and maintaining nature trails, building fences, repairing wooden bridges, making plant nurseries, making fertilizers from dead plants, researching and identifying plants, sowing plants, or teaching the local community about recycling and the environment. Other projects may also be assigned to the volunteer, depending on the organization’s needs at the time.

2. Ecotourism
The mission of ecotourism initiatives is to stop the destruction of Costa Rica’s natural resources and establish different sustainable systems to conserve flora, fauna and water resources in the protected areas. In many areas, protecting resources has provided a direct path to development: Rural communities are now able to become financially independent through sustainable tourism.
Volunteer duties include maintaining and improving trails, assisting the tourists who come to the Eco-Lodge and working to improve the information on the trails, fixing signs, gardening, etc. Volunteers may also help to develop environmental education curriculum for children and the community.
Accommodation at the ecotourism projects tends to be very basic. Some of the cabins are without electricity and can be humid. Volunteers live together with a park ranger who oversees the cabins and animals. At others, volunteers live in host families but may have to walk or bike up to 3 km to get to the lodge.

3. Sea Turtle Projects
Volunteers work at various beach locations conserving sea turtle populations in Southern Costa Rica. The project’s main objective is to protect the nests from human poachers and more recently from beach erosion. This helps to promote long-term survival of the population and includes the recovery of affected populations as well as critical habitat protection.

The work of the volunteers involves night patrols, hatchery shifts, collection and relocation of eggs, beach cleanup and small projects including construction of the hatcheries. While on night patrol, you will walk on average five to ten km in the dark on soft, wet sand. This work may also consist of park trail maintenance, assessment of turtle behavior, turtle measurement, and necropsies and biopsies, depending on the time of year and the needs of the hatchery at the time. Volunteers are welcome to this project during the nesting season from the beginning of March through to the end of November, with limited availability thereafter.

This project has a $150 per week surcharge in addition to the prices listed.

4. Wildlife Conservation
Volunteers assist in the rehabilitation and conservation of wildlife, such as various species of birds, invertebrates, or primates, depending on the project location and time of year. The objective of the project is to protect endangered species and reintroduce them to the wild. Volunteer duties include, but are not limited to: cleaning cages and plates, collecting food from the garden to feed the animals, observing and taking notes on animal behavior, updating records in the computer, measuring and weighing the animals, and helping to maintain the garden and trails. At times, volunteers may be asked to conduct tours for visiting guests at the rehabilitation center. This project is a great opportunity for veterinarians and biology students.

Volunteers stay with local host families at this project.
This project has $150 per week surcharge in addition to the prices listed. Two weeks or more required.

5. Biodiversity and Ecotourism Group Quest: August 17th - 28th 2010

Join a group of other volunteers to work on biodiversity and ecotourism in Costa Rica. Volunteers will travel around Costa Rica, working on sea turtle conservation and visiting sustainable tourism projects. Volunteers will also visit and learn about the rainforest, coffee plantations and more. Participants must be over 18 unless accompanied by an adult.

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Quests for 16-18 year olds

Volunteers under the age of 18 can choose from three different projects in Costa Rica. These programs have been selected for their suitability for this age group and vetted for their safety by the United Planet staff. Additional pre-departure support and information is available to volunteers in this age group along with their parents and/or family members. This includes an informational interview with the volunteer's parents. There may be Spanish language requirements for these projects, so please ask which project is best suited for your interests and skils.

Volunteers under 18 may choose to work in a school in San Jose or an environmental conservation project in a rural community.

For more information on projects for volunteers under the age of 18, please contact United Planet at Request Info.

• Click here for Long-term Quests (6 months - 1 year) in Costa Rica