Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Expedition Briefing
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Please read the following information carefully before leaving for your expedition.
The Research
The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, one of Central America's most biodiverse regions, faces significant environmental threats compromising its unique ecosystems. Deforestation, habitat degradation, and the resultant loss of biodiversity stand as critical challenges in this vibrant area. Climate change exacerbates the urgency for effective conservation solutions amidst growing threats. This research is pivotal in enhancing ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, erosion minimization, water purification, and biodiversity preservation. Deforestation's contribution of roughly 15% to global carbon emissions highlights the urgent need for forest restoration in climate change mitigation (van der Werf et al., 2009).
The study focuses on the Osa Peninsula, a crucial area for maintaining biodiversity connectivity within the protected areas in the Osa Peninsula and the Amistosa Biological Corridor, which covers the whole South Pacific of Costa Rica. This research aims to evaluate effective approaches to foster ecosystem recovery that support healthy populations of wildlife species and provide ecosystem services needed by local communities. These efforts support a long-term goal of replicating these successes across other regions in Costa Rica. 美姬社区 participants play a pivotal role in this endeavor, collecting essential data on wildlife recovery and the effectiveness of various restoration techniques.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Research Aims
The research aims to assess different tree-planting strategies to accelerate the characteristics that make mature tropical forests biologically diverse. This 鈥渆xperiment鈥 will compare the presence of wildlife species in reforested plots with different planting 鈥渢reatments鈥 to each other and primary rainforest habitats. This information can inform scientists leading other reforestation efforts and provide insights about species occupation at different restoration stages.
Additionally, scientists seek to:
- Gather long-term data on wildlife recovery in actively restored tropical rainforests to guide management strategies and inform government agencies.
- Identify efficient techniques to transition from degraded pasture lands to secondary forests, accelerating biodiversity recovery and comparing with primary forest plots.
- Restore soil quality and hydrological stability in tropical landscapes by comparing ecological indicators between restored and primary forests.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
How You Will Help
With the volunteers' help, Osa Conservation can collect long-term data for their restoration plot experiment, effectively expanding the capacity of these data collection efforts. This data will then guide the decision-making and implementation of forest connectivity recovery measures in the Amistosa region.
Osa Conservation鈥檚 mission includes enhancing scientific understanding and providing education and training at national and international levels. Working with 美姬社区 volunteers is at the core of Osa Conservation鈥檚 efforts to increase conservation impact, as their support helps expand the capacity for monitoring and raising awareness about the importance of protecting biodiversity and combating climate change.
Participation in this research expedition provides the opportunity to contribute to research and restoration efforts that can be replicated across Costa Rica and beyond.
Guided by scientists, participants will support hands-on restoration and data collection activities, such as:
- February and April teams only: Investigating biodiversity by setting up and maintaining small mammal live traps in the morning.
- August and October teams only: Surveying amphibian populations at night to monitor their recovery over time in restored plots and compare them to old-growth forest plots.
- All teams may have the opportunity to participate in the following:
- Monitoring wildlife and their interactions by installing camera traps and reviewing footage to better understand restoration's impact on biodiversity.
- Joining early morning bird monitoring surveys with a specialist, documenting bird diversity in restored and old-growth forest plots.
- Inputting collected data into databases and actively participating in creating and updating catalogs for different taxa.
- Contributing to forest structure surveys, measuring vegetation at different structural levels from canopy to soil.
- Collecting soil samples and recording temperature and humidity at different weather monitoring stations.
Through our partner, Osa Conservation, 美姬社区 participants may have the opportunity to learn about sustainable production on its local regenerative farm.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Life in the Field
Participants will live the life of an environmental scientist at the stunning Osa Conservation Campus. Once settled in, the expedition begins with an introduction to the research and training, as participants will be involved in every step of the data collection and processing. You will learn how to install camera traps, safely catch and release amphibians, identify local birds, and check small mammal live traps.
Participants will be immersed not only in a unique geographical setting but also in an outstanding scientific community of local and international conservationists, biologists, media specialists, educators, and community outreach leaders. Costa Ricans comprise over half of the Osa Conservation staff, many grew up on the peninsula and serve as a wealth of knowledge on the region鈥檚 species. Renowned tropical ecologist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Andrew Whitworth leads Osa Conservation. 美姬社区 participants will work alongside a team of Osa Conservation Scientists to build the skills and collect information needed to solve real-world conservation issues.
