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Save Turtles and Sloths in Mata Palo
Coordinator | Frank
Coordinator | Frank
Highlights
Learn about marine turtles and sloths.
Simplify your life - back to basics.
Enjoy the pura vida lifestyle on a breathtaking beach.
Make unforgettable experiences.
Patrol along a wonderful beach and help to guard the nests of endangered marine turtles. Parallel you will help monitoring sloths in their natural habitat.
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Age 17+
Singles
Couples
About the Program
On breathtaking beaches you and other volunteers protect turtles that are in danger of extinction.
Volunteers play a crucial role in conservation efforts!
The Location
This program is located in the central Pacific coast, south of Quepos and north of Dominical, and it is right in the tiny village of Mata Palo. The beach – dark sand – is about 10 km long and 6 kilometers are patrolled by the volunteers of this camp to find mainly with Olive Ridley turtles and sometimes Green Sea turtles and some Hawksbill turtles. Compared to other turtle programs you will have some infrastructure here – a little supermarket, a little restaurant and there is a school that we plan to cooperate with. The coastline in this area is stunning and also very suitable for surfing. There is a surfschool right beneath the project.
And - help us to protect the most emblematic animal from Costa Rica: sloths!
Your help to care for the many animals with wounds or baby orphans you will find during monitoring. We rescue and provide first aid to take them to the rescue center located a few km from our camp, giving these creatures another chance at life. All procedures are carried out with a professional in biology who carries all the monitoring information, which helps us act in favor of these beautiful animals. You will learn a lot about them, as well as about many other animals around our beautiful beach, while we help preserve its kind.
You should be prepared for very simple living conditions and for sometimes physically demanding work at unusual hours as most of the turtle nesting occurs at night. If you love outdoor life ... you will see that every single turtle is worth it!
Our Volunteers
Our Volunteers should have a love for nature and fun with outdoor-living. They should be prepared for sometimes physically demanding work and work at unusual hours as most of the turtle nesting occurs at night. The volunteers should bring a sleeping bag, repellent, mosquito net, flashlight, batteries, rain protection (May - November), sun protection and a hat or cap.
Typical day
Your Tasks
You will be working between 4-6 hours every day:
Typical tasks can include:
- Patrol walks on the beach, mainly at night
- Find turtles and their nests
- Collecting data on the turtles
- Protect the eggs in safe breeding grounds (viveros)
- Freeing new born turtle babies
- Nest exhumations
- Your help is very welcome to construct and beautify the camp
- Data collection in contact with our biologist who will train you in field work with sloths
Free-time activities
Your camp is not far away from Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. For longer trips you should save your free days and make a journey at the end of your project time. There are amazing volcanos to visit, more National Parks like Monteverde, Rincón de la Vieja, and others. You can go for adventure tours - canopy or kayaking or rafting or tree climbing ... so much to do and see in Costa Rica! :-)
Water Sports
Swimming
Diving/
Snorkling
Snorkling
Hiking
Riding
Program Requirements
In order to join the program you need to be at least 17 years old on the program start date.
You need to speak
English
(basic level)
Copy of health insurance (valid in Costa Rica)
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
If you are 17 years old, then you have to bring the written allowance of your parents - we provide a form for this!
Regular working hours are hardly predicable. It mainly depends on the work force. Get in touch with first hand Costa Rica
straight ahead to get more infos about current to dos and objectives.
Included Services
We organize the journey to the project and we also do hostel reservations in San José if needed (mostly it is needed!) - and, if you will combine projects, we will also organize the transportation between the projects. You will have to pay the cost for the pickup and the transport.
You
will be picked up at the airport by our driver with a sign with your
name and you will directly get in contact with your german, english, spanish speaking coordinator via phone. The driver will drive you to the reserved hostel (if necessary), give
you the bus ticket (he will buy a ticket in advance to reserve you a
seat in the bus), pick you up at the hostel the day of your journey
to the project and bring you to the bus.
The
cost will be around 60 US$ plus the hostel night (between 15 US$
(dorm) and 35 US$ (single/double room).
You will be picked up from the bus by a taxi (ordered from the camp) waiting for you to bring you to the project.
You will be living with other volunteers in a simple dorm-room while the volunteer house is in construction.
Your food - breakfast, lunch, dinner - will be prepared in the camp and consists of the typical costarican cuisine: rice, beans, vegetables, meat and fruit.
Limited access at the project site
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
The nearest airport is Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose. We assist you to find cheap flights to Costa Rica.
Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Costa Rica provides security and is a plus to have.
If you are intending to volunteer in Costa Rica you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey.
Check your required vaccinations for Costa Rica.
Dates & Fees
NO CREDIT CARD FEES
Details on arrival
This program is available from July until December. It starts every Monday. Please arrive at least one day before the programs starts.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2 - 12 weeks
Program fees
2 weeks
(min. stay)
$ 710
3 weeks
$ 890
4 weeks
$ 1,170
8 weeks
$ 1,890
12 weeks
(max. stay)
$ 2,610
Average fees
$ 286
/week
Please note that the above shown program fees are estimated and subject to exchange rate fluctuations.
first hand Costa Rica
will let you know about the final price during your application process.
The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider.
If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.
Your final payment will be agreed with first hand Costa Rica during the application process.
Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.
Why book with Volunteer World
Volunteer World is the world's leading comparison platform for international volunteer opportunities. We guide you through a safe and easy
application process
- including all necessary payments. Planning your next meaningful trip with Volunteer World gives you free access to our:
Quality Assurance
High ethical standards & transparent social impact
Flex Option
Change your reservation at no extra costs
Refund Guarantee
We refund your fees if first hand Costa Rica cancels your trip
Support & Mediation
We cover your back no matter what happens
Our services are free of charge!
All program fees are charged directly by first hand Costa Rica.
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