Rescue station for sloths, monkeys, birds & Co.
- Surrounded by nature
- work with wildlife
- Varied activities
A protection center on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast cares for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife: sloths, turtles, monkeys and other animals are nursed in the station and then released again to freedom. Support the facility during feeding, maintenance of the enclosures and reintroductions, and get to know the magnificent wildlife of Costa Rica!
Puerto Viejo
from 18 years
4 - 24 weeks
/ from €1.950
Saturday
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
What's the matter?
When animals and human civilization collide, accidents easily happen - usually with bad outcomes for the animals. Sloths that get stuck on power lines, birds that are attacked by street dogs or snakes that are hit by cars: wild animals are injured or young lose their parents in different ways. Every year, firefighters, police, coastguards or residents of surrounding communities bring around 500 to 600 animals to the sanctuary. The animal station on the Caribbean coast in Puerto Viejo takes care of these animals. There they receive first aid and receive veterinary treatment.
After the animals have recovered, they are relocated to a rainforest reserve. This is a few kilometers south of the station and prepares the animals for release in their natural habitat. The animals are not immediately thrown in at the deep end: After their injury break, they first have to gradually get used to their new surroundings. Bit by bit they get more freedom. If they injure themselves again or find it difficult to eat, the project team is ready to help the animals in an emergency. In about half of all animals, acclimatization succeeds completely.
Currently, only employees of the rescue station and no volunteers are used in the field of reintroduction.
In the station, you will encounter many different species of animals that live on the coast and in the forests of Costa Rica. These include: monkeys, sloths, smaller bear species, armadillos, birds, snakes, iguanas and turtles.
Note: Which animals you will encounter during your stay always depends on the success of the release. It is therefore not guaranteed that you will encounter all of the animals mentioned.
The immediate help for the animals is only one side of the facility. The project team sees the progressive destruction of the environment as a long-term problem that must be solved by the population and the government together. The local employees rely on sustainable public relations work and do educational work at schools and universities to sensitize the population to environmental protection.
Your tasks as a volunteer
The everyday life in the project depends on the needs of the animals. You take care of the daily cleaning and maintenance of the cages, food bowls and possibly water points as well as the maintenance of the green areas and gardens. But there are also routine tasks such as laundry, cleaning and cooking. Depending on personal interests and abilities, you can also assist with the medical care of injured animals. People with experience in veterinary medicine are particularly sought after!
Working with the animals will inspire you, but it also requires a lot of sense of responsibility. One of your main responsibilities is caring for the animals and giving them your full attention. You should be aware that these are often injured animals that in some cases do not survive, despite the great care and medical care.
Please note that these are mostly wild animals and you must keep your distance from them in order not to endanger their release into the wild. However, you will have some direct contact with the animals, sometimes unintentionally. It can happen that the animals react aggressively or bite.
Are there any animal species you do not want to work with? Then please indicate this when registering.
In order for the reintroduction and species protection to succeed, scientists and veterinarians collect data about the animals and present the results to the public. This also shows the areas in which there is still room for improvement. With your observations you help to collect information about the animals. If you stay a long time and know your way around, you have the opportunity to take tours of the facility for visitors.
You will normally work five days a week from around 7:30 a.m. until the afternoon or early evening. Lunch break is between 12:14 p.m. and XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. Working hours may vary depending on the occupancy of the animal station.
Accommodation Catering
Volunteer House in San Jose
Here you will spend your first night and depending on which project you have registered for as a volunteer, you will then drive to Ojochal or Puerto Viejo. If your volunteer project or your language course takes place directly in San José, this is your accommodation for the entire period.
The Volunteer House has two rooms for two participants each and one single room. All residents share two common bathrooms and the living room.
Your accommodation is located in downtown San José and within walking distance of restaurants, museums, theaters, parks, supermarkets, shopping streets, banks and stops. A laundry service is available on request.
Groceries are provided for breakfast and dinner and the volunteers prepare their own meals.
Hostel of the animal friends
You live in a hostel that is located on the premises of the facility. The spacious rooms are fully equipped with four or five single beds each, mosquito nets, private bathroom, ventilation and spacious wardrobes. You can prepare your own meals at any time in a large, newly furnished shared kitchen. There is also a common room with sofas and a lounge area where you can relax with other volunteers.
The rooms and common areas are cleaned daily. A weekly change of towels and bed linen is also part of the hostel's service. The hostel offers free Wi-Fi as well as coffee and tea. There is a night watchman and the possibility to park bicycles safely. There is a small supermarket 200 meters away and a large, well-stocked supermarket 500 meters away.
