COSTA RICA PROTECTING RAINFOREST WILDLIFE A 21-Day Wildlife Conservation Program

COSTA RICA
  PROTECTING RAINFOREST WILDLIFE
  A 21-Day Wildlife Conservation Program

                                                                PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
                                                         Assist Scientists with Vital Wildlife Conservation
                                                         Projects in the Cloud Forests of Monteverde
                                                         Zipline Through the Rainforest on a Cloud Forest
                                                         Canopy Tour
                                                         Protect Sea Turtle Nesting Sites and Help Newly
                                                         Hatched Sea Turtles Reach the Ocean
                                                         Track Endangered Jaguars Through the Pristine
                                                         Corcovado National Park
                                                         Help Cloud Forest Researchers Tag and Release
                                                         Tropical Songbirds
                                                         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: TROPICAL BIRD CONSERVATION

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. The
Monteverde cloud forests are some of the world’s most unique habitats, and the Monteverde Institute hosts
scientists and students from around the world who travel to Costa Rica to study these amazing places. During
our time at the center, we help rainforest ecologists set up mist nets to safely capture colorful tropical birds
like parrots, parakeets, and many other species, then learn how to take measurements and attach a small leg
band before releasing them back into the wild. The data we collect will help scientists create better
conservation and management practices that benefit the unique animals that call these cloud forests home.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

DAY 1    TRAVEL DAY AND POÁS 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 Poás Volcano, one of the most accessible active volcanoes in the world. Steaming
         turquoise lakes and bubbling hot mud pots 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: San Jose Bed & Breakfast

DAY 3    MONTEVERDE INSTITUTE
         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. 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. The world-famous Monteverde Institute’s 38-acre campus forms part of the famous
         Monteverde Reserve Complex, an area of natural preserves that protect more than 65,000 acres of endangered
         tropical forest. Here we learn from the passionate staff how the institute is working to build an environmentally
         sustainable community. We help scientists catch and measure tropical birds, identify rainforest butterflies and
         insects, search for salamanders in rainforest streams, and go on a guided night hike to look for tree frogs,
         ocelots, owls, and other nocturnal animals.
                                                                                 Accommodations: Monteverde Dormitory

DAY 6    CLOUD FOREST ZIPLINE & CANOPY TOUR
         Taking a break from our time at the institute, we see the cloud forest from a completely different perspective by
         taking to the skies to get a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest canopy. Through a system of trails, suspension
         bridges, and zip lines we observe the rainforest from a variety of different points – above, below, and within the
         canopy itself. We feel the adrenaline rush of soaring over misty forests, while keeping our eyes peeled for iconic
         Costa Rican wildlife like sloths, Howler monkeys, toucans, and resplendent quetzals.
                                                                                 Accommodations: Monteverde Dormintory

DAY 10   MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK
         Headed to the coast, we next partner with a local non-profit organization that is working to protect endangered
         sea turtles and their important nesting habitat. By day we learn about sea turtle ecology, help monitor the
         turtle nursery for hatching nests, and enjoy plentiful beach time with our group. At night we patrol the beach to
         look for female turtles that have come ashore to lay their eggs. If we find a nesting turtle, we help collect
         monitoring data and carefully move the recently-laid eggs to the protected nursery to keep them safe from
         poachers and predators. The turtles only nest at night so we work on their schedule. Though the numbers of
         sea turtles are dwindling, we may be lucky enough to see turtles nesting along the beach or help newborn
         hatchlings safely reach the ocean.
                                                                                Accommodations: Beachside Guesthouse

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, we learn how
         to set up camera traps to track the elusive jaguars and other wildlife. 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, 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 21   FINAL CELEBRATIONS IN SAN JOSE & 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.

         *Itinerary is subject to change based on weather conditions, partner availability, local COVID restrictions, or
         other unforeseen circumstances.

                                WANT TO LEARN MORE?
                                CONTACT THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR:

                                BRENT ANDERSON | REGIONAL DIRECTOR: COSTA RICA
                                Brent@arccprograms.com
                                415-332-5075 Ext. 251