Assistant in Wildlife Sanctuary

Natuwa Macaw Sanctuary is a place that provides refuge and protection to the wild animals that have been victimized by human actions such as hunting, removal from their environments, and deforestation. These actions allow species to become vulnerable within their natural habitat, which can cause immense damage to natural ecosystems. The results of these human actions often include a displacement of animals from their natural habitat.

Many of these displaced animals find the care and rehabilitation that they need at the NATUWA Santuario de Lapas. At our sanctuary, the dislocated animals are given a chance to return to their natural habitat. Unfortunately, due to the actions of humans, reintroduction is often quite difficult. This is where you as a volunteer get to help!

As a volunteer, you play a very important role in the direct care of our animals. Here at NATUWA Santuario de Lapas, we have many animals that require daily care. Volunteers work alongside our workers with feeding, cleaning enclosures, and providing enrichment for all of our animals. Currently, we have six species of macaw, umbrella cockatoos, four species of amazon parrots, seven species of parakeets, Eclectus parrots, spider monkeys, marmoset monkeys, squirrel monkeys, tamarin monkeys, collared peccaries, deer, tapirs, ocelots, and jaguars. The workers that the volunteers will be assisting are from Costa Rica, and most of them only speak Spanish.

Not only do volunteers get to interact with our workers who are from Costa Rica, but our project also has the support of local universities. Costa Rican students come to the sanctuary to do their graduation thesis, business practices (ecotourism), and also schools that send their students to perform a required volunteer work of 300 hours. This offers a great chance for our volunteers to be immersed in the Latin American culture.

NATUWA Santuario de Lapas is located in Aranjuez, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. Aranjuez is a quiet country town with dirt roads. The locals all know about our sanctuary, and they are very friendly! Volunteers are encouraged to bring board games and outdoor toys like footballs, frisbees, etc. About 1km from the sanctuary, there is a grass soccer field that volunteers are welcome to use and play with the locals. There is also a small supermarket located next to the soccer field.

Due to the environment that our volunteers work in, we require pants and rain boots to be worn while working. Rain boots can be brought, or purchased here for around $15 USD. It is also highly recommended that each volunteer bring a mosquito net for a twin-sized bed. Volunteers sleep in housing inside of the sanctuary, and all bedsheets are provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own! We also provide and cook all of the food for our volunteers. We expect nothing more than a positive attitude and willingness to work from each of our volunteers!

This volunteer project is quite different from other projects around Costa Rica. We never have a shortage of work, in fact, we are almost always looking for more hands to help! We have over 500 animals that need daily care. If you are lack motivation or passion for animal care and conservation, this may not be the project for you (and that's ok!) Our daily schedule can be intense, but the work at the Sanctuary is extremely rewarding!

6:00 am-8:00 am - Morning feeding of animals with light supervision after an introduction period (minimum 3 days).

8:00am-8:15am - Breakfast!

8:15 am-10:30 am - Daily tasks (see list below)

10:30 am-10:45 am - Juice break!

10:45 am-12:00 md - Daily tasks (see list below)

12:00md-1:00pm - Lunch, WiFi, and nap time!

1:00 pm-3:00 pm -Afternoon feeding of animals with light supervision after an introduction period (minimum 3 days).

After the afternoon feeding, volunteers are free to do whatever they would like for the rest of the day! Dinner is ready by 6:00 pm.

List of Daily Tasks:

Cleaning under animal feeding stations, providing water to animals, washing enclosure floors, moving animals, sanctuary maintenance, feeding baby animals, sorting macadamia nuts, providing fresh-cut grass to our mammals, and anything else that needs to be done!

Every week, volunteers receive one day off to be able to relax and explore surrounding areas, you can coordinate with the Doctor. The staff of the sanctuary can help organize places to visit. Options include the beach, a local river, Puntarenas, Monteverde, etc. Because the COVID-19 volunteers are not allowed to use public transportations only taxis under our recommendations. The cost will be depending on where you will go.

A taxi service can be requested to bring volunteers to the sanctuary. From Puntarenas to the sanctuary, volunteers can expect to pay about $35 for a taxi, and  $100 from the airport (Alajuela) to NATUWA. Remember that while we re under the effects of the pandemic cause by COVID-19 the transportation from the airport must be only using the taxi provided by our organization.