ECO TOURISM COSTA RICA

Needed: Biological Station volunteers in Costa Rica
Organization: Campanario Biological Station

Location: Drake Bay, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Accom.: Volunteers pay a fee of $20/day to cover food and housing

Campanario Biological Station is a private reserve and field station located near Corcovado National Park, on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. For over 30 years, it has served as a nature preserve, education center, and ecotour destination in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Researchers, student groups, and visitors come to experience the remote location, the beautiful scenery, the unique wildlife, and enjoy some of Central America’s last coastal rainforest.

Visitors come by boat to stay in the jungle, hike the trails to Corcovado, or take day trips to snorkel near Caño Island. University and school groups often come for weeklong stays and hold field study courses. Campanario has also hosted scientists for many years, conducting research on wildlife, plants, and ecosystem dynamics.

Campanario is remote, off the grid with no vehicle access. Visitors arrive by boat or a long walk from the nearest town. Power is provided by solar panels, and water is collected from a nearby stream. While we have a station phone, cell service is intermittent. The buildings include bunkhouses, kitchen/dining area, bathrooms, cabins, and staff housing. The station is right on the beach in a private cove, backed up on 170 acres (69 hectares) of private reserve adjacent to the National Park.

We are seeking volunteers to assist with visitors, station/trail maintenance, and ongoing research projects. Volunteers live and work onsite at the field station alongside fulltime staff.

Volunteers and interns are expected to contribute the equivalent of 6 hours of work per day, six days a week.While not working, everyone has full access to the grounds, including the beaches and forest trails. Three meals a day are provided, and everyone is responsible for their own laundry and cleaning personal space. Housing for volunteers includes a bunkhouse room that may be shared during high occupancy.

Volunteers are accepted on an ongoing basis, although the facility gets more crowded in the high season December-February. Minimum commitment is 1 month.

Requirements:

No experience is necessary. However, all applicants must be prepared for living in primitive conditions in a remote location in a foreign country. Specifically:

• Willingness to stay in a remote area with limited electricity, no warm water, and no internet/cell service.
• High tolerance for heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and the risk of animals in the living space.
• Ability to adapt to a foreign culture and navigate language barriers.
• Ability to stay in shared living conditions for an extended period of time.
• Good physical condition, can hike several miles uphill with no problems.
• Valid passport
• Valid insurance
• Must be 21 years old

Volunteers pay a fee of $20/day to cover food and housing. Upon acceptance, they must pay a deposit of $400, with the full payment due upon arrival. Minimum commitment is 1 month.

To apply, please send an email with attached CV or resume to: volunteers@campanario.org . A full cover letter is not necessary, just a brief paragraph outlining your background and interest. Please indicate you saw this posting at GoodWork.

Volunteers are accepted year-round. We recommend applying at least a month in advance due to logistics.

For more information, please contact: Mckenzie Wing, Projects Coordinator +1 360 724 8059 volunteers@campanario.org