ISV - Volunteer Projects in Costa Rica

My summer in Costa Rica was so amazing! On my project with ISV I got to work with sea turtles, we were patrolling at night and counting the eggs, measuring their shells, and tagging the fins of the turtles we found nesting on the beach. There is this thing that the turtles do called an arribada, which is a mass nesting. The mass nesting can be anywhere between 2-7 days long. The arribada that i got to experience was 3 days long and we got to see over 5,000 Olive ridley sea turtles nesting on the beach. I was the most incredible sight!! I was counting one turtles eggs and when she finished i stood up to give my egg count to the recorder and i look over the beach and it was just a sea of turtles! Everywhere you looked on that section of beach was a sea turtle! It is a sight I will never forget along with an amazing experience that i will never forget. If i had a chance to go back i would in a heartbeat!

Wow. That was my exact reaction both when I first set foot on the beach of my project site and when I stepped into the boat to leave two weeks later. Costa Rica, or the Rich Coast, was nothing short of incredible. Packed with intense biodiversity, the lush rain forest environment created the perfect setting to perform our work. Throughout our two weeks in the country, us volunteers helped out with a variety of projects, from counting seeds dispersed through the rain forest, measuring trees, planting soil bags, making signs for tourists to read, and researching the human impact in the environment through ecotourism. Because I am an engineering student, the project work I was assigned in Costa Rica provided the ideal real-world scenario for experience. Furthermore, the group I was assigned to was amazing--everyone was so helpful and kind; the project coordinators, host families, and fellow volunteers all around were very friendly. I have so many stories from those two weeks, including an up close encounter with monkeys, fishing coconuts out of trees, and sunset swims. I would highly recommend this country and ISV for anyone who loves traveling and making an impact in their world. So enough reading--get out there and help your Earth!

I arrived in Costa Rica from London feeling very nervous about the weeks to come and the people I would meet, and to be honest, never saw myself coming out the other side alive! Safe to say I live to tell the tale.

The journey started in Heredia where I met my group of eight others and our leader Pablo Riba. We had three girls including myself and the rest boys in our group which made for a really fun and chilled dynamic. Everyone was American excluding myself and two boys from France. Firstly we took a bus to the river and then an extremely bumpy hour and a half long boat trip to the village on the Osa Peninsula where we would stay for the next two weeks.

When we arrived the families were there to greet us and help with our luggage- regretted the size of my obscenely large bag after the ten minute walk from the beach to my little wooden hut where I experienced my first case of the jungle sweats. Little did I know this was to be a state of permanence during my whole trip in the 95% humidity. Our group was split into three groups of three for the sleeping arrangements and we stayed with different families in the village, all 5 mins walk from each other. In one case the volunteer dorm was attached to the host family's house but us girls and the boy group were in separate cabins next to the host house. Ours was comfortable enough for the middle of the rainforest but after inspection of everyone else's living quarters we realised that we had drawn the short straw. Above the wooden walls, we were exposed to the elements allowing entry of my worst enemies in the jungle- giant moths and crabs from the beach. In our hut there were two sets of bunk beds, a 'shower' (more like a trickle that didn't much like to work in the rain), toilet, sink and a mirror- luxury!

My host dad was called Elmer and was extremely welcoming, although, like everyone else in the village of the older generation, spoke not a word of English! I really do recommend coming with at least some Spanish. Having said that my Spanish is terrible and I'm now an expert in conversation via facial expressions and eyebrow movements- there are perks either way. We were fed generously throughout the trip although through no fault of my host dad I was extremely ill with an upset stomach. The meals were VERY different with rice and beans being served for breakfast lunch and dinner. The rice and beans were served with a side of fruit and egg for breakfast and for lunch and dinner it was a type of meat and some veg- usually chicken. Make sure you bring lots of stomach neutralising meds because there are no toilets once you get up into the forest!

