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Volunteer at a remote biological station in Costa Rica

The experience

Volunteers are hosted to assist with conservation and upkeep efforts, including:
--biological monitoring
--station maintenance
--Environmental education
--Designing conservation plans
--Leading guided hikes and activities

Minimum stay: 1 month
Cost: $20/day to cover food/housing + $400 deposit

Volunteers will help an equivalent of 6 hrs/day, with 1 day off per week.

To apply, please send a brief email and CV to volunteers@campanario.org

What you offer

32 hours of help per week

Cleaning: Help clean the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas.

Social Work: Help with volunteer work in local projects and communities.

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Additional fee required

Amount: US$ 20 Per day

Fee pays for: Materials for volunteer activities

Description: Volunteers pay a fee of $20 to cover food and expenses, as well as a deposit of $400 that will be refunded after their stay.

What you get

1 day off per week

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Discounts on Tours: Get discounts for tours and excursions around town.

Free Hiking Tours: We’ll take you on excursions and hikes around town. For free!

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Requirements

Intermediate English or Intermediate Spanish

Over 21 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

We're a privately owned nature reserve, field station, and ecolodge on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. The property includes dormitories, kitchen/dining area, cabins, and facilities on a private cove backed up on 170 acres (69 hectares) of Tropical 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. We have also hosted scientists for many years, conducting research on wildlife, plants, and ecosystem dynamics.

To apply, please send a brief email and CV to McKenzie Wing at volunteers@campanario.org
It is not necessary to apply via Worlpackers.

Activities & Shift

Your help as a volunteer can include everything from manual labor restoring trails, to taking species inventories, to simply washing dishes. The onsite manager will give you an orientation and assign you tasks according to immediate needs. We expect half days of work, six days a week. The typical day begins begins at 6:30 and continues until lunch, about noon. Late afternoons and off days are yours to hike around or just relax. Supper is generally planned for 6:00 p.m. and everyone is usually in bed by 8:30 or 9:00 p.m.

Periodically, there are tourist or student group. During these times you will be asked to assist the cooking and cleaning staff specifically brought in for the group and to assist the visitors in their hikes and studies. Without a doubt, your time here will be full of a variety of experiences.

Rules

Quiet hours 9pm to 5am
No volunteers allowed in guests’ rooms, and vice versa
No guests
No drugs permitted, including cannabis
Follow all staff instructions
Notify staff before you leave the property, hike, or swim
No food in dorms or cabins
Rinse your feet after leaving the beach and remove shoes before entering the station.
Close and lock the main building if you are the last one to leave.
Gasoline powered machinery or any dangerous tools (including machetes) are to be used only by Campanario staff.
Do not walk the trails alone
Do not swim alone at night

Alcohol
Alcohol is not strictly prohibited at the station. Private use is allowed, however this is a privilege that will be revoked if any of the following rules are broken:
No sharing alcohol with visiting students
No alcohol during work hours
No drunkenness during work hours. THIS INCLUDES HANGOVERS.