Environment, Volunteer & Adventure Program

Sunday
Arrival and overnight at Jakera Jungle Hostel. The day is free for you to spend as you like!

Turtle Conservation Volunteering
On Monday you will head to Cirenas where you will spend 4 days in a Turtle Conservation Sanctuary engaging with Permaculture, Reforestation and activities aimed at protecting the ecosystem. In the high season (August to November), the primary focus is on Turtle Conservation, where efforts are concentrated on safeguarding the eggs and hatchlings of Olive Ridley, Green Turtle, Hawksbill and Leatherback species. This involves protecting adult female turtles and their nests from various threats, including human predators, wildlife, beach erosion and flooding caused by high rainfall. This is achieved by maintenance of infrastructure and surroundings, beach cleaning, night patrols to look for nesting female turtles (in season), transport of food and water, collection of data and releasing baby turtles into the ocean (in season) and the construction of a ‘hatchery’. Depending on the season, there may be a shift to work more in other sectors such as Permaculture.

Seasonal Support
It is important to note that although turtles nest frequently in peak nesting season (August to November), there will be times where turtle activity is very low. We still need help during most of the year for the construction and maintenance of the hatchery, critical for the upcoming season.

Caletas-Ario Mixed National Wildlife Refuge
- Maintenance and Hikes on the trails
- Bird watching
- Monitoring of Wild Fauna through camera traps
- Identification of native trees

Permaculture and Healthy Eating
- Sowing and planting
- Composting
- Biomass
- Irrigation installation for plants
- Prune fruit trees and harvesting
- Hen house

Forestry Reforestation
- Collection of seeds of native trees by dry season
- Sowing in seedbeds
- Reforestation of native tree species on and off campus

Weekend
You'll stay at the Turtle Conservation Sanctuary for 4 days, then return to Jakera Jungle Camp to enjoy the weekend.

During week 2, you'll begin an overland adventure to explore Monteverde National Park. The duration, depending on the schedule and weather, will be tailored to 4 days. Staying in picturesque Santa Elena, we delve into hikes exploring both a Cloud Forest and a Tropical Forest. Daily activities include hikes, our brand new reforestation project and optional extras like zip-lining, visiting El Tigre Waterfall, Trapiche (Coffee, Cacao, Sugarcane productions), horseback riding or bungee jumping, ranging from $50 to $90 per activity. We have two accomodation options for our groups in Monteverde, Santa Elena Hostel right in town and the other is Catleya Hostel, 20 minutes walking from town, both very cozy and secure.

Monday - Breakfast / Travel to Monteverde/ Lunch in Monteverde/ Welcome walk, Ficus tree & Sunset Hike. (The welcome walk takes about an hour and the sunset hike activity around 2 hours.)

Tuesday - Breakfast / Finca Lantana - Cloud Forest Exploration with nature guide* / Lunch /Extra activity not included (Zipline- Bungee- Horse riding)

Wednesday - Breakfast / Valle Escondido Guided Exploration (this is a 3-hour hike with beautiful waterfalls, jungle and incredible views/ Lunch / Extra activity not included (Zipline- Bungee- Horse riding)

Thursday - Breakfast / Reforestation Project in Finca Lantana* / Lunch / Transfer back to Jakera.

Friday plus Weekend - You will stay in Monteverde for 4 days, then return to Jakera Jungle Camp.

Cloud Forest Reforestation in Monteverde*
We have joined forces with Finca Lantana for our new project that all our volunteers will participate in. The preparation of soil, tree planting and maintenance of saplings. Our goal is to reforest this land previously clear for cattle to its original glorious cloud forest state over the coming years.

During the weekends, there are a lot of opportunities to explore the area and try out different activities. If you're into yoga, try a beach session on Sunday mornings: get up a little earlier than usual to enjoy a pre-breakfast yoga session on the beach. Yoga is very popular in this part of the world and 45 mins costs around $15. You can also try white water rafting, horse riding, surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, whale watching, a jungle canopy tour etc. There is always something to do and if it all sounds to active, you can just enjoy the beach or pool.

Please note: Travel on the weekends, or any of the extra activities is at your own expense and risk. We cannot be responsible but, if anything happens, we will of course be there to assist. Please ensure that you have adequate medical insurance before you carry out any activity.

Police Clearance Certificate

Volunteers need to be flexible and keep an open mind concerning their placements as situations can arise beyond our control which could require you to be placed at a different project than the one you have initially chosen. We will of course always do our utmost to fulfill your initial wishes but do remember that where you are going is quite different from where you are coming and as such one should be prepared for things not always going according to plan.

Volunteering and intercultural travel share a common trait: the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. This program is designed for proactive individuals and groups that are prepared to adapt to the local environment and its current needs. Naturally, the scheduling and activities of our program are subject to change. Alterations in activities are mainly due to changes in local conditions, which we believe is part of what makes overseas programs the interesting adventure and incredible learning experience that they are.