Turtle Conservation Project

The Wildlife Refuge in Punta Mala is very rustic as it is an authentic park ranger’s wooden house right in front of the ocean. Rooms accommodate up to 6 students, always separated by gender and do have electricity. Western style toilets and showers are located in a separate building and students should be prepared for no hot water at this location.

This small piece of paradise will show the participants the beauty of the natural resources of Costa Rica, birds singing, beautiful sunsets, and the sound of the waves crashing as part of daily life in this part of the world.

Each location has an in-house chef in charge of the meals. Breakfast will normally include eggs, toast, fruit, gallo pinto (our delicious rice & beans recipe). Lunch and dinner selections will include rice, beans, plantains, vegetables, salads, tortillas and for non-vegetarians, chicken, beef, or fish. Occasionally we will offer American and international selections like pastas, pizzas, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, burgers and salads.

Yes, this program can easily accommodate Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and other common dietary needs or allergies. Please make sure to include this in your medical forms so that our staff can prepare and we always recommend bringing along some of your own favorite snacks!

Water from the tap is safe to use for brushing teeth etc, but, students will be provided as much bottled water as they can drink. Don’t forget to bring along your own reusable water bottle, so we can minimize our plastic usage.

Since the base is located on the Pacific coast, the temperature can go into the 80s during the day and cool during the night. There can be occasional rain showers, however it does not usually rain all day.

This program does not have any internal flights.

We want to encourage students to disconnect in order to fully immerse themselves in the experience and get the most out of their program. That being said, students will have access to wifi twice during this itinerary while in the larger cities. Parents will have access to our 24/7 emergency number and will also receive updates from our staff once your student is in country.

All activities in this itinerary are included. Personal gifts, Laundry, phone calls, and snacks are not.

Students will have the chance to visit local vendors/markets during this itinerary, in addition to small snack shops and purchasing handicrafts from the local community. We recommend $200 per week to cover souvenirs and incidentals.

In general, costaricans dress modestly and as polite visitors we will dress accordingly specially during community service hours. The requirements are fairly straightforward and the same for both boys and girls: Shorts: Basketball-style only; no running or soccer-style shorts. Rule of thumb is that the bottom of the shorts should be approaching the kneecap. Leggings or yoga pants: Only if paired with a long T-shirt. Loose-fitting pants, capris, and long skirts: Acceptable and preferred Tops: Shoulders must be covered – No tank tops or spaghetti straps. If you arrive and your clothing is deemed unacceptable by your program leaders, you’ll have to purchase appropriate clothing before service work begins.

Students should pack enough clothes and personal items to last through the end of the Turtle Conservation Program. Laundry is available in the program once a week.

Community service in this program is divided into 3 different projects:

Project Partner: SINAC (Conservation Areas National System)

Beach clean ups: Walk along the beach with big plastic bags picking up trash brought to the beach by the tide, putting away big logs that upset the turtles when they are laying eggs.

Night Walks: Walk along the beach during the night, with the high tide, looking for turtles laying eggs, and nest that need to be relocated into the hatchery.

Work in the hatchery: Plant the nest that need relocation, also work during the day shoveling sand to oxygenate the sand of the hatchery where the baby turtles are born.

This is a environmental conservation program, you will be staying in a wildlife refuge, with its own rules, the most important thing is to respect these rules, the wildlife, and the nature. For example, we participate in night walks of the beach for turtles. Night walks happen at the peak of high tide, so depending on the timing, wakls could happen any time during the night and early hours of the morning. We aim to respect the natural habitats and behaviors of these animals.

Our staff are bilingual so you don’t need to worry about the language barrier. This program has the highest level of physical community service work, keep that in mind. If you like, you can bring your instrument and play music with the group.