Costa Rica Conservation - Volcano Tenorio National Park

  Costa Rica

Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: Year round; monthly departure

Description: ASVO is a non-profit NGO which places volunteers in Costa Rica's national parks and protected areas. ASVO's objective is to improve the conditions and amount of volunteer work performed at a national and international level, without age, sex or professional distinction. ASVO places volunteers in national parks and other areas protected by the Ministry of Environment and Energy all over the country.

This placement needs volunteers to help protect one of the most diverse tropical forests in the country, and to improve and maintain the park's infrastructure. This park has so much to offer visitors, including the chance to see firsthand the effects of an active volcano, but much work needs to be done in order to ensure that this park is protected from erosion and to ensure its safety for visitors.

Highlights: Volunteers will take part in a number of tasks, including:

1. Working in important sites within the park which present a high risk of erosion, creating barriers to help limit the amount of erosion.
2. Working in the parts of the park with areas that are unsafe for tourists, building barriers to improve access to the different areas of the park.
3. General repairs to the park's trails.
4. Environmental education for local communities.
5. Planning of social activities, aiding in infrastructure development and others.

Qualifications: The volunteer should have the desire to work in a national park and enjoy physical work. Patience, motivation, dedication are important qualities to have if you are working on this project. People who do not enjoy physically demanding work may have difficulty with this project.

Cost in US$: $1850 for 4 weeks; $165 for each additional week

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: We believe everyone can contribute by volunteering. Recent graduates from high school, college or university, professionals taking a career break, recent retirees, individuals or groups who are interested in a change and the chance to enrich their own life and the lives of others. If you are 18 years or older you can apply for any of the placements available. If you are from 16-18 years old you may apply for placements near our Volunteer Abroad Office and Residence, so that we are able to give you more support. Both students and professionals are needed for placements in all our countries.

Age Range: 18+

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Costa Rica Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Resume
• Written Application

Volunteer Abroad's Mission Statement: We believe international volunteering promotes cross-cultural learning that helps create global awareness, understanding between cultures and provides the platform for positive change. Our volunteers have taught in schools, provided disaster relief support for the International Red Cross, conducted essential research to improve the management strategies of threatened environments, built homes for impoverished people, provided vocational training and programs for street kids and have worked in co-operation with hundreds of local organizations to distribute aid and improve the quality of life for people throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Year Founded: 1998