My experience in Costa Rica was incredible! I volunteered for both the Animal Rescue Project in San Carlos (outside of La Fortuna) as well as the Camaronal Sea Turtle Project on the Nicoya Peninsula. Volunteering with animals has been an interest of mine for a very long time and both programs were exactly what I was looking for – and it was a great escape from NYC!

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While volunteering at the Wildlife Rescue center I helped construct a larger cage for the 2 adorable  kinkajous, Benjamin and Cindy. Landscape work around the complex was also a daily task. Feeding the animals was fun, too – Perla (wild boar), Hercules, Jessica and Mobli (spider monkeys), Benjamin and Cindy (kinkajous), lots of parrots and a sweet raccoon as well as the groups of ducks that would visit. Even a sloth lived on the grounds but he came on his own (not injured) as well as a cayman and a large turtle.

Working on hands-on activities outdoors with beautiful wildlife around us was exactly the experience I was looking for! And the staff were amazing as well. Mary, Teniente, Alvaro and Don Jaime were great to work with during the 2 weeks that I volunteered. I certainly recommend this program if you want a chance at working outside among beautiful wildlife and landscape! I lived with a host family in the area which was a GREAT education. Living in a different culture was a refreshing experience and was great for brushing up on my Spanish!

The Sea Turtle Program in Camaronal was an incredible experience as well. I was the only volunteer during my week stay. I lived in the shelter area along with the park ranger, Herman, and the project coordinator, Ricardo. The daily chef, Yaki, came every day (except Sunday) and cooked us hearty meals which was great. As for the turtle experience – what an amazing sight to see.

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Although we took night patrols each night or early morning I never did see a large sea turtle. However, I did see approximately 100 baby sea turtles hatch in the protected hatchery area within the week! Wow, they are incredibly cute. After they hatched we set them free onto the beach about 20 feet from the water. They made their own way into the water as we watched. I felt we helped at least partially with their survival as only 1% of sea turtles live until adulthood because of poachers or animals that steal their eggs from the beach or because they don’t survive predators in the ocean. The hatchery must be patrolled at least once every 2 hours to watch for hatching turtles as once they’re out and walking around the sun and heat can be quite dangerous to them. The hatchery is sheltered however, only by a thick mesh so sun can still get through.
The experience in Camaronal was very laid back and quiet. Not only is the beach a hatching ground for 4 types of sea turtles it is also a great spot for fishermen and surfers. It’s beautiful!

Overall, I’d recommend either program. They’re quite different from one another but a wonderful experience if you truly love helping animals and working outside!