Project Overview
- Region: Latin America
- Program: Volunteer Costa Rica
- Location: San Ramon
- Base Price: $1105 for 4 Weeks
- Price for Extra Weeks: $154
- Groups & Family: Yes
- Language Required: Basic Spanish
- Minimum Duration: 4 Week
- Minimum Age: 18 Years
- Accommodation Type: Dorm
- Meals Included: 2 Meals
- Start Dates: Friday, Every 2 weeks
- Airport Pick-up: Included in price
- Travel Insurance Included: Yes
What's not included: Flight, Visa Costs, In-country Transportation
Project Details
Project Overview: A large acreage of land near San Ramon, Costa Rica has been transformed into a protected reserve after its forest was cut down for cattle grazing. The surrounding community pooled together and built this reserve after noticing the sharp drop in the land's water resources. Reforestation, water conservation, and preservation of the land's natural state is the goal of the reserve. After a short period of time, the conservation work done at the reserve has already had a noticeable effect on the health of the reserve's environment and its resources.
You will join a team of local and international volunteers to help the reserve grow. This gives you a great opportunity to experience Costa Rica's climate by working within the new forest , strengthening the environment and its biodiversity. The work is mainly outdoors, and is geared toward improving sustainability. Volunteers shouldn't mind getting dirty, doing manual labor, and dealing with tropical weather.
What will I be doing? You'll be cleaning the grounds of the reserve; creating new trails; working in the butterfly garden and greenhouse; and planting and caring for new trees. You'll also educate the local communities and schools on environmental conservation, inspiring the people to do their part in protecting their land.
Where will I be volunteering? You will be based in San Ramon, Alajuela. San Ramon is one of the larger Central Valley coffee towns and is set in a scenic basin enclosed by rolling mountains. It is a very traditional, unique and close knit town. National Geographic Magazine referred to San Ramon as having the best climate in the world.
San Ramon is about an hour drive north of the capital San Jose. It has the central Pacific Coast beaches located a couple of hours to the west and is located just south of Costa Rica's cloud forest belt and west of Lake Arenal.
San Ramon central location makes it an ideal base for travel around Costa Rica. Apart from its weather and central location, the people of San Ramon are some of the friendliest people you will meet in Costa Rica. They are genuinely welcoming to travelers, and are eager to make everyone feel welcome. The town has campuses of the 3 main Costa Rican universities; this ensures that San Ramon has a vibrant social life.
What will be my schedule? The project schedule requires that you work 4 days a week, Monday to Thursday, for a maximum of 6 hours per day in the mornings.
Read This Project's Testimonials
Below are testimonials of previous volunteers on this project. Click though to their full reports where you can view their video reports, photos and you can also contact them directly by email to ask about their experiences with us in Costa Rica.
I had never been outside of the United States before and was nervous about being in a foreign country alone. As a volunteer there was the independence of being on my own but there was still the comfort of knowing I had the coordinators there to help me adjust. During my research for a volunteer program I came across many organizations but I was drawn to uVolunteer. Rather than a home-stay it provided a dorm for all the volunteers to live in together and their office was down the street so if anything happened they could easily get to you.
