from 584€

Outstanding 4.9rating (34)
  • Life Below Water

Work in Turtle Conservation

location
1 - 19 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Outstanding 4.9  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Partner with Costa Rican turtle conservation experts boasting years of experience and a fervent commitment to protecting sea turtles.
  • Costa Rica's precious turtle eggs face a dire threat from poachers selling illegally on the black market. Join the mission to safeguard the future of these magnificent creatures.
  • Step into the role of a hatchery hero! Your involvement ensures the safe maturation of turtle eggs, giving hatchlings a fighting chance for survival.
  • Witness the magical moment as baby turtles hatch and are released into the ocean, their journey to adulthood supported by your contribution.

Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Do you love wildlife conservation? Would you like to live and work on a beautiful Costa Rican beach? Then become a volunteer on our amazing Turtle Conservation projects!

The project

We collaborate with Costa Rican turtle conservation organizations with years of experience with volunteers and sea turtle conservation. They are in urgent need for more help! They receive thousands of sea turtles each year – but they have few volunteers to help cope with the ...

About the program

The project

We collaborate with Costa Rican turtle conservation organizations with years of experience with volunteers and sea turtle conservation. They are in urgent need for more help! They receive thousands of sea turtles each year – but they have few volunteers to help cope with the amount of eggs and turtles. 

Turtle eggs are being poached in Costa Rica and sold illegally on the black market. Many people will "hunt" for eggs on the beaches, and collect them. There are also many other natural dangers such as stray dogs digging up turtle eggs to eat, and so do vultures and other wild animals. To prevent this, turtle projects collect eggs and place them into a safe enclosed place close to their headquarters, called a "hatchery". The eggs will mature there and then when baby turtles are hatching, they are carried and released into the ocean. With your help, more sea turtles will make it into the ocean and have the chance to fight for survival and mature into a fully grown turtle. 

Mainly four sea turtle species arrive at the beaches of Costa Rica:  Leather Back Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), Green-turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Olive-Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea).

The location

The project locations depend on seasonal availability - we offer projects on the Pacific Side in Costa Rica and Caribbean side. You'll be placed where help is most needed at the time you'd like to volunteer. The sea turtle projects are always closely located to the beaches where turtles arrive, and where you'll patrol the beach. 

You will be living with other volunteers and project staff and sharing dormitory style accommodations with them. There is usually a large common area where you'll eat together, a kitchen, and bathrooms (cold showers, but it's so warm in Costa Rica that you'll WANT a cold shower!). 

Our volunteers

As a volunteer you'll work with other volunteers and the project staff. There is often also researchers/ biologists on site that you'll be helping with ongoing research. 

An ideal volunteer on this project has a passion for animal conservation and biology, enjoys physical labor and loves being outdoors! You should be 18 years of age or older to participate. You don’t have to speak Spanish for this project, as project staff and other volunteers speak English. 

You need to be willing to walk the beaches for hours during patrols, and also sit still for hours watching the hatchery. You need a special flashlight with the option of a "red" light. Turtles do not like white light and you would not be able to switch your torch on with white light during patrols. You should also bring your own bedding and a towel, as the organization does not provide those. 

Typical day

The typical day can change and vary for every volunteer. You will be given certain "shifts" to work, which will be mainly night-patrols since sea turtles arrive and lay eggs typically at night. A shift will usually be around 4 hours long, and can start from 8pm-12 midnight, and from midnight to 4pm. ..

Typical day

The typical day can change and vary for every volunteer. You will be given certain "shifts" to work, which will be mainly night-patrols since sea turtles arrive and lay eggs typically at night. A shift will usually be around 4 hours long, and can start from 8pm-12 midnight, and from midnight to 4pm. You'll have to be flexible and able to sleep during the day. There is also work during the day, such as watching the hatchery if a turtle nest is close to it's hatching date. If turtles hatch, they have to immediately be relocated to the beach. Usually you won't be on a shift alone ever, there is project staff or other volunteers with you on shifts.

