Conservation volunteering in Costa Rica

One hundred years ago 14% of the world's surface was rainforest, now this is about 7%. In Costa Rica the remaining tropical forest is disappearing by at least 520 square kilometres per year. However, about one-quarter of the country is under some form of official protection thanks to the valuable contribution of volunteers each year.

This sustainable conservation project in the heart of beautiful Costa Rica’s lush mainland provides an ideal opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to get hands-on with a worthwhile project which works to protect, maintain and develop the local environment. Volunteers are invited to help out at a variety of national parks, wildlife reserves and community-based eco-tourism projects which directly benefit the endangered and precious local environment.

Volunteers can see the fruits of their labour and really get involved with responsible tourism in its truest sense within the national parks, where they patrol with park rangers, construct trails, help with vital reforestation, and the general maintenance of the naturally stunning surroundings. At the eco-tourism projects volunteers help to build and maintain trails and help out with organic farming or work with the local community.

The majority of the conservation projects we work alongside are local NGOs that were founded in 1989 and are dedicated to volunteer work in protected wilderness areas which are in genuine need of voluntary help. Volunteers have the full support of a local in-country coordination team, who are fully trained staff that liaise with the locally owned project in-country and are on-hand 24/7. They provide volunteers with a full orientation on arrival.

The accommodation is locally owned and run by local staff. By staying in locally-owned accommodation volunteers are doing a great deal to benefit the local economy and cause a minimal impact on the environment. It is shared rooms and dormitories at ranger stations or local homestays. To reduce the impact on the environment, facilities are very basic and sometimes without electricity or running water. Three meals a day are provided with the local accommodation, which are cooked by the local host from locally sourced ingredients. As many volunteers as possible are invited to help to contribute to the development and progress of this sustainable project.