The first day of work in the forest took my breath away ( literally). It was not only hot but the hiking was extremely physically demanding. We had to walk up the dreaded 'red hill' to collect data in quadrants. This consisted of four or five (depending on where in the jungle you were collecting) extremely steep inclines with uneven terrain. Although this was tough and I discovered that my body can sweat more than I ever thought possible, the view from the top was beautiful. You could see above the forest canopy and then the bluest of seas which I thought only existed on Instagram after hours of editing and saturation boosts. A natural paradise. It was on this first day at this moment that we got our first awkward group photo as we all stood about a mile apart from each other which we looked back on at the end of the trip and found hilarious. I was very thankful for my litre and a half water bottle- essential to have a big bottle on this trip as we were out until the hottest part of the day (around 12) with no way of filling up. The morning work consisted of walking around the forest with our local guide,placing quadrants under trees and counting the seeds. During our time on the Osa we each had two days with Pablo helping him measure the width of some of the biggest trees in the forest which changed up the daily routine a bit- the rest of the group did the usual seed counting with the local guide. This data would be included in a long report that Pablo sends to the government each year comparing growth and monitoring development.

Although this sounds very dull, and it was very slippy/ steep most of the time underfoot, our group became so close that even this was fun. I think everyone just got on with the work thinking of the positive effect it would have on sustaining this beautiful environment. Every day we saw a different type of animal- spider monkeys were the most common but red macaws and toucans were also frequent visitors! We went back to the village for lunch every day and you really did feel like you deserved it . Every day our whole group went to the beach for a swim together during our lunch break before starting afternoon work. This was way more chilled as we just stayed in the village filling up soil bags that we numbered and planted different seeds in that Pablo had collected from the forest. This downtime meant hours of talking and we really got to know each other well. After the days work was finished at about 3.30 and Pablo walked home, we often stayed at 'El Rancho' which was the clubhouse, or went to watch the breathtaking sunsets together until dinner which was at 6. Particularly amusing for me was my re creation of a scene with Jesus and his disciples at sunset. We had one guy with long hair who held a stick whilst everyone else bowed before him. This nickname of 'Jesus' stuck with poor Matt for the rest of the trip. Nonetheless, it was an excellent photo strategically planned by yours truly.

During these two weeks we had two free days the first of which we got a boat to the nearest village called Drake. Us girls attempted to look nice- an impossibility in the jungle. As soon as I stepped out of the hut it started pouring with rain and within minutes my mascara was all over my face leaving me looking like a tragic woman who had attempted tribal war paint with hair resembling Bridget Jones circa 2001. We were all thrilled to get wifi at the village. Although I thought the no drinking policy would annoy me, I wasn't bothered by it at all for the sole reason that there wasn't really anywhere to go to buy drinks! Beware- do not buy pizza. I ordered four cheese and they put nacho cheese on it and charged a bomb. Utter outrage.

On the next free day we went to the beautiful Rio Claro waterfall with out local guide Waneger. It was like something out of the jungle book and I feel very blessed that I have been lucky enough to see mother nature in this way. For lunch, Waneger took us to the beach and a sweet organic looking shop where a local sold necklaces and bracelets made from shells and natural materials for reasonable prices. I got a necklace which I felt was a rite of passage on my way to becoming a woman of the jungle/ edgy traveler. Both the free days were lovely although not that relaxing as everywhere you go you have to walk- and sweat.

Although everyone is on panic alert for Zika virus at the moment, I really didn't get bitten that much. I slept with a fly net around my bed and put fly spray on in the morning but I sweated that off within about 10 mins (gross I know). So all in all protection from flies is not essential as the main problem area (legs and feet) are covered by long socks and rubber boots.

I really can't recommend this project enough. As cliche and ridiculous as it sounds, it has opened my eyes to the world, not just to the beauty of nature but also to what is damaging on a human scale and the many threats of exploitation that fecund countries such as Costa Rica face. I think it is essential for people to be reminded of the joys of simplicity at least once in their lives, and this volunteer project is something that definitely taught me that. Until next time, Costa Rica.