  • Patrol beaches at night
  • Move nests to hatchery and prepare the nests
  • Mark turtles that are nesting and that are trying to build a nest or are returning to the ocean
  • Search for marked turtles and gather data regarding the percentage of turtles that return to the beach during “arribada”
  • Count all turtles that arrive at the beach
  • Help the most amount of baby turtles to get safely into the ocean
  • Help build a watering system to help the hatchlings develop during the dry months
  • Help patrol the beach to protect nests from illegal extraction and predators
  • Taking the sand’s temperature in specific sections of the beach in the morning, at noon and at sunset
  • Gather information regarding egg development (or lack of) in all the nests and the and check for the presence of organisms inside them
  • Help extract and pack the eggs that are sold legally (only 1% of all the eggs laid are allowed to be sold).
  • Translate documents for the office

    • Examples of other activities you may participate in:

  • Clean the beach of tree trunks and other debris that has been washed on the beach
  • Clean the beach of all unwanted vegetation that takes over the nesting areas reducing the space available for turtles to nest
  • Plant trees in different areas of the beach and the town
  • Help with infrastructure activities like building schools, bridges, roads and other similar community activities

Free-time activities

The project locations are usually on a remote beach in a quiet town. However, there is always some fun outdoor activities to do - depending on your project location. You may be able to go snorkeling, kayaking, horse riding, surfing, or do other water sports. There is always a place nearby to hike ...

Free-time activities

The project locations are usually on a remote beach in a quiet town. However, there is always some fun outdoor activities to do - depending on your project location. You may be able to go snorkeling, kayaking, horse riding, surfing, or do other water sports. There is always a place nearby to hike the jungle - please ask the project staff what there is to do, and how you could arrange to do it. Sometimes you will have to hire a guide to do an activity with you (such as horseback riding or snorkeling), and other activities you can do for free on your own (such as hiking or surfing).

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (basic level)

Nationality Restrictions

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

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 18:00 - 06:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Green Life Volunteers

An organizational fee is included in the first week’s fee and covers the “behind the scenes costs”, such as staff salaries, office space rental, transaction and bank fees, and more. Our weekly fee for additional weeks covers the costs of your host family or project accommodation and food, the local staff on your project, and a donation to help with the daily running costs of the program you will help on.

Not included in our fee are your first and last night in San Jose in a hostel, travel to and from the international airport (airport shuttles are around 30$ each way to San Jose - We can set this up for you, just ask us during sign-up), travel to the project site (usually by public buses, which are from around 10-16$ one way), national/ International flights, travel insurance, visa costs, Any additional food or snacks besides the host family meals, extra-curricular activities.

Accommodation

The turtle projects offer shared mixed-gender dormitory rooms with bunk beds. You’ll share the accommodation with your fellow volunteers.The room is usually large enough for around 6-10 people per room. Bathrooms are shared with other volunteers, but you can use them privately on your own (and lock the door). There are usually large showers but note they may be cold water - although in Costa Rica you really do not need hot water as it is so hot outside you'll want to shower with cold water!
There are usually a large common room and kitchen for volunteers and staff to share. There is also relax-areas often with hammocks or chairs, for you to hang out at in your free time.

Food & Beverages

You'll receive 3 cooked and prepared meals a day, and often small snacks in between for "Coffee Time". Food is Costa Rican typical food cooked for you and prepared by a local chef who is part of the program staff. You’ll all eat together in a common space at certain hours. Breakfast is usually around 8am, lunch is around 12pm, and dinner is around 6 -7pm. Meals are always taken together with the project staff and other volunteers. The organization can accommodate vegetarians and vegans, and special allergies or dietary requirements. Just let us know your dietary needs during your sign up. 

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

You can start this project anytime, whenever is convenient for you. We don't have specific start dates. But note that you'll be placed in a project depending on the season - the best season for the Pacific Coast Project (Nombre del Jesus) is from July - March, and the rest of the year we have our turtle projects on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica (from February - July).

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

Program fees

1 week (min. stay) 584€
2 weeks 807€
3 weeks 1,030€
4 weeks 1,254€
6 weeks 1,700€
8 weeks 2,146€
19 weeks (max. stay) 4,602€
Average fees 412€/week

Program fees

412€ per week 1 - 19 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES

Duration

1 - 19 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 Green Life Volunteers during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

Meet your organization

Green Life Volunteers

Outstanding 4.9 rating (34 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2012

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Janina

About the project

A small non-profit organization aims at providing affordable volunteering programs and improving the living standard of local peoples in Costa Rica

Meet your organization

Our goal is to provide power to small rural elementary schools around the Osa that are off-grid and without power. Furthermore we educate the local community about solar.

Who we are? 

Green Life Volunteers (GLV) is a small registered non-profit organization in Costa Rica, run by Janina Schan, the founder and manager, and dedicated Interns and volunteers. Janina founded GLV in 2012, after working already in the volunteer industry in Costa Rica for around a year. Our interns are students from Universities that need the internship to graduate, to conduct research, or they really just want to gain experience.

What we do?

