Community Run Turtle Volunteer Program on the Caribbean Coast

  Costa Rica

• Eastern Lowlands: 
Tortuguero

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: all year

Description: We are a non-profit organization whose dual aims are the protection of sea turtles and the improvement of the living conditions of the local inhabitants. The local inhabitants generate income by cooperating in the project; they guard beaches together with the volunteers, act as tour guides for eco tourists and assist with the various agricultural activities. By helping to generate an income for the locals, we hope to take away the necessity for them to poach the turtles and again by working in partnership with them we seek to establish an ideal environment for the turtles to lay their eggs.

The project is situated on the Caribbean beach of Costa Rica, 1 km north of the mouth of the Pacuare River. It covers 10 km of coastline and has a total surface of 800 hectares. The beach is part of the 50 km stretch between Tortuguero National Park and the harbor of Limon. The area is not only unique in every way, but is also famous as being the site where the four largest spieces of Marine turtles (Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and the Green Turtle) come to lay their eggs.

Poachers, fishing nets and other threats are the cause of an alarming decline in turtles being born on this beach. In particular the 10 km covered by the project is in danger, for it has no protection whatsoever.

Cost: US$15.00 per day provides - 3 meals a day and lodging in 6 men dorms.

Volunteers are asked to pay a one-off fee of US$20 for the 30 minute boat pick-up.

This project is part of Ecoteer - the solution to travel and volunteering on a shoestring

Ecoteer is a unique volunteer opportunities agency - offering a directory of cheap volunteer work opportunities, volunteer jobs abroad and working holidays. Our volunteer opportunities are cheap because we have eliminated the middleman slashing the price to volunteer abroad for gapyears, careerbreaks and working holidays. Ecoteer is leading the way in a new type of volunteer work opportunities abroad and is changing the volunteer and working holiday industry back to what it used to be benefiting both the volunteer and the volunteer project.

We have other opportunities in ecotourism, conservation, humanitarian aid and teaching in other 50 countries.

Please inquire for more of our cheap volunteering opportunities.

Highlights: Volunteers will patrol the beaches at night to search for nesting turtles the volunteers will then take the eggs to the hatchery where the eggs will be guarded from animals.

Learn Spanish while you volunteer: Lessons take the form of a 90 minute session, each day, of purposefully prepared, high energy, fun & intensive learning. Each lesson is followed by a group study period where students can review and practice what has been learned. Further study is expected in preparation for the next lesson.

The course is taught in English and apart from a pen, notepad, English to Spanish dictionary and a desire to learn all that is asked, is that you speak a high level of English. The course includes 16 hours of tuitions and group study. Costs are $ 80 US.

Qualifications: None

Cost in US$: US$15 per day

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18-80

This Program is open to American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Costa Rica Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 5-15

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post-Program Services Include:

• Job and Internship Network

Ecoteer's Mission Statement: To help locally run grass root organisations to achieve their aims via attracting paying volunteers and tourists. Plus we personally help develop and improve the projects we work with to help them to achieve their objectives.

Year Founded: 2005