Overview
Environmental Internship in Costa Rica

This adventurous internship gives you the opportunity to gain a BTEC in Team Leading, work on vital conservation projects and explore one of the most remote regions of the Costa Rican rainforest on the Caribbean Coast. You will work alongside a dedicated staff supervisor to ensure you maximise your placement, cultural and learning activities. The program plays a vital role in the development and management of the long-term wildlife conservation of the Tortuguero National Park. The main projects involve: conducting marine turtle monitoring and conservation, jaguar predation and abundance research, canal bird monitoring, and mammal camera trapping. This internship will allow you to make a real difference on these projects while also gaining invaluable hands on practical experience in a variety of fields including data collection, conservation projects and team leadership. Paid and unpaid positions may be available for qualifying candidates after their internship.

Also available on this program is GVI's unique BTEC in Biological Survey Techniques qualification,

View Film Footage, images, blogs, stories from the field, video diaries and more at the programs media centre

The knowledge that I was contributing to research, conservation, and helping the local community made me extremely proud to be part of a GVI expedition.

Kathryn Mascovich, GVI Intern

What Difference Does This Internship Make?

GVI continues to increase knowledge of jaguars and their predation of marine turtles, through active management we are hoping to achieve reductions in marine turtle nest poaching, and help monitor populations of birds, marine turtles and large mammals. In the past year we have presented work at the highest level to conferences around the world, including the Mesoamerican Society of Biology and Conservation, the International Sea Turtle Symposium and the congress of the Society of Conservation Biology. Data collected by GVI has also been used by MINAE in the latest management plan for the wildlife refuge. Our National Scholarship Programme has helped several nationals gain employment in ecotourism and conservation.

Highlights

Getting the chance to go on this unique adventure in a Costa Rican National Park; enjoying life at the research station; learning about the wildlife and their habitat; seeing unique wildlife in marine and coastal rainforest environments, including turtles, monkeys, neo-tropical birds and amphibians; exploring the area by boat and canoe, including remote Caribbean beaches, joining the research team to undertake turtle nesting surveys and monitor nesting sites during turtle season; participating on jaguar surveys; setting up and checking camera traps.

Skills And Qualifications Received

Amongst many others:

See Requirements And Training page for more information

Location

If you are looking to go on an adventure to explore rainforests and tropical beaches seeing mesmerizing terrestrial and marine wildlife, this is definitely the program for you! The biological station is surrounded on three sides by stunning National Park rainforest and the Caribbean Sea and beach to the front, which is the largest rookery in the Western Hemisphere for the endangered green sea turtle. You will spend your time surrounded by the breathtaking scenery and wildlife of the rich canals, tropical rainforest and Caribbean beaches. There is no road access to the region, so all transportation is via canoe and motor boat, through the stunning canals and rivers surrounded by tropical rainforest and its associated wildlife.

See Life on the internship page for more information

Field Conditions

Accommodation is pleasantly rustic and dormitory-style, in a beautiful clearing of the forest which has wildlife viewing opportunities that are second to none! All food will be prepared by the expedition team on a rotational basis, and basic but typically local food will be the staple diet. There is limited electricity from our generator on base, laundry facilities, and running (cold) water, which means there are flushing toilets and refreshingly cool showers.

See Life on the internship page for more information