In addition, Osa Conservation has many programs ongoing at the field station, including very exciting projects with the capacity to engage with 美姬社区 participants. Participants may have the opportunity to collaborate in, or at least visit, the station鈥檚 regenerative farm to learn about sustainable production. Participants who join 2-week teams will also have the optional opportunity to support Osa Conservation鈥檚 local sea turtle program on their recreational day.
ITINERARY
Week 1 (鈥淎鈥 Team)
- Day 1: Rendezvous, introductions, travel to the field station
- Days 2鈥6: Fieldwork days
- Day 7: 鈥淎鈥 team volunteers depart the project.
Week 2 (鈥淏鈥 Team)
- Day 7: Rendezvous, introductions, travel to field station (for "b" team volunteers)
- Days 8鈥12: Fieldwork days
- Day 13: The team departs.
DAILY ACTIVITIES
Weather and research needs can lead to changes in the daily schedule. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding. Generally, the dry season (February & April) research is more early morning-focused, and the wet season (August & October) research is more evening-focused. For August and October teams, activities fluctuate based on the research focus of the day, with some days seeing the majority of activity in the morning and others in the evening.
Dry Season teams: February & April
- Day 1 or 7: Arrive at the field station, introductions, training on research tasks and methodologies to collect data and dinner.
- Day 2 or 8: Travel to the field site, orientation walk, training on research tasks and methodologies to collect data.
- Days 2鈥6 & 8鈥12:
- 5:00 a.m. Travel to the field site
- 5:30 a.m. Morning field work( bird counts, bat box, and camera trap checks)
- 8:30 a.m.: Breakfast
- 9:00 a.m.: Fieldwork (bat box, camera trap checks, and vegetation surveys)
- 11:00 a.m. Return to Campus/accommodation
- 11:30 a.m.: Downtime
- Noon: Lunch
- 1:00 p.m.: Downtime
- 2:30 p.m.: Planning, presentations, discussion
- 4:30 p.m.: Break
- 5:00 p.m.: Data entry/processing, & preparing, and fieldwork (Sherman traps)
- 7:00 p.m.: Dinner
- 8:00 p.m.: Recreational time
- Day 7 & 13: Depart for the airport at 7:30 a.m. (Day 7 is a recreational day for those signed up for both week A and week B; possible recreational activities below)
Wet Season teams: August & October
- Day 1 or 7: Arrive at the field station, introductions, training on research tasks and methodologies to collect data and dinner.
- Day 2 or 8: Travel to the field site, orientation walk, training on research tasks and methodologies to collect data.
- Days 2-6 & 8-12:
- 5:00 a.m.: Travel to field site
- 5:30 a.m.: Occasional early morning fieldwork (bird counts, bat box, and camera trap checks)
- 8:30 a.m.: Breakfast
- 9:00 a.m.: Fieldwork (bat box and camera trap checks and vegetation surveys)
- 11:00 a.m.: Return to Campus/accommodation
- 11:30 a.m.: Downtime
- Noon: Lunch
- 1:00 p.m.: Downtime
- 2:30 p.m.: Fieldwork (tree monitoring) & data entry/processing data
- 5:00 p.m.: Planning, presentations, discussion
- 6:00 p.m.: Dinner
- 7:00-9:30 p.m.: Occasional evening fieldwork (amphibian monitoring)
- 9:30-10:30 p.m.: Amphibian identification and measurement collection
- 10:30 p.m.: Rest
- Day 7 & 13: Depart for the airport at 7:30 a.m. (Day 7 is a recreational day for those signed up for both week A and week B; possible recreational activities are below)
Optional Recreational Time Activities
- Explore Osa鈥檚 arboretum trails: The campus boasts over 35 km of maintained trail system and a sprawling arboretum of over 301 rare, endangered, and endemic tree species.
- Visit the nearby 100-foot-tall Canopy Tower, the first on the peninsula, to get a bird' s-eye perspective of the rainforest.
