- Program
- Turtle Conservation Project, Costa Rica
- Traveled
- June 2026
- Hometown
- Overbrook, Kansas
In this first-person account, Damaya Kisslinger of Overbrook, Kansas, looks back on Rustic Pathways’ Turtle Conservation Project program in Costa Rica in June 2026, with photos from the trip.
Damaya describes learning about and caring for sea turtles, holding baby sea turtles as they hatched, and games of beach volleyball with the group.
Damaya Meets the Sea Turtles of Costa Rica
Hi everyone! I am Damaya and I just got back from the Costa Rica Turtle Conservation Project with Rustic Pathways. I met so many new people while I was there and I had so much fun learning about and taking care of the sea turtles!
Holding Hatchlings and Beach Volleyball on the Turtle Conservation Project
My favorite part about my trip was getting to hold baby sea turtles when they hatched! I also loved getting to hangout at the beach and play beach volleyball with everyone on my trip. We had the most amazing leaders, who were so kind and so funny and always there for all of us!
It was such a cool experience, and I can’t wait to do another trip next year.
Damaya describes new friends and the thrill of holding baby sea turtles. The memories concern the June 2026 session, and Damaya first shared them on the Rustic Pathways Instagram account on July 2, 2026.
The program still runs as Costa Rica: Turtle Conservation Project. It runs 8 days for students ages 14–18, with five nights at a field station in Camaronal Wildlife Refuge, night patrols for nesting sea turtles alongside park rangers and about 26 hours of conservation work. See the program page for the current itinerary, dates and activities.
