Costa Rica wildlife conservation
Please contact our travel team for further information. This project runs every day of the year.
Description of Costa Rica wildlife conservation
This incredible conservation project is set deep in the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest and it has an extremely inspiring backstory. Back in 1999, two young girls had a vision to save the rainforest, and little by little they managed to bring that vision to life. The dynamic duo began by selling small arts and crafts pieces at the side of the road to raise money to protect the rainforest, and eventually, all of their hard work paid off and their makeshift shop expanded. Ultimately, the pair's passion for protecting the rainforest shone through and the project continued to grow into the sanctuary that it is today, now helping over 200 local and in-need animals, including sloths, birds, monkeys, and many other species.
By becoming a volunteer on this project, you will play a vital role in the everyday running of the centre, working hard to protect the many animals that call this sanctuary their home. Your assistance will be crucial in helping the centre to run smoothly and to ensure that the region's wildlife has a safe haven for years to come. You will assist with activities including:
Enrichment - You will complete a variety of enrichment tasks to help exercise the animals' natural instincts whilst at the sanctuary. This enrichment can be both environmental and nutritional and could range from hiding food up in trees right through to finding leaves for the animals to play with!
Food Preparation & Distribution - You will spend time collecting, preparing and distributing both food and water to all of the animals at the centre.
Enclosure Cleaning - You will help to ensure that all of the animal residents at the centre have a suitable environment in which to live, assisting in the cleaning, maintenance and general upkeep of their enclosures.
Rescue & Release - Hundreds of rescues and releases take place at the project throughout the year, and if one happens to take place when you volunteer, you may find yourself watching as a monkey is rescued or a sloth is released!
Boot Camp & Nursery - An excellent opportunity to learn about the project's important conservation efforts can be found in the on-site boot camp and nursery. This is your chance to see the young sloths up close!
Take the opportunity to join a fantastic team of volunteers as you all work towards to protection and longevity of Costa Rica's famous wildlife and their surroundings.
Price information
Please contact our travel team for further information. This project runs every day of the year.
Departure information
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Reviews
3 Reviews of Costa Rica wildlife conservation
Reviewed on 09 Apr 2024 by Nick
An amazing experience that was so worthwhile. I went with my daughter and it was great to spend time with others who shared our passion for the natural world and to feel that we were making a valuable contribution to improving the lives of the animals in the sanctuary. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Mar 2022 by Richard Stark
Meeting Darwin, the spider monkey way too intelligent for his own good, though with bipolar tendencies. Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Mar 2020 by Vivienne Pearson
Really great experience.... The bird watching with Mac and night walk in the jungle were the most memorable parts. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
This project plays a key role in helping to protect the region's wildlife, as if this sanctuary was not in place then there would be nowhere for the orphaned and injured animals of the region to go. The project was created after the passion two young girls showed to protect the rainforest and all of its inhabitants resulted in the project's foundation, and it has grown ever since. The initiatives that are in place here really give volunteers the chance to get hands on in making a difference to the sloths, anteaters, birds and other animals that call the project site home. Volunteers will help with cleaning, enrichment, monitoring and caring for the animals as well as a whole host of other tasks. A good example of how volunteers have been able to help comes from a recent “plant a tree day” that took place just off of the project site, as with the assistance of volunteers they managed to plant around 1000 trees!The project is also big on recycling when the opportunity arises. A good example of this can be found in the kitchen where there are separate bins for food waste, plastic, and other waste products. By separating this all out into the separate components, it ensures that the project team are able to recycle everything they possibly can as the plastic is taken away by the appropriate people, the food waste is added to a compost pile and then reused on different animal related projects around the centre, and the remaining waste is disposed of in the correct manner. These measures help to ensure that this small part of Costa Rica remains as litter free as it can be.
People
One of the best examples of how the volunteers at the project site help the local community is via the work they do both in replanting trees and caring for the animals at the centre. The locals in the area know that they are able to take any injured or orphaned animals they find into the sanctuary to have care provided for them. This means that the volunteers are providing a service to the local community as without this centre running, and the volunteers providing support to keep it that way, the locals would have nowhere to take the sick and injured animals.There is also an element of campaigning for change at the project site which the team are very proud of. Volunteers teach not only international visitors to the local lodge about the importance of conservation, but they also spend time teaching the local people about how important it is to conserve the nature that surrounds them. Without these lessons going on the locals would not know about the best practice regarding care for animals, and this could have a detrimental impact on the local ecosystems.
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