Jaguar & Wild Cat Conservation Program in Costa Rica

Wow is the first word that comes to mind when i think of the overall volunteering experience. There is just something so calming about being in the middle of a national park with almost no connection to the outside world. The closest town was a 15 mile walk on the beach or a 45 minute boat ride. This isolation made it possible to get up close and personal with the wildlife in its natural environment. Sometimes too close, like when you wake up at 5 in the morning with a bat hanging from your bug net. The work was interesting, always a new experience every time you go out. One day you are watching a sloth swing from branch to branch in a wind storm. Then the next day you are being trained with a machete to clear one of the trails that have been blocked off by fallen trees. Personally my favourite part was the weekly jag walk and going through jag picture and identifying which jaguars have been spotted along the beach and coastal jungle. It isn't always easy when you have to identify a jaguar from very little or if the picture is blurry as it runs by. In some pictures all you see of the jaguar is its teeth as it chews and pushes around the camera out of curiosity. The people also make the experience. The staff is so passionate about the work they do and are so excited to share their knowledge. This makes working alongside them quite enjoyable and you quickly pick things up and become a key player in the work you do. Over all this is an experience that everyone should have an opportunity to do.

Although the program was wildlife-based (and i am truly passionate about the natural world and its conservation), I believe one of my favorite things about the trip was interacting with, and getting to know, my fellow volunteers (and staff). I credit this largely to the idea that GVI is such a wonderful company and thus attracts such amazing people. I will never forget the friends I made on this trip.

My most striking part of this program were the people, the simplicity, the setting, the freedom, the information, and the feeling. All these makes me want to experience another part of the world through the lens of GVI.