Costa Rica: Turtle Conservation Project

Arrive into Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Settle in, relaxing after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

Depart for the Nicoya Peninsula. On a beautiful drive over mountains along the coast, stop in a local coffee farm to learn about the second biggest source of income for the country. Arrive at Camaronal Wildlife Refuge and receive an introduction to the week’s service project with the turtles. Start your expedition with a night walk along the beach patrolling for turtles. If you’re lucky, you may arrive during an arribada, when hundreds of turtles are laying eggs along the same stretch of beach!

Work with local park rangers on various conservation projects to protect the turtles nesting on Camaronal Beach. These might include working at the turtle hatchery, participating in beach clean-ups, and going on nightly turtle patrols. In your spare time, enjoy the natural beauty of the area with fun activities such as hikes through the Wildlife Refuge, walks through the forest to a river, soccer games on the beach, surf lessons, and zip lining!

Work on the beach cleanups before traveling along local dirt roads to visit a women’s group, where we’ll and learn woodworking and traditional skills during an art class. Join your group for a mid-trip discussion where you will begin to reflect on what you’ve experienced and learned so far.

Spend the morning working on your community service project and then head to a beach up north for an afternoon sailing and snorkeling trip through the waters of the Nicoya Peninsula. Watch an incredible Costa Rican sunset and enjoy an evening with your group, eating great food and listening to music under the light of the first evening stars. Join your group for a post-service debrief in the evening, discussing what you experienced and learned through hands-on work in the community.

Complete service projects, which could include work on the construction of turtle hatcheries or beach cleanups. Enjoy your last lunch here and say goodbye to your friends from Carrillo. Depart for San José for a final dinner with your group and get a good night’s rest.

At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.