Volunteering in Costa Rica

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Volunteer Positions directly with organizations or via online portal

Notes on volunteering in Costa Rica: Because Costa Rica is such a desirable place to travel (and on the expensive side for Central America), for a short term position volunteers will probably be paying for room and board, if not some extra fees. It tends to be only with a month or two commitment that an organization can afford to provide room and board for free.

• True Travellers (posted by David Bloom)

http://www.truetravellers.org/volunteer-costa-rica/

• Volunteers South America (posted by David Bloom)

This site lists the free and low-cost volunteer opportunities in South & Central America. http://www.volunteersouthamerica.net/

• Asociacion Andar (posted by SarahJoy)

Location: a central office organizing three different projects - one on a finca (farm) in northeast Costa Rica, and one in Yorkin, an indigenous village inland and upriver from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca www.andarcr.org/leer.php/3 (website in Spanish only)

• El Puente/The Bridge (posted by SarahJoy)

Located near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Caribbean Coast Varied commitment levels www.elpuente-thebridge.org/page27.html

• Monteverde Butterfly Garden (posted by SarahJoy)

Located in the cloud forest of Monteverde/Santa Elena 2 month commitment but you can visit the education center if you are just visiting Monteverde too! www.monteverdebutterflygarden.com/Volunteering.html

• Parismina Sea Turtle Conservation Project (posted by SarahJoy)

Located south of Tortuguero and north of Cahuita & Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast 1 week minimum recommended www.parismina.com/internship.htm

• Punta Mona (posted by SarahJoy)

Located off the grid near Manzanillo, Caribbean coast Work-trade option mentioned but you can just visit for a few days too! www.puntamona.org

• Rancho Mastatal (posted by SarahJoy)

Located in the highlands south and west of San Jose There is a minimum time commitment for a volunteer position but you can just visit for a few days too! www.ranchomastatal.com/pages/links/page.php?Grouping=Volunte...

• Turtle Project, Playa Hermosa near Jaco (posted by Joe Gouldby)

Joe can get you in touch with the coordinator. "Last weekend I went down to Playa Hermosa near Jaco with a bunch of friends and I stayed at the turtle sanctuary at the south end of the beach. The guy that runs the place Marco told me they really need volunteers there and I didn't know if anybody from Couchsurfing was interested in working there. It's very remote and the accommodation is basic, there's no electricity and sometimes no running water. So if you're into nice hotels and health spas and that then this is definitely NOT for you. During the day you'll be sleeping, cleaning and filling in data about the turtles on forms. Also if turtles have hatched you have to dig up the holes and see if any turtles didn't make it out or if any eggs didn't hatch. At night you'll be walking the beach looking for turtles arriving and warning off any people who come to steal the eggs. There are normally 2 patrols per night, 2 hours before high tide and 2 hours after high tide. You have to do this patrol even if it's raining so make sure you have a rain jacket and some warm clothes but fortunately now the rain seems to have calmed down a bit. Also during the night there will be turtles hatching so these will be collected and put into buckets and will be released later normally first thing in the morning or during the night depending on tides. A knowledge of Spanish is needed but it doesn't matter if it's not great as I have worked there many times and have managed to get by, in fact when I worked there last December my Spanish improved significantly, as nobody there speaks English. Marco who runs it is a larger than life character, he is a one man show, he loves telling stories and has a big heart. He is 55 going on 15, he is hilarious. I'm trying to convince him to come to the Oktoberfest tonight at the country club in Escazu and I'll hopefully see some of you there. He is back in San Jose from now until Wednesday so it's a great time to contact him as there are no phones down in the turtle sanctuary. You'll have to pay between $5-10 per night it's up to you, all the money goes straight to the project and this covers your food and accommodation. If you're considering volunteering it'd be good if you would be able to go for a week or more but if you can't afford this much time we'll see if something can be organised. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm going to be living down there from the months of December through to Februay but most of the work is from now til mid December after that the turtles stop coming. If you're interested please send me an email with your phone number and I'll try and put you in touch with Marco."

• Finca Salverde (posted by Scott Elliott)

I am a certified permaculture designer working on turning this farm into a sustainable ecovillage and intentional community. There is a cob oven, communal kitchen and free food, room and board in exchange for a bit of help. For more info: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=40270811&blogID=254579039 http://www.couchsurfing.com/people/kanlaon

• Rain Song wildlife sanctuary (posted by Tressia Ashley)

In the progress of setting up so you would be part of getting this organization up off the ground. www.rainsongsanctuary.com/volunteer.htm

• Rainforest Lodge & Reserve (posted by Tressia Ashley)

For a commitment of 3 months they provide free room and board. www.rara-avis.com/volunteer_positions.htm

• Santa Elena Reserve (posted by Tressia Ashley)

This is a cloud forest and looks very nice. Here they need volunteers for trail work, interpretation, biological research, and teaching English. www.monteverdeinfo.com/reserve-santa-elena-monteverde/volunt...

