Conservation in Costa Rica School Trips
Projects Abroad
Join our Conservation Programme in Costa Rica and contribute to the maintenance of Selva Bananito Reserve and its ongoing conservation research.Work alongside experts to plant native trees and plants to regenerate degraded areas and collect data on animals with forest patrols and camera traps.
Your group will also venture over to Refugio de Vida Silvestre Laguna Urpiano, also known as the Turtle Camp! Head out on night patrols along the beach, contribute to beach clean-ups and take part in hatchery duties, all in the name of turtle conservation.
When not volunteering, your group will head out into Costa Rica, explore popular tourist attractions, and become immersed in Costa Rican culture. After heading back home, you will have a new-found appreciation for Costa Rica. So much so, it may even feel like a second home!
While on this programme, you'll develop a range of key employability skills, including:
> Research skills
> Critical thinking
> Problem-solving
> Teamwork
> Communication
> Leadership
> Global Citizenship
In addition to these valuable attributes, you will also be making a large impact on local wildlife, ecosystems and communities through your volunteer work. This will help you broaden your perspectives and leave with a sense of pride, knowing you have made an impact.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Resource Packs LOtC Quality Badge Tailor your trip
Example Itineraries
Day 1
On arrival day, a Projects Abroad staff member will be waiting to collect your group from San Jose International Airport (SJO). As they walk through the airport, you’ll be met by a Projects Abroad staff member. Our staff members are easy to spot because they’re by the airport exit holding a sign.
A bus will then collect you, taking you to your accommodation at the Selva Bananito Reserve. This journey will take seven hours, but it’s the perfect opportunity to see the landscapes.
After you reach the accommodation, you will get a short break before your inductions. Designed to help volunteers settle in and know what to expect for the duration of the trip, you will:
> Meet the staff you’ll be working with
> Hear about the project and how you’ll get involved
> Take part in cultural awareness training and learn about Costa Rican culture, customs, and traditions
> Take a tour of the local area
Days 2-6
Supported by expert conservationists, you will spend time working around the Selva Bananito Reserve. To help maintain the reserve and contribute to research, your group will participate in activities such as:
> Bird watching
> Maintaining the nursery or trail
> Reforestation
> Setting up camera traps
> Measuring CO2 Sequestration
> Monitoring amphibian sites
> Lay insect traps
Day 7
You’ll begin your day early with a visit to the Sloth Sanctuary. Due to deforestation, sloths have become one of the most critically endangered species in Costa Rica. Head out on a sloth walk and learn more about these fascinating animals.
Shortly after, your group will travel to the Irazu Volcano. The journey is four hours from the accommodation, but once you arrive the breathtaking landscape makes it worth it. You will take a 1km walk up the volcano, and admire its impressiveness when you reach the crater!
Later on, you will take a short journey over to Cartago City to have lunch. You can then walk it off while exploring the ruins and taking a wander through the stunning botanical gardens!
Day 8
Take a trip into Heredia and learn about its famous coffee plantation with a 1.5-hour tour. Walk around the green areas and gardens, see the exhibition of giant puppets of Costa Rican folklore, the coffee bush nursery and the coffee roaster, and finish the day with a coffee-tasting demonstration.
From here, your group will travel to the Turtle Camp. This journey takes around 2 hours 30 minutes by bus and boat. On arrival, the group will set down their bags before heading out on a night patrol!
Night patrols are a vital part of protecting the turtles in the area from poaching, while also monitoring both them and their eggs. This ensures as many as possible survive and make it to the water during hatching season. While on patrol, you will spot nesting turtles, tag turtles and count eggs in nests.
Days 9-13
This week, your group will spend time at the Turtle Camp Project. Here you will take part in:
> Camp activities
> Gardening
> Beach clean-ups
> Hatchery duties
> Night patrols
This is a great opportunity to learn more about how conservationists are protecting wildlife and ensuring that nearby habitats are clean for the safety of both animals and people!
In the evening, you can head down to the beach and watch the sunset. A perfect way to round off the day!
Day 14
The final day is always bittersweet. You have all had an amazing week of new experiences and learned so much about conservation and Costa Rican culture.
With bags packed, you wave goodbye and head to the airport for your journey home.
It’s always sad to leave, but you are always welcome back anytime. We can’t wait to see what amazing things you do with the lessons you have learned during this trip. We wish you the best of luck in the future!
On arrival day, a Projects Abroad staff member will be waiting to collect your group from San Jose International Airport (SJO). As they walk through the airport, you’ll be met by a Projects Abroad staff member. Our staff members are easy to spot because they’re by the airport exit holding a sign.
A bus will then collect you, taking you to your accommodation at the Selva Bananito Reserve. This journey will take seven hours, but it’s the perfect opportunity to see the landscapes.
