Why did you decide to volunteer with ISV in Costa Rica?
Amelia: I decided to volunteer in Costa Rica because I had heard about ISV, wanted to do a conservation project, and couldn't make up my mind about which of the amazing places I wanted to go. I ended up going to Costa Rica by random selection (on my part) and am so happy I did. I go to see so many amazing animals and meet many of the natives who were wonderful and extremely helpful--especially since I didn't speak much Spanish.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Amelia: On my project, Spotted Dolphin and Poison Dart Frog Research, I would rotate from day to day on the boat and in the rainforest. On rainforest days I would wake up, eat breakfast with our host organization (a Costa Rican family that owned the camp and who's son was a researcher) and other volunteers, and then venture into the forest and collect data with one of the researches. This would include GPS coordinates, time and date, number of frogs, and so forth. When out on the boat we would look for dolphins and collect data about their behavior, where we were, how many of them we saw, and so on.
Each day we would work for about eight hours and then go back to our camp, eat dinner (lunch was provided wherever we were), talk about our learning experiences, and then go to sleep. We got to go to beaches if we finished early on the boats, go into the towns, have internet access, pretty "normal" stuff. The data we collected was to help regulate and zone areas for protection of the wildlife there. For instance, frogs cannot survive without water so they need their rainforest habitat and the dolphins won't eat when being disturbed by tourists and drown when caught in fishing nets.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Amelia: This experience has made me want to volunteer more often. Although I could've done way more than I did there, what I helped with was important. I may not have saved the world but every bit counts in the end. I also got to experience another culture and I feel that will more cultural diversity everyone is a better person, professionally and personally. You have to live like someone else does to know what their life is like and I am fortunate enough to have gotten the opportunity to do so. I am also very thankful for all of the things and affordances that I have had in my life, although not many I am truly blessed.