Location
Puerto Viejo
Our project location is in the southeast of Costa Rica, on the Caribbean coast. Not only dreamlike beaches await you here, but also fascinating forests and an infectious serenity of the locals.
In the rainforest you will find a diverse range of animals: in addition to monkeys, sloths and various birds, armadillos, turtles and iguanas also live here. In the middle of the jungle you can listen to the noises and escape everyday life for a while.
Would you like to shift down a gear, relax a little and recharge your batteries? Costa Rica - and especially the town of Puerto Viejo - is perfect for this! Embrace the slower pace of life here and enjoy the beautiful nature!
Your free time in Puerto Viejo
“Pura Vida” is capitalized in Puerto Viejo and generally in Costa Rica. Get used to a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, because stress and hectic have no place here!
As you walk the streets of Puerto Viejo, you'll meet happy, laid-back locals who appreciate and enjoy life. Get infected by the lifestyle, grab some delicious nachos from one of the enticing restaurants and take a leisurely stroll to the beach. White sand awaits you there and chilled reggae music that sounds everywhere from the beach bars.
With all the coziness, you can also experience action in Puerto Viejo! If you dare, venture into the Caribbean waves and try to stay on the board while surfing. In addition to surfing, you also have the opportunity to go horseback riding on the beach and enjoy the view of the open sea from horseback.
North of Puerto Viejo is Tortuguero National Park. You can only access it by boat via the waterway, but it's definitely worth a visit. There you will find black sandy beaches, rough coasts and experience pure jungle adventures in the midst of paradisiacal nature.
On-site procedure
Arrive in San Jose
After your arrival at San JosĂ© Juan SantamarĂa Airport, you will be picked up by an RGV team member and taken to your first accommodation at the Volunteer House. On Sunday you drive to your job site in a minibus. The transfer (from San JosĂ© to the deployment site) is included in the service.
Program with language course
If you have booked our language course, you will be taken to your accommodation (student house) in San José. The drive there takes about half an hour, depending on the traffic situation. After you have gotten to know the accommodation, you can move into your room and relax - your language course will start on the following Monday.
If several people with the same Spanish skills take part in the course on the same date, the language course will take place in a group for 4 hours a day from Monday to Friday. If this is not the case, you will receive 3 hours of individual lessons per day from Monday to Friday. The language course is canceled on public holidays and will not be rescheduled.
Orientation program in Costa Rica
On Monday, after your arrival at the project and before your project work begins, our team will prepare you for your assignment. You will receive information about your tasks and activities in the project as well as the customs of your host country so that you can settle in well in your new environment.
Your first day in the project
As soon as you have familiarized yourself with everything, you can start with your project work. Depending on how much previous knowledge you have and depending on the assessment and needs of the local specialists, you will be slowly introduced to the work or you will soon be assigned your own tasks.
return home
After the end of the project, you are responsible for your own transfer to the airport. If available, you can also stay in one of the RGV accommodations. If you want this, please let our team know at least 72 hours in advance. They then examine the possibilities. You have to pay extra for the overnight stays after the end of the project.
Pricing
-
4 weeks of participationbase fee€ 1.950, -
-
up to 20 weeks respectivelyextension week€ 240, - / week
included
Services
Before departure
- Individual advice and support from our trained RGV team in Munich
- Organization including placement in the project and coordination of your stay on site
- Assistance with preparation: visa, health care, travel insurance, etc.
- Non-binding flight advice
- Travel ABC with packing list for your travel preparation
- RGV t-shirt
On site
- Orientation program with the team on site
- Support and guidance from the on-site team
- RGV 24h emergency number
- Project t-shirt to wear during on-site activities
- Airport transfer on the agreed day of arrival
- Accommodation at the job site
- First night in San Jose
After return
- Participation confirmation of your voluntary commitment
- Reflection course on your experiences abroad
- Evaluation sheet and optional feedback discussion
not included
Services
- Round trip
- Private expenses on site
- Excursions with microlight flights
- Travel and cancellation insurance
- Visa and Vaccinations
- All nights outside your agreed accommodation
- Public transport and extra transfers
- Airport transfer on departure day
- Food and drinks
Individual
Recommended additional offers
& must-haves
Would you prefer to stay in a single room? Are you vegan or do you have special requests for food? Or do you want to do some cool trips with other volunteers in your free time and explore the country?