After you reach the accommodation, you will get a short break before your inductions. Designed to help volunteers settle in and know what to expect for the duration of the trip, you will:
> Meet the staff you’ll be working with
> Hear about the project and how you’ll get involved
> Take part in cultural awareness training and learn about Costa Rican culture, customs, and traditions
> Take a tour of the local area
Days 2-6
Supported by expert conservationists, you will spend time working around the Selva Bananito Reserve. To help maintain the reserve and contribute to research, your group will participate in activities such as:
> Bird watching
> Maintaining the nursery or trail
> Reforestation
> Setting up camera traps
> Measuring CO2 Sequestration
> Monitoring amphibian sites
> Lay insect traps
Day 7
You’ll begin your day early with a visit to the Sloth Sanctuary. Due to deforestation, sloths have become one of the most critically endangered species in Costa Rica. Head out on a sloth walk and learn more about these fascinating animals.
Shortly after, your group will travel to the Irazu Volcano. The journey is four hours from the accommodation, but once you arrive the breathtaking landscape makes it worth it. You will take a 1km walk up the volcano, and admire its impressiveness when you reach the crater!
Later on, you will take a short journey over to Cartago City to have lunch. You can then walk it off while exploring the ruins and taking a wander through the stunning botanical gardens!
Day 8
Take a trip into Heredia and learn about its famous coffee plantation with a 1.5-hour tour. Walk around the green areas and gardens, see the exhibition of giant puppets of Costa Rican folklore, the coffee bush nursery and the coffee roaster, and finish the day with a coffee-tasting demonstration.
From here, your group will travel to the Turtle Camp. This journey takes around 2 hours 30 minutes by bus and boat. On arrival, the group will set down their bags before heading out on a night patrol!
Night patrols are a vital part of protecting the turtles in the area from poaching, while also monitoring both them and their eggs. This ensures as many as possible survive and make it to the water during hatching season. While on patrol, you will spot nesting turtles, tag turtles and count eggs in nests.
Days 9-13
This week, your group will spend time at the Turtle Camp Project. Here you will take part in:
> Camp activities
> Gardening
> Beach clean-ups
> Hatchery duties
> Night patrols
This is a great opportunity to learn more about how conservationists are protecting wildlife and ensuring that nearby habitats are clean for the safety of both animals and people!
In the evening, you can head down to the beach and watch the sunset. A perfect way to round off the day!
Day 14
The final day is always bittersweet. You have all had an amazing week of new experiences and learned so much about conservation and Costa Rican culture.
With bags packed, you wave goodbye and head to the airport for your journey home.
It’s always sad to leave, but you are always welcome back anytime. We can’t wait to see what amazing things you do with the lessons you have learned during this trip. We wish you the best of luck in the future!
Which Curriculum Subjects do we cater for?
Conservation Wildlife Animal Care
Live and work at Selva Bananito Reserve and support conservationists in their work! Conduct research, combat deforestation, and conduct beach clean-ups to ensure local wildlife is safe and thriving. You will also visit the Turtle Camp Project, assisting with hatchery duties, and heading out on night patrols to ensure the protection of sea turtles and their eggs.
Community Projects
Connect with the local community with outreach projects. From beach clean-ups to gardening, you'll have the opportunity to get to know Costa Ricans, share your new-found understanding of conservation and sustainable living, and inspire the next generation of conservationists!
What size groups do we cater for?
All group sizes of 5 or more. Free staff place with every 9 students.
Access for visitors with disabilities?
Disabled facilities can be offered on request.
Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Visitors with special educational needs can be catered for on request.
Anything else?
Projects Abroad provide an individualised service and schedule planning which is backed up by excellent pre-departure preparation and by a dedicated and highly experienced local team in each destination.
We aim to provide a challenging and rewarding experience for every student which promotes self-belief, resilience, leadership, teamwork, reflection, and a new perspective on the world.
Please contact us so we can support you with your trip planning.
We aim to provide a challenging and rewarding experience for every student which promotes self-belief, resilience, leadership, teamwork, reflection, and a new perspective on the world.
Please contact us so we can support you with your trip planning.
Who are Projects Abroad?
Projects Abroad arranges overseas service and internship programmes that are challenging, meaningful, educational and safe.
We have been taking students overseas since 1992 and work in over 20 developing and emerging countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Key to our work is the dedicated in-country staff whose diverse skill sets, local knowledge and love of their community allow us to develop relevant, immersive and worthwhile schedules for school trips which give the students responsibility and teach them to see the world through a different lens.
We offer programmes in community development, conservation, construction, education, sports, empowerment, human rights and healthcare among many others. These projects are designed to contribute towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, broadening the student experience to see the contribution of a few going towards a movement for global change.
All school trips are individualised. We realise that each school has its own goals and interests, and the students have their own passions. We work with the school to develop a tailored itinerary that reflects their values and allows the students to make a connection with the community in which they serve.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Resource Packs LOtC Quality Badge Tailor your trip
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