- Visit and learn about Osa Conservation麓s regenerative farm
- Enjoy a beautiful sunset at the nearby beach
- Play a game of soccer (football) or volleyball; equipment available to borrow
- Lend a helping hand to the local sea turtle program (2-week teams only)
MONEY MATTERS
LOCAL CURRENCY: Costa Rican Col贸n
PERSONAL FUNDS: It is recommended that you convert the equivalent of 100鈥200 USD to Colones before you arrive for personal expenditures. If you plan to stay in Puerto Jim茅nez for extra days, you may need a bit more. Tipping is not required in Costa Rica; where it is done, it is often included in the bill (for example, if you go to a restaurant). Several staff members will see to your food, housing, and transportation needs at the Osa Conservation Campus. At the end of the experience, you may wish to leave a gratuity for these individuals, but it is not required.
Visa and Mastercard are commonly accepted in Puerto Jim茅nez and other tourist destinations in Costa Rica. At the Osa Conservation Campus, credit and debit cards and cash (Colones and USD dollars) are accepted. Osa Conservation has a small variety of items for purchase, including T-shirts, reusable water bottles, stuffed animals, and occasionally locally-made ice cream.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Essential Eligibility Requirements
All participants must be able to:
- Most days, walk up to 10 miles a day over plain, rocky, or forested terrain in rubber boots. Although, on occasion, it could be steep and uneven terrain in the forest, but shorter distances (around 5 miles).
- Be comfortable hiking and standing for up to 7 hours/day while wearing rubber boots.
- Bend down and kneel on the ground for extended periods to set traps, collect samples, and record data in the field.
- Enjoy being outdoors all day in all types of weather, including rain, heat, and extreme humidity, in the potential presence of insects, snakes, and other wild animals. Fieldwork WILL continue in rainy conditions, except for lightning storms.
- Watch footing while moving through dense, tangled vegetation in rubber boots.
- For teams participating in evening research activities (Aug & Nov teams): Watch footing after dark with minimal lighting while moving through dense, tangled vegetation in rubber boots.
- Carry up to 10 lbs. of supplies into the field daily, including personal daily supplies such as food, water, and some field equipment.
- Be comfortable in vehicles moving along steep, winding, and bumpy roads for up to an hour. The drive between the Puerto Jimenez airport and the accommodations is the longest and can induce motion sickness for susceptible people.
- Be comfortable living and working in an area where spiders, snakes, and insects are prevalent.
- Be comfortable either taking a Cessna aircraft to the remote expedition location on the Osa Peninsula or driving up to a 6鈥8-hour distance, including occasional winding bumpy roads, from San Jose, Costa Rica.
- (2-week teams only, optional activity) To participate in optional sea turtle research activities during recreation time on Day 7: walk 1 mile (1.6 km) on hilly trails through the rainforest to reach nesting beaches and then walk 1.5 miles (2.2 km) in wet and dry sand. This may be especially difficult for those with knee problems.
- Be comfortable in isolated rural field stations with basic living conditions and limited communication access.
- Follow verbal and/or visual instructions independently or with the assistance of a companion.
- Take an active role in your safety by recognizing and avoiding hazards if and when they arise (including, but not limited to, those described in 美姬社区 materials and safety briefings). Always comply with project staff instructions and recommended safety measures.
- Be able to effectively communicate to the staff if you are experiencing distress or need assistance.
- Be able to get along with a variety of people from different backgrounds and ages, often in close proximity, for the duration of your team.
- Be comfortable surrounded by a language and/or culture different from yours.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Accommodations and Food
* Please note that not every expedition has couples鈥 or singles' accommodations available. Please call or email 美姬社区 to check availability before reserving your space(s) on the team.
The Osa Conservation Campus is a regional hub for ecological research and conservation efforts. The campus is uniquely positioned to inspire and equip volunteer scientists. Here, state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge research, extraordinary landscapes, and conservation technology fuse to create a world-class field site. Nestled in the heart of the Osa Peninsula, the surrounding geographic and biological uniqueness makes this an exceptional place to conduct research and educational activities. The peninsula is a global biodiversity hotspot, with over 400 species of birds, 140 mammals, 115 amphibians, 500 trees, and 6,000 insects, and exceptionally high levels of endemism and rarity.
