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Costa Rica Animal Rescue
By offering your time to this wildlife rescue centre in Costa Rica, not only will you get up close and personal with some fascinating creatures, you will also soon feel part of the local community as you adapt to a new way of life. Part of your role will involve feeding and caring for the monkeys, wild hogs, parrots and macaws but there are also other project areas within the community that may need your valuable help.
Project Location
The centre is located on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast in the Puntarenas province.
The Volunteer Programme
In the early seventies, a group of local farmers took the initiative to set up a farming cooperative using sustainable agriculture as a means to improve the socio-economic development of local families. They established a number of profitable enterprises whilst simultaneously protecting the surrounding environment. The 1000 hectares owned by the co-operative is mainly used to Africa pal tree cultivation, reforestation, conservation of primary forest and ecotourism. At present, about 95% of the local community is involved in the co-operative, proving it’s worth and success.
In 2002 the cooperative initiated a further string to its bow by accepting the responsibility of helping to protect some of Costa Rica’s wildlife. A centre was established to protect, care for and rehabilitate animals that have been confiscated, donated or injured. These creatures include monkeys, wild hogs, macaws and parrots to name just a few.
Despite the fact the co-operative receives no government funding, it also manages to run a dairy farm, Africa palm plantation, organic vegetable garden, basic grocery store and even a small school providing education for 80 pupils. Volunteers are vital in the on-going success of the co-operative and play a particularly important role when it comes to the wildlife rescue centre.
Volunteer Activities
Part of your role as a volunteer will be to assist at the animal rescue centre. Your duties may include some or all of the following;
- Food preparation
- Feeding, cleaning and bathing the animals
- Cleaning cages
- Enclosure maintenance and construction
- Feeding platform maintenance and construction
Your role as a volunteer will be very varied because help is also needed in other project areas. Duties may include some of the following;
- Working in the dairy farm herding cattle and distributing milk to local families.
- Planting vegetables, harvesting and distributing crops, preparing compost and fertiliser in the vegetable garden.
- Assisting in the shop by selling goods and pricing goods.
- Assisting with hiking trail clean-ups as well as trail and bridge maintenance.
- Constructing signage for the trails and wildlife centre
- Helping with general maintenance
There are also opportunities to work with children in a local school, where the main focus will be teach English. Please contact the Gap Year for Grown Ups office for further details,
Project Orientation
On your first day in Costa Rica you will be taken to the volunteer centre in San Jose for a comprehensive orientation session. Here you will be provided with plenty of useful information about Costa Rica, San José and the project work. It is also a great opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. The following day you will travel to the project location.
Accommodation and meals
During you time at the project you will be accommodated in homestay accommodation with local Costa Rican families. You will be located less than 1km from the centre meaning you can walk there each day. Your host family will provide you with three meals each day, which will consist of typical Costa Rican fare such as rice, beans, corn, meat, pasta, vegetables and fresh fruit.
Free Time
Each week you will have one day off to spend as you wish. Some volunteers use this time to catch up with friends and family back home using the Internet and phone facilities either at the centre or in Arenal town. However, if you want to travel a little further a field and have some fun during your free time here are some suggestions;
- Visit Arenal’s active Volcano
- Get a birds eye view of the rainforests on a canopy tour
- Go on a horse trek
- Try bungee jumping
- Take a bus to Manuel Antonio national park for incredible beaches and fascinating wildlife
Getting There
You should arrange flights to San Jose International airport. We recommend that you arrive the Sunday before the project commences. You will be met upon arrival by a project representative and taken to you accommodation.
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