Green Life Volunteers is a volunteer service organization placing volunteers in projects around Costa Rica. Some of the projects are created by GLV such as the Solar Power Project, and others are projects offered by other non-profit organisations, such as our Turtle Conservation. The projects we collaborate with are in need of help and have experience working with volunteers – which guarantees you to have a great time and an awesome experience. The projects are always run by local members of the community, non-profit, and with a benefit for people, nature, or animals.

Where we work?

We offer our volunteer placements in Costa Rica. Upon entering Costa Rica you will be granted a 90 day Tourist Visa* if you wish to stay longer  than the 90 days you will need to leave the country for 72 hours – offering a good excuse to  jump across the border and see neighbouring countries Panama or Nicaragua! This is an easy process and we will provide you with all the information you need on how to do this. Residents of USA, Canada, the EU, Australia and New Zealand are given 90 days Visa. For all other countries check with your embassy.

If you are travelling to Costa Rica from South America or Saharan Africa you will be required to have the Yellow Fever vaccination.  

Costa Rica is the most developed country in Central America and attracts over 2 million tourists each year! With tourism being its highest source of income Costa Rica has been sculpted to welcome and make life easier and safer for tourists. Families, youngsters and solo travellers are most welcome. As a country Costa Rica is a stable democracy. Medical care is modern and the tab-water is safe to drink.

Our mission/vision

We are a volunteer service organization placing volunteers in local non-profit organizations which are run by members of the local community and most importantly are in real need of help. GLV makes sure that every project has a positive impact on the local people, on the community, and the local animals and nature.

Our goals / Objective

Green Life Volunteers  provides non-profit organizations with volunteers who bring the man-power and know-how needed for their conservation or social development efforts. GLV makes sure that every project has a positive impact on the local people, on the community, and the local wildlife and nature.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for open minded individuals who love animals, conservation and social development. For us you’re not just a number - every volunteer has specific wishes, needs, and expectations, and we work hard to find the right volunteer work for you!

Why choose us?

We work with projects which are in need of actual help! Most organizations in Costa Rica make up “fake” projects which are entirely run by foreigners, make no actual difference and have no impact on the surrounding communities. You’ll spend large sums of money that go directly into foreigners pockets – no income and no benefit is made to any local community member.

We make sure and GUARANTEE that our projects are: local, grassroot, non-profit organizations, run by members of the local community, registered and licensed, and most importantly – IN ACTUAL NEED OF HELP!

34 reviews · rating4.9

Rozelijn rating5

2024 at Work in Turtle Conservation

I volunteered for two weeks at the Mariposa camp in Carate for turtle conservation, and these were absolutely two of the most special weeks of my life. I would recommend the COPROT camps to anyone who wants to experience this beautiful life in one of the most rural and biologically diverse places on ...
Samuel du Feu rating5

2023 at Work in Turtle Conservation

We had an amazing week volunteering with Kuemar - the turtle conservation organisation that we were paired with near Matapalo on the northern side of the Nicoya Peninsula. The volunteer work was very hands on. We did night patrol every night from approx 8pm-2am (or later) where we were busy ...
Annelie Grundmann rating4.4

2022 at Work in Turtle Conservation

Ich hatte eine tolle Zeit in dem Schildkröten-Rescue-Center in Camaronal! Meine größte Angst war, dass ich keine Schildkröten sehe, aber bereits am ersten Abend durfte ich dabei sein, als circa 100 Schildkrötenbabies ins Meer entlassen wurden :) Die Arbeit mit den Schildkröten (Morgen- und ...
Inaiá rating5

2020 at Work in Turtle Conservation

I can say that volunteering at the turtle conservation project was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. I stayed 3 weeks in Nombre de Jesus and it went beyond my expectations, all the people who work at Green Life Volunteers were very kind, since my arrival in San Jose, as at the ...
Andrea Kozil rating5

2018 at Work in Turtle Conservation

The time at the turtle project was absolutely wonderful! We just returned home at midnight last night. I want to thank you so much for helping me to organize our time in Costa Rica!! The time at the turtle project was absolutely wonderful! We saw a female turtle make her nest and lay her ...
Jannae O'Connor rating5

2017 at Work in Turtle Conservation

Family volunteering with husband Tim and 10-year old child Callum, in December 2017 We were thrilled with our family vacation to a sea turtle conservation project in Costa Rica, coordinated by GLV. The employees and volunteers at the project were welcoming and kind people. The food prepared by ...

Location

Americas > Central America > Costa Rica > Bahia de los Piratas

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Contact Janina
  Very high response rate

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