With us, you benefit from a variety of optional additional services that you can add individually to your booking, depending on your preferences.
Cheap flights with our flight partner thanks to volunteer rates.
Would you like to receive a cheap flight offer for your stay abroad that is perfectly tailored to you? After you have successfully registered, you can have a non-binding offer created.
The excellent rates for volunteers, students and young people are a great advantage. Arrival times and flight time changes can also be sent directly to RGV upon request, so that our RGV teams in the destination countries are always informed about your arrival times.
These special tariffs give you special added value:
- maximum flexibility for rebookings and cancellations
- generous baggage allowance
- Additional discounts on one-way flights: The new volunteer tariffs include attractive discounts to reduce your financial burden on one-way flights (e.g. for stopovers, project or country combinations).
Benefit from the 4 in 1 ERGO travel insurance.
You can easily book the long-term travel protection of ERGO Reiseversicherung after you have registered. You will receive the links to this automatically after a successful registration.
The following building blocks are included:
- Health Insurance
- Comfort protection: accident, liability and interruption insurance
- Travel insurance
- Intensive Spanish classes
-
Two tools to get you started on your personal developmentPersonal development introductory courseFree of charge
Puerto Viejo
Team
site
Your contact person and team leader in Costa Rica is Alberto. He used to work full-time as an engineer and now devotes himself entirely to volunteer projects. Alberto will support you during your time in Costa Rica and will be happy to help you with any questions you may have.
Volunteers talk about their experiences Joint commitment - big impact!
Life in a center with sloths, monkeys, opposums & parrots
Astrid spent 5 weeks at the animal station in Costa Rica. She tells us about the feeding of the animals, the life in the center and why even young people from the region join the 18. Birthday wish to participate in the project.
01.08.2020
Astrid
Experience report from the animal welfare project in Costa Rica
Since I was involved in both projects for about two months, I had a lot of responsibility and did work alone, looked after the animals and trained new volunteers.
16.03.2021
Elena
Browse our magazine
RGV
FAQ
to the project
What are the project fees used for?
Although we are a non-profit organization, there are costs associated with volunteering abroad. Find out here, why volunteering requires money and what your project fee is used for.
What visa do I need for Costa Rica?
For Costa Rica you need a tourist visa, which you can apply for at the airport. This is valid for 180 days.
What language skills do I need for the project?
Spanish or a good knowledge of English is required for the project.
What vaccinations/ health precautions do I need for the project?
Proof of a tuberculosis vaccination or medical proof that you do not have tuberculosis is required to take part in the project.
If you are traveling from a yellow fever area, you need a yellow fever vaccination. Otherwise there are no compulsory vaccinations.
We generally recommend a consultation in a practice for travel and tropical medicine.
What are the requirements for the animal welfare project?
There are no special requirements for participation. What is important is having fun working with animals and being interested in animal welfare. Good physical fitness is often an advantage.
What do I have to consider as an LGBTQ person?
Please be aware that homosexual acts are considered undesirable in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and are even punishable by law in some places. In general, people who are identified as queer are often exposed to hostility.
For example, get information from Foreign Office about the exact regulations in your destination country.
Ready to volunteer in Costa Rica? Start your adventure abroad with Rainbow Garden Village!
Rainbow Garden Village has been offering volunteer work and internships abroad since 1999. What started as a small student initiative in Ghana has now grown into an organization with over 250 projects around the world.
You can be sure that your work as a volunteer will be an unforgettable experience. Bring your commitment and your knowledge to do good locally - and at the same time benefit from the unique experiences that will promote your personal development.
Become part of our RGV community!
We look forward to you.
RGV
Your way
to the volunteer
1
Choose your volunteer project and register online.
2
We will review your application and confirm your participation.
3
Prepare for your assignment online or in our preparatory seminar in Munich.
4
Here we go! During your volunteer work, we will support you at any time with our on-site team.
Gallery
Impressions &
Impressions
More projects you too might be interested
Are you not sure yet? Think about whether a spontaneous assignment as a volunteer abroad is the right choice for you or whether you would like to Voluntary social year (FSJ) abroad want to decide.
With RGV you achieve flexible volunteer work in different countries worldwide. Maybe there is one too Internship abroad the ideal choice for you to gain valuable experience abroad.
South Africa | wildlife
from 2 -12 weeks
from 18 years
Ghana | Primates & Monkeys
from 4 - 12 weeks
from 18 years
South Africa | Primates & Monkeys
from 2 - 12 weeks
from 18 years