During breakfast, volunteer scientists may see troops of endangered Spider monkeys, Red-capped manakins snacking on fruits, and Collared peccaries chowing on roots in the understory surrounding visitor cabins, as well as river otters on afternoon dips in the pristine Piro River. (Swimming is not permitted on school group teams with participants under 18.)
English and Spanish are widely spoken and understood at this bilingual campus. Diversity and inclusion are central to the Osa Conservation team. The campus welcomes the unique contributions that all bring regarding nation of origin, education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, languages spoken, and more.
FACILITY AMENITIES
A refrigerator and freezer are available for those who need to store medications. However, this storage is not available for personal food and beverages.
There is an outdoor self-wash laundry area that participants can use. Bring biodegradable laundry soap if you plan to wash clothes during the expedition. Quick-dry clothing is also encouraged, as it can take a while to dry in the humid climate.
SLEEPING
You鈥檒l fall asleep each night to the sounds of the rainforest teeming with life outside your window, from the buzzing insects to the bellowing call of the howler monkey (earplugs recommended for lighter sleepers).
Each room has four beds and a deck with hammocks to stretch out and relax after a long day of research activities. Sheets, pillows, pillowcases, and towels are provided. Single and couple room requests are not guaranteed and will depend on the final team makeup and room availability. Please inform 美姬社区 of a special rooming request in advance. Whenever possible, requests will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. Single-gender* rooms are assigned with two to four volunteers per room.
* 美姬社区 will respectfully and without judgment honor each person鈥檚 assertion of gender identity. For both teen and adult teams, where logistics dictate single-sex accommodations or other facilities, participant placements will be made in accordance with the gender identity the participant specified on their 美姬社区 Participant form and/or preferences indicated in discussions with 美姬社区.
BATHROOMS
Bathrooms are connected to accommodations, just across the hall from the rooms. Flush toilets are available and shared (not separated by gender). Toilet paper and soap are provided. Hot water is not available in bathrooms or showers.
ELECTRICITY
Solar panels and a water turbine produce electricity for the campus, plus storage capacity, allowing staff and visitors to use electricity 24 hours a day. Occasionally, electricity can be more limited due to weather conditions during the rainy season. However, it is not a frequent issue. Please be cautious to minimize your consumption; for example, always turn off the lights and fans when you are the last to leave a room.
PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS
High-speed wireless internet is available in public areas such as the pavilion where meals are eaten, the scientific laboratory, and the classroom. Wi-Fi is not available in participants' rooms. However, Kolbi is the national mobile phone company that works at the campus, providing mobile phone reception almost everywhere on campus (not on adjacent trails). Certain field site locations will not have phone signals. Field staff will have two-way radios at these sites for emergency communications.
Please note: Personal communication with outsiders is not always possible while participating in an expedition. 美姬社区 encourages volunteers to minimize outgoing calls and immerse themselves in the experience; likewise, family and friends should restrict calls to urgent messages only.
DISTANCE TO THE FIELD SITE
The distance from the accommodation to the fieldwork sites is 0.5 to 3 km (most 3 km/1.8 miles). Volunteers and the team will hike by dirt road and/or trail to get to the sites. Depending on the fieldwork site, hiking time will take 20 minutes to over an hour.
FOOD AND WATER
The Osa Conservation Campus has a dedicated team of cooks to prepare and serve three daily meals. The meals are served at the following times each day:
- Breakfast: 7:00 a.m.*
- Lunch: 12:00 p.m.
- Dinner: 6:00 p.m.
*Depending on the daily research tasks, breakfasts may occur later in the morning (around 8:30 or 9:00) in the field.
Meals are typically served with fresh juice, and a coffee and tea station provides hot beverages throughout the day. Filtered potable water is available at all facilities and should be used for drinking and brushing teeth.
Participants are expected to clean up their place setting after each meal. Uneaten food is collected for composting and used on the regenerative Osa Verde Farm. A large commercial sink is available for washing plates, bowls, cups, and flatware. Sponges and soap are provided for washing.
Typical Meals
The following are examples of foods you may find at the field station. Variety depends on availability. We appreciate your flexibility.