Deciding to go to Costa Rica with ISV was literally one of the best decisions of my life. I am 21, and have never traveled outside of the United States. I was traveling alone, not knowing anyone, and I was scared out of my mind. But literally right when I got there, I felt SO at home. The ISV workers are so welcoming and kind and make you feel so comfortable right away. The environment is one of my passions, so naturally going to Costa Rica has always been high on my list. I never imagined what I was actually in for though, IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. I felt like I was living a dream for 2 weeks. Don't get me wrong, the volunteer work is HARD. But it is so rewarding, you leave the forest every day feeling tired, but SO SO fulfilled. The families are so kind and loving, and you literally can experience a completely new culture "hands-on". I think my favorite part of the whole experience was the combination of the beautiful forests and working to keep them beautiful along with making life long friends and memories. Costa Rica will forever hold a special place in my heart and I am so thankful for a organization like ISV.

Going to Costa Rica was the best experience of my life! It was my first time out of the country and I couldn't have asked for a better country to volunteer in. I was able to volunteer in the rainforest where I saw a new animal everyday and saw some of the best sunsets I've ever seen. After those two weeks I went on the adventure tour and I want to go back because I loved it so much! I got to go white water rafting, zip lining over the rainforest, and repelling down a 280ft waterfall! I made a lot of life long friends and can't wait to make more!

Whenever friends and family ask "How was your ISV trip?" my response is always the same: "It was perfect." It has been one month since I have returned from my ISV trip in Costa Rica and I can honestly say not one day has gone by without me thinking about my trip. Everyday there has been at least one moment that I have been reminded of how lucky I was to participate in my program, how much it has positively affected my views of our beautiful planet, how proud I am to have made a positive impact in the incredible country of Costa Rica and represent ISV, and/or how much I miss the country and people I met while there. I have also talked with the lifelong friends I made during my project and the adventure tour every day since. Each day in Costa Rica was incredible during my four weeks there, however ziplining next to volcan Arenal, white water rafting through the Pacuare River, and witnessing a mini arribada on playa Ostional are all my fondest memories. ISV changed my life for the better in so many ways and I cannot thank them enough. Sign up for an ISV trip this summer! You won't regret it.

My time on the ISV program in Costa Rica was life changing. The first week was a spanish immersion program. I stayed at a nice home stay and walked to the school everyday. I met so many great people, got better at spanish, and had plenty of adventures around town after classes. The second two weeks I went to Nancite beach to work with sea turtles. This was definitely an adjustment. We had to hike a mountain with our luggage and stay in a poorly insulated cabin. There was nothing cold except the shower water, and not much to do unless you were inventive. If you go on this trip i strongly recommend a deck of card or something to do. Since we were so secluded, I got really close with everyone in my group. It was such a great learning experience that challenged me physically and mentally. When we finally returned with our leg muscles and bug bites, we met back with the other groups and started the adventure tour. This was the best part of the trip for a lot of people. We got to do so many awesome activities and have free time in between them. I got to get out of my shell and talk with the locals who are very nice and laid back people. The people I have met on this trip probably made it worth it. Although the travel and sights and activities and experiences were amazing, the things I learned from talking with each person in our group changed me. I came out of it with a broader perspective and an attitude to do my part in the world. I have been making lifestyle changes ever since I have been back. I am finally becoming the person I want to be, and I couldn't have done it without this trip. I would definitely do it again. If you have an open mind, it makes it ten times better. Many things are as good as you make them. I strongly suggest keeping a journal and write in it everyday. Many people regret not doing it, and my journal is now one of my most cherished possessions. Have fun and pura vida!!!

This trip was amazing. The people in Costa Rica are so helpful and open to new people learning about their culture and how to speak Spanish. I remember when we went to the Waterfall Gardens and our guide stayed with me the entire time and helped me learn the animals' names in Spanish. It made learning Spanish fun and interactive and has greatly increased my respect for culture in other places. I would definitely visit this beautiful, nature-rich country again.