Overview
Environmental Internship in Costa Rica

This adventurous internship gives you the opportunity 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 project management and team leadership.

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 continue to increase knowledge of jaguars and their predation of marine turtles, through active management have achieved massive 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. Together with increasing the scientific knowledge of the area, GVI Costa Rica have been invited to act in consultation with MINAET over their latest management plan for the Wildlife Refuge and to present information to other researchers and University groups. Our community work aims at furthering our direct Proposal for Recruitment for GVI Costa Rica conservation efforts and 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; participating on jaguar surveys; setting up and checking camera traps, interacting with the local community on the GVI community education programmes.

Skills And Qualifications Received

Amongst many others:

• Internationally recognised qualification in Team Leading (BTEC Award level 2)
• First Aid & CPR training (certification optional)
• GPS, marine radio and camera trap use
• Wildlife identification skills
• Tropical forest ecology
• Wildlife biology and conservation
• Time management and interpersonal skills
• Cooking for large groups
• Canoe and kayaking skills

Numerous scientific techniques are taught depending on season and what work is being conducted, these can include:

• Collection of biometric data.
• Transect work, Direct counts and incidental observations.
• Tourist & human impact surveys.
• Camera trapping and track identification.
• Work with endangered and critically endangered species.
• Data entry.
• Manipulation and presentation.
• Internationally recognised qualification in Biological Survey Techniques (optional BTEC Award level 3).

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 mesmerising terrestrial and marine wildlife, this is definitely the programme for you! The expedition base is situated next to a waterway with a boat dock, and is surrounded by lush rainforest that is the home to monkeys, caiman, otters and other wildlife, which (depending on your luck) can be regularly sighted from the base. Across the waterway (a short canoe ride away), there is a nearby beach. There is no road access to the region, so all transportation is via kayak, 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 electricity in every building, 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