The Osa Conservation Campus cooking team is committed to providing a variety of meals consisting of both Costa Rican and international cuisines. They prioritize using locally sourced ingredients and fresh fruit and vegetables from the regenerative Osa Verde Farm when available. Meals are prepared with nutritious and balanced foods to provide energy for long days working in the field. Possible options you may have for meals include:
- Breakfast: pancakes, french toast, gallo pinto (rice and beans, cheese, plantains), fresh fruits such as melon, papaya, banana, mangos, and more.
- Lunch: chicken, pork, fish, various vegetables, rice, beans, potatoes, pasta, salad.
- Dinner: chicken, pork, fish, various vegetables, rice, beans, potatoes, pasta, salad.
- Beverages: juice, water, coffee, and tea.
- Snacks: fruits, cookies, and bread may occasionally be available but are not guaranteed.
Note: If you like to have snacks between meals, you鈥檙e encouraged to bring your own. This includes early mornings when you may work in the field for several hours before breakfast. Once at the campus, you will not have access to stores to purchase additional snacks, and there is no food or drink available for purchase on campus.
Special Dietary Requirements
Please alert 美姬社区 to any special dietary requirements (e.g., diabetes, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, nut, other food allergies, vegetarian or vegan diets) as soon as possible, and note them in the space on your volunteer forms.
Dietary restrictions are considered when preparing meals if they are communicated to the staff with sufficient notice before your arrival. Vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, and nut-free allergies can all be accommodated. A strict Kosher diet cannot be accommodated in this project.
POLICIES
Hiking in the field
- To prevent snake incidents:
- during fieldwork and hiking around campus trails, participants must wear rubber boots;
- during the night, participants must always also use a headlamp to walk around;
- even if participants have experience, do not touch any snakes.
Swimming
- The field site is on the Osa Peninsula, near the Pacific Ocean, where extremely dangerous rip tides have led to drowning, even in cases where people were in the water only up to their knees. Swimming in the ocean near the campus property is forbidden (even at knee level).
- The accommodations are along the Piro River. During downtime, there will be opportunities to swim in the river. Please note that no lifeguard is on duty, so volunteers swim at their own risk. Always notify a staff member when you will be swimming, and never swim alone, at night, or after consuming alcohol. Participants under 18 are not permitted to swim during 美姬社区 expeditions since no certified lifeguard is on site.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Travel Planning
MEETING SPOT
Puerto Jim茅nez Airport (PJM) in Puerto Jim茅nez, Costa Rica.
Daily flights to Puerto Jim茅nez are limited, so you may need to arrive in Costa Rica a day before your team begins to ensure you arrive in time for the team rendezvous.
Participants who plan to take a flight from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez should be aware that these are small airplanes, and the luggage allowance is restricted to 30鈥40 lbs.; otherwise, you will need to pay an additional fee. This can be checked at.
Specific travel planning details will be provided in your 美姬社区 Expedition Logistics Document. This document can be found in your once you enroll. Please do not book travel arrangements鈥攕uch as flights鈥攗ntil the Expedition Logistics Document matching the current year has been published to your portal account.
ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION
美姬社区 strongly recommends that travelers investigate their destination before departure. Familiarity with the destination鈥檚 entry/exit requirements, visas, local laws, and customs can ensure smooth travel. and are helpful resources. For LGBTI travelers, the contains many useful tips and links.
COUNTRY AND PROJECT ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
You are responsible for reviewing and abiding by your destination's entry/exit requirements.
Entry visa requirements differ by country of origin, layover, and destination and do change unexpectedly. For this reason, please confirm your visa requirements at the time of booking and again 90 days before travel. Please apply early for your visa (we recommend starting six months before the start of your expedition). Refunds will not be made for volunteers who cancel due to not obtaining their visa in time to meet the team at the rendezvous. You can find up-to-date visa requirements at the following website:
If a visa is required, participants should apply for a TOURIST visa. Please note that obtaining a visa can take weeks or even months. We strongly recommend using a visa agency to expedite and simplify the process.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Project Conditions
The following information is as accurate as possible, but please remember that conditions may change.
The variety of ecosystems, unique fauna, and flora make the Osa Peninsula a natural wonder and paradise begging to be enjoyed. Within a single location, the Osa Conservation Campus allows one to explore diverse ecosystems, including mature and secondary lowland and premontane forests, coastal and marine ecosystems, mangroves, lagoons, and rivers.
