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COSTA RICA JAGUAR CONSERVATION PROJECT a 21-Day Wildlife Conservation Program

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COSTA RICA JAGUAR CONSERVATION PROJECT a 21-Day Wildlife Conservation Program COSTA RICA JAGUAR CONSERVATION PROJECT A 21-Day Wildlife Conservation Program PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS • Assist Scientists with Jaguar Research in the Rainforests • Zipline Through the Monteverde Cloud Forest • Work Alongside Biologists Patrolling Beaches During a Sea Turtle Conservation Project • Hike to the Active Poás Volcano, the Second Largest Volcanic Crater in the World • Snorkel Through Vibrant Coral Reefs and Watch for Humpback Whales at Isla del Caño • Look For Rarely-Seen Nocturnal Animals During a Guided Rainforest Night Hike • 30 Hours of Community Service SPOTLIGHT PROJECT: JAGUAR RESEARCH IN CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK Costa Rica is home to many beautiful national parks, but Corcovado on the Osa Peninsula is one of the country’s most pristine. Barely disturbed by human presence, Cocorvado is home to many endangered animals, including jaguars, ocelots, and tapirs. Here we work on a wildlife monitoring project led by local researchers who are committed to protecting jaguars and their rainforest home. We meet with a former hunter who shows us the tracking skills he now uses to find rare animals for conservation purposes instead of for food. During our time here we learn how to monitor and estimate jaguar populations and we help biologists set up and check motion-sensing cameras for footage of these iconic jungle felines. The data we collect will help scientists better understand the behavior of these secretive cats, and create more impactful conservation and management practices that benefit not just the jaguars, but all the unique animals that call the rainforest home. SAMPLE ITINERARY DAY 1 TRAVEL DAY AND POAS VOLCANO Participants are met by their leaders in either Miami or San Jose, Costa Rica on the first day of the program (students have an option to take a group flight out of Miami). Once the group is gathered, we travel together to a local bed and breakfast in the suburbs of San Jose. We get our first taste of the natural beauty that Costa Rica offers during a visit to nearby Poas Volcano, one of the most accessible active volcanoes in the world. Bubbling sulfuric lakes and smoking fumaroles reveal the volcanic history that helped shaped this country, and a visit to the summit gives us a close-up view of a region of the earth that is still in formation. Accommodations: Airport Hotel DAY 3 MONTEVERDE INSTITUTE AND CLOUD FOREST ZIPLINE Our adventure continues as we travel to the lush northern highlands, where humid Pacific winds cool as they flow up the mountains, forming misty, fairytale-like cloud forests. Called the “jewel in the crown of cloud forest reserves” by National Geographic and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Costa Rica, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is home to thousands of species, including howler monkeys, gorgeous orchids, iconic red-eyed tree frogs and the sacred resplendent quetzal. Here we meet the dedicated staff of the Monteverde Institute, a community-based organization that works to promote sustainable living for the people of Costa Rica and the world. We take to the skies for an unforgettable birds-eye view of the rainforest canopy through a series of suspension bridges and exciting zip lines! Accommodations: Local hotel DAY 6 PROTECTING SEA TURTLES ON THE NICOYA PENINSULA Next, we travel to an important nesting beach for endangered green, hawksbill, and leatherback sea turtles, the largest species of sea turtle in the world. We spend the next three days working with biologists from a non-profit conservation project to protect hundreds of turtle nests and thousands of new hatchings. This includes nightly beach patrols to look for female turtles, which are measured and tagged; the scientific data is used to improve local and global conservation efforts. Newly laid eggs are carefully collected and moved to a hatchery where they can be protected from poaching and predators. Once hatchlings emerge from the nests, we protect them from predators like crabs and birds as they crawl to the Pacific ocean. Since the majority of the turtle work is done at night, there is normally plenty of time during the day to relax, catch up on sleep, or enjoy activities like surfing, swimming, or exploring nearby tide pools. Accommodations: Beach guesthouses DAY 10 MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK Traveling down the coast, we pass through a series of small, artsy beach towns renowned for their world-class surf breaks and relaxed atmosphere. Eventually, we enter the quaint community of Manuel Antonio, gateway to the namesake nature park. The hiking trails of Manuel Antonio National Park provide one of the best opportunities to see two- and three-toed sloths, green iguanas, coatis, three species of monkeys and more than 350 species of birds. Visiting this area also allows us to compare the country’s most popular park with the remote and pristine Corcovado National Park we visit next, giving us an opportunity to observe the impact of human presence on wildlife. Some downtime allows us to enjoy the picture-perfect white-sand beaches or snorkel in the coral reefs close to shore. Accommodations: Beach Guesthouses DAY 13 OSA PENINSULA The next section of our wildlife adventure brings us to the most remote part of Costa Rica, the richly forested Osa Peninsula. This beautiful region includes Corcovado National Park and holds Central America’s only remaining tract of lowland Pacific rain forest. Our week is spent at an ecolodge with 130 acres of beach-front nature reserve on the border of the park, which provides a wildlife sanctuary where biologists conduct research on endangered species like jaguars and Baird’s tapirs. Assisting the researchers and local guides with our spotlight project, we learn how to track jaguars, set up and check camera traps, monitor populations, and facilitate conservation projects. Our days are filled with activities including a whale-watching tour to nearby humpback whale nursery grounds, snorkeling among the marine life and coral reefs at Caño Island Marine Reserve, authentic Costa Rican cooking classes, and hikes to a remote waterfall where we swim and relax in refreshing natural swimming pools. In the evenings, we watch the beautiful sunset over the Pacific ocean from our own private beach, undisturbed by tourists, vehicles, and the cacophony of civilization. Accommodations: Ecolodge DAY 20 FINAL CELEBRATIONS IN SAN JOSE AND DEPARTURE For our final day and night in Costa Rica, we return to San Jose to celebrate our accomplishments with a closing ceremony and a final feast with our new friends. Eventually, all good things must come to an end and we head to the San Jose airport for our departures, ready to share our experiences and memories with family and friends back at home. Accommodations: San Jose guesthouse WANT TO LEARN MORE? CONTACT THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR: BRENT ANDERSON | REGIONAL DIRECTOR: COSTA RICA [email protected] 415-332-5075 Ext. 251.
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