Volunteer Coordinator

location
24 - 24 weeks  ·  Age 25 - 50+

rating  Good 4.2  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Feel like a part of a family at our small, local project!
  • Enjoy an amazing wild place with deserted beach, river and jungle!
  • Help our team saving and monitoring endangered animals!

Highlights

  • Feel like a part of a family at our small, local project!
  • Enjoy an amazing wild place with deserted beach, river and jungle!
  • Help our team saving and monitoring endangered animals!
  • Help and learn about the local community and biodiversity!
  • Live the real adventure in the heart of Costa Rica's Caribbean nature, while meeting like-minded people!


  • Especially good for

    Age 25+
    Singles

    About the program

    Join our team as a coordinator and help us with our three programs for sea turtles, manatees and monkeys!

    Take the opportunity of volunteering abroad in an amazing place! Our ecological goal is to observe and protect Wildlife.

    Come and join us for an unforgettable experience, the only requirement is adventurous blood!

    The project Naturaleza Pacuare was founded by local people and is also managed by them. ..

    About the program

    Take the opportunity of volunteering abroad in an amazing place! Our ecological goal is to observe and protect Wildlife.

    Come and join us for an unforgettable experience, the only requirement is adventurous blood!

    The project Naturaleza Pacuare was founded by local people and is also managed by them. Our goal is to preserve the ecosystem in a sustainable way, to support the biodiversity in our country and to protect the sea turtles, some of which are highly endangered. With the help and cooperation of the local population, we have succeeded in creating an atmosphere in which everyone feels comfortable and welcome. With the knowledge of doing something good and valuable, everyone should have the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the world.

    At Naturaleza Pacuare we know that it doesn't take much to change the world a little. Since our founding in 2019, we have been determined to drive change for the better.

    It is a great concern for us not only to provide ecological help, but also to give our volunteers a great opportunity to get to know the everyday life of Costa Rica.

    We have three projects, one cares for sea turtles that nest on our Caribbean beach, an other help protect and monitor manatees, the third one helps understanding the behavior and immigration of three kinds of monkeys through monitoring them.

    We are looking for someone with passion for nature and wildlife, with good leadership skills. Your tasks will be organizing and carrying out daily activities such as manatee monitoring boat rides (you will be taught to drive the project’s boat), jungle walks for monkey monitoring and night patrols on the beach for the turtles. You need to be in good physical condition as our tasks include a lot of physical work. 

    You will also be cooking meals in rotation with the other staff members. Sundays our volunteers cook to give everyone a chance to share their cuisine and meals they enjoy.

    You will be given broad knowledge not only about the animals mentioned above, but about all the animals living in Pacuare, so you get a better understanding about the way of nature here.

    You will be asked to bring a flashlight with red light, a flashlight with strong white light and a pair of binoculars. 

    For night patrols, you will have to bring a pair of long, black trousers, a pair of black, comfortable, closed footwear (can be crocs), a black, long-sleeved T-shirt, alongside with a pair of white, long-sleeved T-shirt to protect you from the sun during monkey monitoring walks.


    Typical day

    Our day typically starts with an early morning walk or boat ride to monitor monkeys or observe manatees.

    At 8 AM we come back to prepare and eat breakfast.

    From 9 AM we do our first activity of the day which could vary from cleaning our beaches, maintaining our garden, to helping out locals with ...

    Typical day

    Our day typically starts with an early morning walk or boat ride to monitor monkeys or observe manatees.

    At 8 AM we come back to prepare and eat breakfast.

    From 9 AM we do our first activity of the day which could vary from cleaning our beaches, maintaining our garden, to helping out locals with collecting and peeling coconuts, to name a few.

    At 1 PM is lunchtime.

    In the afternoon, depending on the mornings’ workload, we either do a second activity or enjoy free time on the beach playing games, reading, napping and on days when the sea is safe, we even enjoy a nice swim together! With our volunteers who are here to help us monitor manatees, we go and do our second tour at 4 PM.

    At 7 PM we have dinner.

    After dinner we like to play some card games and then start our turtle patrols. These can start anywhere between 8 PM - 12 PM and the last at least 4 hours, on the 7kms long beach. In case of having to excavate a nest and bring it to the hatchery, patrols may take 5-6 hours.

    If you’re getting home from your patrol late, you can spend the first half of the next day sleeping and relaxing, of course.


    Free-time activities

    In your free time you will be able to enjoy jungle walks, playing sports and cards with other volunteers, fishing, kayaking and even make bonfires on the beach, when we’re not in turtle season. You can learn the local cuisine while helping out locals and try out the typical dance types of Costa ...

    Free-time activities

    In your free time you will be able to enjoy jungle walks, playing sports and cards with other volunteers, fishing, kayaking and even make bonfires on the beach, when we’re not in turtle season. You can learn the local cuisine while helping out locals and try out the typical dance types of Costa Rica.

    You can also organize trips to some of the touristic cities of Costa Rica, e.g. La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo, Monte Verde. The project also organizes day-tours to Tortuguero to go see the national park.


    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 25 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 25 years old on the program start date.