Temperatures on the Osa Peninsula are pleasant but humid year-round. The sunniest and warmest months are from January through April, with temperatures dropping slightly with the onset of the rains in May. October and November mark the height of the wet season on the Osa; during this period, it is possible to get more than one meter of rain in a month!
- Average Temperature: 26掳颁/79掳贵
- Precipitation: 5000鈥6000 mm
- Humidity: 90%
- Dry Season: December鈥揗ay (it occasionally rains towards April-May, but not much)
- Wet Season: June鈥揘ovember (rains most days, generally in the late afternoon and evening)
Please note: Although temperatures do not seem very high, during the dry season, due to the high humidity, they can feel like >40掳C/104掳F.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
Please visit and search your project location for weather and region-specific information.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Health and Safety
EMERGENCIES IN THE FIELD
The project staff members who lead the volunteers in the field activities will have cell phones and two-way radios to communicate among the teams while conducting fieldwork. The station team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in case of an emergency on campus that requires transportation to the hospital.
Project staff members are not medical professionals.
美姬社区 has a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week emergency hotline number. Someone is always on call to respond to messages that come into our live answering service.
All projects have detailed Emergency Response Plans; this will be shared with participants at the start of each team.
IMMUNIZATIONS & TRAVEL VACCINATIONS
Please be sure your routine immunizations are up to date and that you have the appropriate vaccinations for your travel destination. Medical decisions are the responsibility of each volunteer and their doctor. Visit the or the for guidance on immunizations.
If traveling from countries or regions where yellow fever is endemic, you must have a certificate of vaccination.
Staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations, including receiving booster doses, as applicable, is strongly encouraged. For more details, please visit. For more details, please visit .
PROJECT RISKS AND CONDITIONS
Transportation
Only qualified, experienced drivers will transport participants in project vehicles; we ensure project vehicles are well maintained. Seatbelts must be worn at all times. Participants are not permitted to drive. Driving after dark, except in emergency or night research activities, will be avoided.
The roads between the Puerto Jimenez airport and accommodations are narrow and winding. The roads can induce motion sickness鈥攅ven for those who do not usually suffer from it. Participants are encouraged to take preventative measures, such as not eating before these drives and bringing anti-nausea medications if needed.
Hiking
You鈥檒l traverse up to 10 miles per day in rubber boots (not hiking shoes), possibly uphill, over rough terrain, and in humid tropical conditions; there鈥檚 a risk of sprains, strains, bruises, or breaks due to falling or tripping. You should never walk ahead of your team leader and should follow the leader鈥檚 instructions. Wear rubber boots with good treads and ankle support while hiking.
Animals
You will be coexisting with wildlife while staying at the Osa Conservation Campus. Residents may encounter wildlife in living and communal areas, on trails, or throughout the campus. You will be briefed on animal proximity and safety at the start of the expedition. Participants are not permitted to touch a wild animal without the explicit consent of a trained field staff member.
Venomous snakes are present in the area. Team members should wear tall rubber boots or snake guards in the field and should under no circumstances attempt to handle snakes. Participants must maintain at least a 2m distance if a snake is encountered.
Insects
A wide variety of stinging insects, including bees and wasps, are present at this project site. Those with insect allergies should bring the proper emergency treatment (such as Benadryl and Epi-pen, with spares) and inform staff of the type of allergy and the treatment location; they should take special precautions while collecting field data. Organizations in Costa Rica are not allowed to give non-prescribed medicine; volunteers must bring their own medicine or be transported to medical facilities for treatment (transportation to the clinic from the research site location can take a maximum of 2 hours).
Climate/Weather
Dehydration, heat exhaustion, sunburn, and other heat-related illnesses can occur, but you can protect yourself by drinking sufficient water, wearing high-SPF sunscreen, and wearing appropriate clothing and a hat/cap. Dehydration from sweating can be a problem; please bring reusable water bottles that you can easily carry and refill them with electrolyte-replacing packets.
Because of the high humidity, people who use a hearing aid device may find it doesn鈥檛 work properly. Consider purchasing a hearing aid dehumidifier. You must be able to stay outside in the rain for extended periods. During the rainy season, participants might work in the rain unless there is a thunderstorm (in that case, fieldwork is suspended).
