GVI, Ethical Impact: Internships in Costa Rica

I've travelled all over the world, but I have never lived in a place quite like this. There is nothing more immersive than waking up in the middle of a rainforest; Frogs croaking, Birds singing & Monkeys howling. What a way to wake up.
From taking surveys along the river, through the rainforest & on the beach there is no better way to feel so connected to nature & knowing that you are playing a part in looking after it.
The wildlife is amazing to watch & see, with their diverse colors, hypnotic melodies & intriguing footprints. There is also something to see around every corner.
If you really want to feel connected to nature & feel like you are making a difference; GVI Jalova is a trip worth taking. Whether you are there for two weeks or two months, you will feel a sense of serenity whilst make life-long friends.

I was part of the first volunteer group in Cimarrones Costa Rica. The people were all really nice and welcoming. There is also a nice river right on the property that is perfect for a quick cool down after the children's class. The women's class is also rewarding. All the students are so eager to learn that you end each class happy.
I was able to take charge of my internship project, and interview three people from the area. I would suggest more than 4 weeks for interns that plan on conducting interviews though. However, I was very comfortable volunteering 4 weeks (it felt like the perfect length). Without the desire for more interviews, I was very happy with my time.
The base itself is comfortable and has two showers (one with hot water). I personally never needed the hot water shower. There are also fans for those who need to be cool at night. Alicia, the cook, also makes the best plantains I have ever had. You will fall in love with her cooking!

I did a short-term wildlife internship with GVI at their Jalova, Costa Rica project in 2019. I researched many different organisations and decided on GVI, I loved their ethos and was glad to experience every bit of it being true. I felt in safe hands from the moment I booked, the support staff were friendly and gave lots of useful information. I was met at the airport by GVI and transfered to my hostel the day before travlling to base so I felt safe arriving on my own in a new country.

On base, the staff were excellent, very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Despite being in the remote Costa Rican jungle amongst the wild animals and with basic living conditions, I felt very safe. The opportunities to learn were second to none and we dived straight in to our duties after a solid orientation. I got to experience beautiful habitats and tonnes of wild animals in their natural environment. Contributing toward the protection and conservation of that special place was one of the best experiences of my life. If I wasn't mid-way through study then I would have undoubtedly stayed longer, I just didn't want to leave. The food was excellent and adjustments were made for any dietary requirements (vegan/gluten free etc.).

I now have a wealth of practical conservation experience and have made many friends for life, whom I see as much as possible back in the UK! I was so impressed with GVI that I have booked another trip (delayed due to Covid-19), but I am eager to work with GVI in 2020 to make the world a better place.

I absolutely loved my programme with GVI. I went on a 6 week internship to Costa Rica where I did biodiversity, jaguar and turtle surveys. I was really nervous about going on a conservation programme as I have no conservation experience at all. I didn’t need to be though as they taught me everything I needed to know. The staff were absolutely amazing and really passionate about the programme. I felt like I was part of a family during my time there and am already planning on going on another GVI programme. I was really pleased that I could see where my money was going, which was really important to me. I felt like the work we were doing was important and making an impact and I really believe in the core values of GVI as a company. I couldn’t recommend GVI enough!

My time with GVI in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica was phenomenal. I did the short-term internship in between my second and my final year of my university degree as part of my placement year and choose this program due to their very good reputation and to build my skills in conservation.

My role as an intern was to assist with the research projects which were being carried out at the biological research camp I was living at. Whilst there, there were jaguar and biodiversity projects running so I helped with the tracking and camera trapping of jaguars and biodiversity surveys of the surrounding habitat. Also, whilst on this internship I completed GVI’s biological survey technique program where I learnt how to apply conservation practise to a range of ecosystems and I also did an emergency first aid program to prepare for the realities of practising conservation in the wild. In addition, I completed the ILM endorsed leadership certificate where I had to do several presentations, assignments and attend weekly one to one sessions with my mentor.

