Costa Rica Animal Volunteer Program Overview
Do you want to stand guard over baby sloths as they learn to climb? How about making sure the deer wandering the property have a salt lick? Come and spend the summer in Costa Rica volunteering at a wildlife rescue center and do just that while making friendships to last a lifetime!
You will help out at the shelter in the morning, preparing breakfast for the animals and helping them heal on their road to recovery*. You’ll also assist with a variety of tasks imperative to running the shelter such as cleaning the animals’ cages, preparing medicine, light construction work, or any other work that is needed. After lunch, you’ll return to the rescue center for more work with the animals. By mid-afternoon, we will head to the beach to relax and surf. We will also go whitewater rafting and visit the local indigenous BriBrí tribe. Evenings are spent embracing the beat of the Caribbean by listening to village music, enjoying authentic dinners, and strolling the streets of the village.
*Due to Costa Rican law only the professionals we work with will directly handle the animals. Our participants will be able to observe and assist when appropriate. Our experience at the shelter will be ethical and impactful.
On this trip you will:
- Earn up to 80 hours of community service credit at a wildlife rescue center
- Learn about the ongoing efforts to protect endangered animals
- Feed and nurture animals while assisting with their recovery
- Learn about the inner operations of an animal rehabilitation center
- Relax on stunning Caribbean beaches
- Visit a native tribe of Bribrí people, learn about their way of life and enjoy their traditional cuisine
- Try whitewater rafting and surfing in clear Caribbean waters
- Fly through the jungle canopy on a zipline adventure
- Eat delicious Tico cuisine
Trip Itinerary
DAY 1: DEPART FROM MIAMI (MIA)
DAY 2: SAN JOSE > PUERTO VIEJO
After arriving and spending a night in San Jose we will take a private bus to Puerto Viejo, our new jungle home for the next few weeks.
DAYS 2-21: PUERTO VIEJO > THE BRIBRÍ TRIBE
We will have an introduction to the animal rehabilitation center and receive a training session before jumping into our service work! We’ll get to know all of the animals at the shelter and spend our mornings taking care of them and keeping the shelter operating smoothly. Students will work only with animals that are safe, but you will see the staff’s efforts to rehabilitate snakes (including some of the most poisonous snakes in the world) and other injured and orphaned animals. Volunteer work is need-based and always varies, but in past years we have rescued a sea turtle and nursed him back to health before returning him to the ocean, cared for orphaned sloths and monkeys, repaired cages, given medicine to a variety of animals, worked on various maintenance projects, and overall gained a better understanding of the work that goes into running and operating an animal shelter, the dangers that face animals in the wild, and preventative actions to improve the environment and help these animals in the future.
After all of our hard work, we will need some time to enjoy everything this gorgeous country has to offer! We will incorporate plenty of fun activities into each day to help you maximize your time in Costa Rica. With beach time for surfing, horseback riding, soccer, and beach volleyball, you are sure to love your time spent in Puerto Viejo!
In addition to our laid-back beach activities, we’ll include some adventurous activities in the jungle, such as ziplining through the rainforest, whitewater rafting down one of the most famous rafting rivers in the world, and afternoon hikes. If you aren’t feeling very adventurous, no worries! We always offer options and there will be alternative activities if you prefer not to partake in the more adventurous sports.
To better understand Costa Rican culture we will take a trip to the indigenous Bribrí tribe to meet them and learn more about their daily life. We’ll also visit a chocolate making facility to learn how this delicious Costa Rican product is grown and produced, and of course, sample some treats as well!.
By the end of your three-week adventure, you will have not only gained an appreciation for the animals of Costa Rica, but also learned more about rescue and rehabilitation work, immersed yourself in the culture, had thrilling adventures, and made some lifelong friends (with both humans and animals)!
DAY 22: RETURN FLIGHT TO THE USA
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do we stay?
Students stay in centrally located, safe, and well-supervised accommodations in each city.