Project Tasks/Equipment
All participants will be fully briefed and trained in all safe procedures related to animal research tasks, including proper handling of Sherman traps. While checking bat boxes and Sherman traps, participants may come in contact with animal urine and feces and must wear latex gloves and face masks to maximize health measures. Mammals will be handled by trained field staff only.
Personal Security
Avoid areas designated as off-limits by project staff. Off-trail hiking is forbidden without staff members present.
Swimming
On the Osa Peninsula, the field site is near the Pacific Ocean, where there are extremely dangerous rip tides that have led to drowning, even in cases where people were in the water only up to their knees. Swimming in the ocean on campus property is forbidden (even when entering at knee level). For any other locations, field staff must be consulted first to know whether the area is safe for swimming鈥攐nly rivers and lakes after previous consultation. No lifeguard is present, so adults may swim at their own risk only in permitted locations. Participants under the age of 18 are not allowed to swim since there is no certified lifeguard present.
Distance from Medical Care
It is about a 1-hour drive from the accommodations to the closest medical clinic. The nearest fully equipped hospital is about a 3-hour drive from the accommodations. If someone is out in the field doing research when medical care is required, it may take up to an additional hour to get out of the field and back to the accommodations.
Disease
All volunteers should see a travel doctor before leaving to discuss immunizations and other precautions against tropical diseases.
- Traveler鈥檚 diarrhea affects many international travelers. We recommend speaking with your doctor before your trip and bringing a personal first-aid kit, including stomach illness relief and prescribed antibiotics.
- Rabies: Vaccinations are highly encouraged but not mandatory since participants will be working in the area of bats and other high-risk species but will not directly handle the wildlife as part of this project. Volunteers are encouraged to consult with their healthcare providers about the rabies vaccine. Please consult your physician or travel health clinic well in advance to ensure you have time for the full vaccination series. If you have previously been vaccinated, a medical professional must check your antibody levels; a booster shot may be required. Rabies is a fatal disease. Treatment after rabies exposure requires immediate care (within 24 hours), and this type of rapid response will be available to volunteers on this project. Pre-exposure vaccination does not eliminate the need for post-exposure medical attention and treatment, but it does provide additional protection against the disease in the event of a delay in treatment. In addition, any bites or scratches should be immediately and thoroughly washed with soap, clean water, and a topical povidone-iodine solution or ethanol.
Risk of COVID-19 or Other Respiratory Illness
美姬社区 strongly encourages you to take precautions to help protect yourself and others from common viral respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV: stay up to date with your vaccinations; wash your hands frequently; take steps to improve air quality, for example, by increasing ventilation indoors or gathering outdoors; and use preventative measures to limit the spread if you are sick.
Persons with a higher risk of severe respiratory illness should consult their healthcare provider before participating.
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
Resources
ARTICLES
- Whitworth, A., Beirne, C., Flatt, E., Froese, G., Nu帽ez, C., & Forsyth, A. (2021). Recovery of dung beetle biodiversity and traits in a regenerating rainforest: a case study from Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 14(4), 439-454.
- Vargas Soto, J. S., Beirne, C., Whitworth, A., Cruz Diaz, J. C., Flatt, E., Pillco鈥怘uarcaya, R., ... & Moln谩r, P. K. (2022). Human disturbance and shifts in vertebrate community composition in a biodiversity hotspot. Conservation Biology, 36(2), e13813.
- Whitworth, A., Basto, A., Vinueza-Hidalgo, G., Pinto, C., Kleiner, L., & Soto-Navarro, C. (2023). Osa Biological Station: Protecting Central America鈥檚 greatest Pacific lowland rainforest. ECOTROPICA, 25(1/2).
BOOKS
- Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America.(1987) Adrian Forsyth (Author), Ken Miyata (Author), Dr. Thomas Lovejoy (Foreword)
- Coexistence: The ecology and evolution of tropical biodiversity. (2016) Jan Sapp.
FIELD GUIDES
- Pocket Guide to the Mammals of Costa Rica. Fiona A. Reid
- Amphibians of Costa Rica: A Field Guide (Zona Tropical Publications).Twan Leenders.
- The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide (Zona Tropical Publications). Richard Garrigues (Author), Robert Dean (Illustrator).
PROJECT-RELATED WEBSITE
Rainforest Revival in Costa Rica
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