Based in the Tortuguero National Park, assist in the protection of endangered Jaguars.

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Program Overview
Life on the Program
Project Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

Assist in the protection of endangered Jaguars, whilst living and working in Costa Rica’s rainforest. Since the 1950s the population of Jaguars within the Americas has plummeted from over 400,000 to an estimated 14,000 now.

You will be searching for signs of the elusive jaguar and their prey species, which include wild boar, deer, tapir and more, as well as setting up remote cameras. Through relaying data to the government of Costa Rica and other conservation organisations, our team aids this conservation effort through monitoring and tracking on Costa Rica’s beautiful Caribbean coast in the Tortugero National Park.

Through unique and hands-on training you will have the opportunity to understand the rainforest and the wild variety of wildlife that depend on it’s future.

Highlights Include: 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 remote Caribbean beaches and tropical rainforest, seeing endemic and protected species; joining the research team to undertake research inside a protected area; exploring this wonderful Central American country.

Scholarships

We are always looking for enthusiastic and dedicated people to join our team. This project offers qualifying and high-performing volunteers the chance to stay on the project for a longer duration on a GVI Scholarship free of charge and as part of the staff team in the field. If you would like to work towards a field career and make the very most of your time abroad, you might want to work towards a place on a GVI Scholarship. Successful scholars may find themselves offered full time employment with GVI, and many of our current staff have come through this route. Contact us for more information!

Please note, the awarding of scholarships is at the sole discretion of GVI and may be offered immediately after the completion of your program or at a later date.

Life on the Program

Carrying out the programs activities on the beaches and forests in the area, you will live on our base at Jalova.

With Tortuguero’s amazing scenery, incredible beaches and through dawn patrols, spectacular sunrises as the backdrop, you will hone your research skills collecting important data.

Through the processing, analysis, and recording of data, you will also get to grips with the technical aspects of field based research.

Making lifelong friends, and invaluable contacts in the research world, you will live on our small but comfortable base with fellow volunteers, forging a tight-knit group experience you will never forget.

Project Details

Habitat and food source degradation through human activity are the major threats to populations of Jaguars. This project through the correlation of species that Jaguars prey on (wild boar, tapir, deer, sea turtles) and Jaguar population numbers, helps the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment to develop well rounded and consistent conservation policy.

How this project makes a difference:

GVI’s data goes out to national and international organisations, is presented at international conferences, and is used in species and area management policy development.

Jaguar conservation efforts have been successful in recording new and useful data about jaguars and their habitats that is being used worldwide to restore declining jaguar populations.

Volunteer Testimonials

Gary Cook, Somerset, UK

Volunteering with GVI Costa Rica has been a challenging and rewarding experience, with a great deal of fun thrown in. The long-term aims are clearly explained, as is the contribution volunteers can make towards these aims, providing a real sense of the significance of the work undertaken.

Jessica Spinnelli, New York, USA

We let out an awestruck squeal as the realization hit that right before us was the elusive jaguar! The jaguar was meandering about with no obvious objective, and then decided to plonk itself down in the sand! Then, most likely sensing our presence, the jaguar righted itself and sauntered off into the forest.