They are well suited to facilitating group supervision and usually within walking distance of the main attractions. We do not use large, impersonal chain hotels on the outskirts of cities; we prefer to select smaller, family-run hotels where we establish personal relationships with the owners.
In Puerto Viejo, we stay in a hotel surrounded by trees where you can see monkeys, iguanas, and toucans hanging around. The hotel is just steps from the wildlife rescue center where we will be performing our service.
For safety reasons, we do not publish the names of the accommodations we use. We do not feel it is safe to publish the name of a hotel where a group of teenagers is staying abroad. After registering, participants and parents are given access to our secure parent website where you will be able to see the names of all of the accommodations for a program.
Students stay in centrally located, safe, and well-supervised accommodations in each city.
They are well suited to facilitating group supervision and usually within walking distance of the main attractions. We do not use large, impersonal chain hotels on the outskirts of cities; we prefer to select smaller, family-run hotels where we establish personal relationships with the owners.
In Puerto Viejo, we stay in a hotel surrounded by trees where you can see monkeys, iguanas, and toucans hanging around. The hotel is just steps from the wildlife rescue center where we will be performing our service.
For safety reasons, we do not publish the names of the accommodations we use. We do not feel it is safe to publish the name of a hotel where a group of teenagers is staying abroad. After registering, participants and parents are given access to our secure parent website where you will be able to see the names of all of the accommodations for a program.
What is unique about the Costa Rica Animal Rescue Service trip?
Costa Rica Animal Rescue Service gives the unique chance to work with exotic animals, whitewater rafting on one of the best rivers in the world, and TFT’s expertise in leading students through Costa Rica make this trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Costa Rica Animal Rescue Service gives the unique chance to work with exotic animals, whitewater rafting on one of the best rivers in the world, and TFT’s expertise in leading students through Costa Rica make this trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
What is included on the Costa Rica Animal Rescue Service trip?
Tuition cost includes: ground transportation; accommodation; chaperones and guides; program-related activities and admissions; taxes and tips; all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Not included in cost (this is not intended to be an exhaustive list): airfare; visas and visa application fees; personal and medical expenses; activities and admissions that are not program-related or referenced in the itinerary; beverages other than filtered water at meals; participant expenses that are outside of the program description, such as excess baggage fees and damage to hotels; expenses related to unforeseen circumstances, such as transportation strikes and natural disasters.
Tuition cost includes: ground transportation; accommodation; chaperones and guides; program-related activities and admissions; taxes and tips; all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Not included in cost (this is not intended to be an exhaustive list): airfare; visas and visa application fees; personal and medical expenses; activities and admissions that are not program-related or referenced in the itinerary; beverages other than filtered water at meals; participant expenses that are outside of the program description, such as excess baggage fees and damage to hotels; expenses related to unforeseen circumstances, such as transportation strikes and natural disasters.
What is the food like on this program?
The food on this program is authentic, delicious, and a central part of the cultural travel experience.
We prioritize eating at local, authentic establishments rather than Americanized chains, encouraging students to sample the local specialties wherever we go. We fully accommodate all dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten allergies, and other restrictions.
The food in Costa Rica is delicious! Expect to eat seasoned rice, beans, chicken, steak, tropical fruit and veggies, plantains, and many other foods flavored with unique Caribbean spices! Vegetarians will have no issues eating well on the trip. Also, unlike in Europe where a light breakfast of coffee and toast is the norm, ticos (Costa Ricans) eat big, savory breakfasts—and so will we!
The food on this program is authentic, delicious, and a central part of the cultural travel experience.
We prioritize eating at local, authentic establishments rather than Americanized chains, encouraging students to sample the local specialties wherever we go. We fully accommodate all dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten allergies, and other restrictions.
The food in Costa Rica is delicious! Expect to eat seasoned rice, beans, chicken, steak, tropical fruit and veggies, plantains, and many other foods flavored with unique Caribbean spices! Vegetarians will have no issues eating well on the trip. Also, unlike in Europe where a light breakfast of coffee and toast is the norm, ticos (Costa Ricans) eat big, savory breakfasts—and so will we!