• La Flor Organic Farm (posted by Tressia Ashley)

This one is a little costly, it is $20 a day. It is on an organic farm and there are opportunities for work with the community as well. www.la-flor.org/about.html

• Osa Wildlife Sanctuary (posted by Ricardo Araya)

Located in the middle of nowhere (knows also as Golfo Dulce), *I think* it is only accesible by boat (parachute should work also). I have visited for a day, they have all kind of animals in recovery, from one eye macaw, to baby "manigordo", shooted eagles, momless congos, is run by a couple of concerned people, it is a GREAT place, but you are isolated, the place is big, wonderfull beach and a forest to love. BUT I think I remember they only took volunteers for 2-3 months, explanation, they do a great job, and you need to be trained. Anyway you can always ask, it doesn't hurt. I don't remember how much you have to pay for volunteering, but it seemed reasonably at tha moment they told me, is an not profit organization, and the income is destinated to selfsustain the voluntaries expenses and the sanctuary. You can also visit the place as I did, not to work, for around $30 each *donation*, plus the boat fee (third person, private). I remembered the owner told me he was very interested to work with academic/professionals suitable for the place (from vets to solar technicians, or biologist, etc), so this could be an opportuinity to get a couple weeks voluntary admision). www.osawildlifesanctuary.org/

• ASVO (Asociación de Voluntarios para el Servicio en las Áreas Protegidas) (posted by Ricardo Araya)

This is a very old reliable .org, I did work with them at their beggining, back in 1990, for many years the *[un]official* source of voluntaries for the national's parks, both nationals and foreigners. The advantage of this organization is clear: you gonna work in the park directly, and is far cheap. It divide residents and foreigners rates, although the residents should pay something around $4-6 day (plus their own transport) for food/accomodation, and no residents have to pay $15 day (plus $30 inscription), under the same conditions. Nationals minimun commitement is 15 days. No residents minimum commitment 30 days (you can do 2 different parks/areas), and need, among others requisites, a health insurance (you can get one very cheap at portal.ins-cr.com/ ) full requisites in their site: www.asvocr.org/

• PRETOMA (Program of restauration of sea turtles) (posted by Ricardo Araya)

You can enter as Project Participant or as a Field Coordinator/Assistant, the first is open and you have your place for sure, the second one is under competition. They have projects in Punta Banco (Golfito), San Miguel (Guanacaste?) and Camaronal (Guanacaste?). They accept voluntaries from 1 week to 8 ($310-1730), and one of their strong points is the "homestay" alternative, in wich the voluntary stay in a costa rican family house, with al what this means, cultural, gastronomic(!) and idiomatic (is this a word in english?... so lazy...). www.tortugamarina.org/

• Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCN)

A strong program about turtles mostly. It does work in several countries. You will be trained in sea turtle monitoring techniques (including tagging and satellite tracking). Commitment is usually long (2 months), and under CV examination, it requires training. You are expected to plan and finance their own travel to and from Tortuguero. Selected RAs will receive board and lodging at the CCC Field Station for the duration of their time working for CCC in Tortuguero.

http://www.cccturtle.org/ccc-costarica.php?page=ra-information

http://www.cccturtle.org/

Volunteer Positions with Placement Organizations or online Portal

Another way to volunteer is to contact an organization that place volunteers in one of a variety of volunteer projects abroad (in Costa Rica or elsewhere). That format does have some distinct advantages - you'd have a wider selection of service projects, professional help selecting the right service project for you, the security for both you and your family of always having an English speaking contact available, and (presumably) clear(er) organization once you get to the volunteer site. Please note that by going through such an organization you will be paying extra for those additional services and you will be expected to pay up front.

• Programa de Voluntariado Universidad de Costa Rica (posted by Ricardo Araya)

This is a great program, in wich I and many of my friends, has participated recently ($4-6 day food/acommodation, plus travel expenses), although it is for UCR students mainly, so, if you are an UCR student/professor (with UCR ID number)even if not a resident *I think*, check it. They also state "the international voluntaries contact at vvevolun@cariari.ucr.ac.cr", so again, just ask. voluntariado.ucr.ac.cr/

• UVolunteer www.uvolunteer.org (posted by Leah Kaye)

• Tropical Adventures (www.tropicaladventures.com) (posted by Sarah Joy)

Arranges a wide variety of volunteer placements in Costa Rica. I know the owner/founder of the organization, trust him as a close friend and know that his passion is helping people through this volunteer program. Please note that I have not experienced a volunteer placement so cannot vouch for the program itself.

• www.helpx.com (posted by Stephen Grant)

Stephen's organic farm in Bocas del Toro, Panama is among the projects listed

• www.ecoteer.com (posted by Tressia Ashley)

• www.peacebrigades.org (posted by Eva Fuchs)

• AFS Intercultural Programs (posted by SarahJoy)

I used to work for AFS Intercultural Programs (www.afs.org) and believe strongly in their long history and incredible world-wide network. There are many volunteer options for after high school (including ones in Costa Rica), but generally there is still an age limit and every option may not be offered by your country's AFS office. In 2003 I was the Program Leader (along with my now boyfriend Julio) for a 5 week community service program in Costa Rica (leading a group of high school students from the USA) and found AFS Costa Rica to do an excellent job with placement and coordination. Please note - with this organization you apply to go abroad through your country's AFS office (please see www.afs.org).