Volunteer for a renown wildlife sanctuary that promotes the conservation of wild scarlet macaws, great green macaws and provides an essential refuge for threatened animals in Costa Rica. You will begin your program with an exciting Spanish language and culture week in San Jose.
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance – minimum three-week commitment (itinerary subject to change):
Week 1, Sun – Sat: Spanish Immersion Week
Start your Costa Rica experience with our Spanish language immersion week at one of the top Schools in the country. Live with a Costa Rican family and gain useful Spanish skills for your volunteer adventure. This includes:
Week 2-3 and beyond: Wildlife Volunteer Program
Sunday: Our team will assist you transfer by public bus to the animal rescue center. Private transfer is also available for an extra fee.
Mon – Fri: On-site orientation on Monday, followed by meaningful volunteer work at the wildlife sanctuary. Volunteers usually get one day off a week.
Sat-Sun: Transfer back to San Jose is on your last Saturday at the program. You will spend one night in San Jose with our host family, and on Sunday, catch your flight home.
Planning to come for one month or more? Combine this project with our Sea Turtle Conservation program, for a diverse wildlife experience. We will assist with the transfers.
What’s Included
What’s not Included:
Costa Rica is a popular destination for eco-tourism because of its rich biodiversity. Although relatively small, the country is home to over 5% of the world’s plant & animal species. Costa Rica is Spanish for the rich coast and it is truly an ideal tropical paradise with diverse landscapes, flora and fauna. From rainforests, to temperate forests, to volcanoes, to Caribbean and Pacific beaches, to high mountains and marshy lowlands, this country has much to offer.
The Spanish Immersion Week takes place in San Jose, and the sanctuary is on the North Pacific side of Costa Rica, approximately six hours from San José.
Although Costa Rica is a well-known destination for sustainable tourism, its diverse wildlife is under many threats. These include habitat loss because of development, electrocutions, dog and cat attacks, and illegal pet trading.
The Puntarenas Pacific Sanctuary is on the North Pacific side of Costa Rica, approximately six hours from San José. It is home to macaws, sloths, birds, jaguars, ocelots, spider monkeys, tortoises, and other animals with the following aims:
The sanctuary has over 500 animals that need daily care. As a volunteer, you will help the Wildlife Rescue Team carry out the following tasks:
Typical Daily Schedule:
The daily schedule can be intense, but the work here is rewarding for animal lovers!
The local team will allocate the volunteers tasks in work groups, following proper orientation and training. Volunteers work six-eight hours per day, six days a week. This sanctuary has a minimum duration of two weeks of volunteer work.
Note: schedule and tasks may vary depending on the amount of volunteers and tasks required.
Alternative Placements: This volunteer program fills up quickly! In case your requested date is full, we can place you with another excellent wildlife sanctuary near San Jose.
Internship option: For an additional fee, qualified volunteers can join this program as an intern. To ensure a valuable experience, interns must join this internship for a minimum of four weeks volunteer work plus 1 week of the Culture/Immersion week and it requires an intermediate level of Spanish proficiency. Please contact us to discuss this option.
Please review this project’s minimum requirements:
Tour options
We recommend traveling around Costa Rica before, during the weekends or after your volunteer placement. You can either explore the country on your own or simply join a tour. Here are a few popular options that you can book with us in advance:
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