The staff were paramount to the incredible experience as they offer a wealth of knowledge and make you feel welcome from day one in camp. Due to the remote and basic living conditions you quickly form very close friendships, unforgettable memories and meet amazing, like minded people along the way which makes the experience so wonderful.

My high expectations of this program were massively exceeded, and I wish I choose to stay for more than 8 weeks. Don’t just consider doing a GVI program, DO IT, you will not regret it at all. I can hands down say this was one of the best experiences of my life and helped give me direction to my future career plans and shaped me massively as an individual.

Pura Vida!!!

My name is Genevieve (Gen) Barrett, I was an Intern at GVI's Costa Rica Jalova Base whilst on a gap year in 2019. My time in Jalova was incredible, words cannot describe how much I value the experiences I have had in that beautiful place. Tortuguero National Park is extremely beautiful, and the wildlife there is like nothing I have ever seen before. My favourite surveys were the Bird Boats (bird watching from a canoo) and Forest Biodiversity surveys. I have learnt so much that will aid me at university and I'm my future career. I would definitely recommend this Internship to anybody interested in a career in wildlife or anybody who is just looking to learn more about the wonderful world we live in - especially Costa Rica. I assure you that you won't regret attending.

The best way to show everyone how good my experience with GVI Jalova was is to state some facts. When I signed up for the program, I was doubting to go for 2 or 3 months. Eventually I signed up for 4. I ended up sticking around for more than 2 years. I gained many skills in wildlife identification (camera trapping, use of binoculars, using the behavior of the animals). Perhaps more important are all the opportunities up for grabs in Jalova. I managed to become an EFR instructur, Leader of a long term monitoring project, intern manager and alumni coördinator within 6 months. Granted, this is what i wanted to achieve and I was fully commited to this, but i'm just trying to show it IS possible with GVI. Thanks to this experience I now feel ready for the next step in my conservation career, and I have the references and certifications to back it up with! The living conditions have sometimes been hard, but it made the experience complete. With a positive attitude and open mind you can accomplish great things for yourself and the national park here. I believe this is the best place in the world for a volunteer to truly experience wild nature. I have encountered incredible wildlife on a daily basis, finding new species almost weekly even after spending 2 years there. The educational and fun atmosphere created by the people in base can almost be described as magical. I learned incredibly much and never had so much fun doing so.

I was in Jalova as a 2 Month (Short term) Intern and I got to say 2 months are too short! I would suggest if you choose to do an internship stay as long as your money allows you to. The only time I would not recommend staying long is if you get homesick easily.

I have a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and I really wanted to gain more experience doing field work which is why I chose this internship in Tortuguero National Park. The two weeks are basically orientation, learning the species, first aid, getting to know people and getting used to our new surroundings. Then we start doing the surveys, there's the Forest Biodivery Survey, Canal bird surveys, Jaguar walks and camera traps, and turtle stuff (though I didn't stay long enough for that).

For the internship, you are most of the time paired with a project leader and they walk you through the internship. A short-term internship is mainly focusing on leadership with no additional work related to biology. But since the leaders are fantastic they let me do both the biology and leadership work, which was a lot to cram in to 6 weeks but I did it thanks to Allen! I think that the internship is a great way of seeing if conservation work is right for you if your still on the fence. Also, you will see so many awesome animals like Central American spider monkeys, Collared Aracari, and many Slender anoles. The animals are adorable and you will see a new species each time you go out!

The friends that you get from Jalova though is by far one of the best reasons to come. I came in January so the group I was in were the first batch of the year. The jungle put us through the ringer the first month, rain, more rain, solar powered things stopped working, the water tower broke... We became so close since we went through everything together and it also helped that the leaders were somehow still so enthusiastic when the sky was raining cats and dogs and we had to go out on a survey.

I was so sad when it came time to leave, I honestly didn't want to. I think I was lucky with the staff I got and the other volunteers I was with during my time there. But I'm sure if you give it a chance you will have a great time and learn a lot of card games!