    Language Skills

    You need to speak English (fluently) or Spanish (fluently)

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    You will need to know how to drive a boat, you will be taught to do so at the project site.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 08:00 - 16:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    Services by Naturaleza de Pacuare

    Accommodation and food & drink (3 meals per day) are included in the fees.

    Accommodation

    We have a house built with wood with two dorms and bathroom, and a kitchen connected from the outside.

    Food & Beverages

    We provide three meals a day.

    We will be preparing a mixture of local and internationals meals to give a chance to our volunteers to get to know as much about cuisine as possible. We always have some cookies and fruits if you feel snackish during the day!

    There’s always water available but if you feel up for something special, you can treat yourself to some cold drinks at the local minibar, where you can also get some other kinds of snacks.

    For breakfast we normally prepare e.g. sandwiches, pancake, or the local options, gallo pinto and empanadas.
    For lunch we like to go a bit light and have some veggies with some rice and fruits on the side.
    In the evening, we like making meals with rice and beans or potatoes, a meal with meat or fish for the carnivores, a veggie option for vegetarians/vegans, a salad or some pasta.

    We are generally a vegetarian camp, meat is only served 2-3 times a week maximum. 

    Internet Access

    Limited access at the project site

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Airport Pickup at Juan Santamaria International Airport

    An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose. We assist you to find cheap flights to Costa Rica. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Costa Rica provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Costa Rica you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Costa Rica. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival


    The best and cheapest way to arrive is by taking the bus from San Jose to Bataan. You can catch it at Grand Terminal del Caribe in San José center and buy your tickets directly there. There’s 2 options. There’s a bus leaving from San Jose at 7:30am, arriving to Siquirres around 10am. Then you can catch a bus at 11:15am from Siquirres to Bataan. The second option is the bus leaves at 2pm from San Jose and arrives directly to Bataan at 5pm. Bus tickets cost about 4000 Costa Rican colones. Then you catch the taxi from Bataan bus station (which is already pre-organized and waiting for you) to the boat dock for 10 000 colones. To finish off your journey, a 25-minute long trip by boat on the river which costs 25 000 colones, (12 500 colones each way) already including your departure ride. The whole trip all together takes about 4,5 hours.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program fees

    24 weeks 1,210€
    Average fees 50€/week

    Program fees

    50€ per week 24 - 24 weeks Age 25 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES


    Duration

    24 - 24 weeks

    Deposit

    The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


    Final Payment

    Your final payment will be agreed with Naturaleza de Pacuare during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


    Meet your organization

    Naturaleza de Pacuare

    Good 4.2 rating (32 reviews)

    Agency - founded in 2019

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Very high response rate

    Coordinated by

    Victor Alexander

    Spoken languages: Spanish, English

    About the project

    Naturaleza de Pacuare, a local organization in love with nature works on biodiversity protection in the Carribean coast, to offer eco international volunteering.

    Meet your organization

    The project Naturaleza Pacuare was founded to 100% by local people from Costa Rica and is also managed by them. Our goal is to preserve the ecosystem in a sustainable way, to support the biodiversity in our country and to protect the sea turtles and others animals, some of which are highly endangered. With the help and cooperation of the local population, we have succeeded in creating an atmosphere in which everyone feels comfortable and welcome. With the knowledge of doing something good and valuable, everyone should have the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the world. We offer slow and eco tourism and international volunteering. Volunteering abroad and especially in Costa Rica is an opportunity to enjoy nature and wildlife and participate to animals rescue.

    32 reviews · rating4.2

    Christian Mittnacht rating5

    2024 at Manatees Observation Supporter

    For me, my stay at Naturaleza de Pacuare was the highlight of my trip to Costa Rica. I cannot recommend this project highly enough, especially to anyone who is passionate about nature. The project area is located remotely on an island between a river and the sea in a rainforest region of the ...
    Krittayot Rivers rating4.2

    2024 at Nature Conservation Supporter

    My son is interested in a career in conservation and loved this program. It is a little more remote than others which allows for a truly immersive experience. Dora and Alex, the coordinators, were both incredibly helpful with information about how to get to the project since it is more remote. My ...
    Louise Tessier rating3.6

    2024 at Bird Observation Supporter

    It was a great experience in a beautiful surrounding. Every day, I went out into the jungle or by boat to go bird watching. We also had some other work to do such as cleaning the beach, planting pineapple plants or some other tasks. I liked the fact that it was a small group of volunteers and ...
    Hélène Peeters rating2.8

    2024 at Monkey Observation Supporter

    I was a little disappointed. First by the program: it said that the aim is observation of monkeys. But in my opinion it was rather just watching, we got some information but I thought we were going to watch them for a long time, watch and note their behaviour etc. but it was just some walk time to ...
    Everyone was really welcoming and it was on a really cool spot with lots of lovely wildlife that felt like a desert island, however we did feel deserted. The internet access is actually a pole on the beach that you have to hold your phone in the sky to make it work, so if you fancy contacting your ...
    I was really excited to volunteer to help protect the turtles, however the living conditions of the project is disappointing. The food was very nice and we had 3 cooked meals a day, which were very filling and it was nice to sit together and chat. The area itself is beautiful and we loved the range ...

    Location


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