Exploring Costa Rica - El Centro Natural de Selva Verde - Service Learning Travel

EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL
SERVICE
presents
COSTA RICA
February 12-19, 2009

Logistical Overview
Length: 8 Days

Primary Emphasis

Spanish Language
Natural History
Conservation in Action
Service Learning
Active Participation

Educational Connections

Biodiversity
Language Immersion
Conservation Biology
Sustainable Development
Reserve Management
Wildlife Management
Ecological Assessment
Cultural Awareness

Sarapiquí
Conservation
Learning
Center

Field-Based Learning with
El Centro Natural de Selva Verde
(The Nature Center at Selva Verde)
Costa Rica

"Spanish Language Program
& Service Learning"

Tropical rainforests cover less than 20 percent of the earth's surface, yet they contain almost half of all known species on the planet. They are being destroyed at an alarming rate and even the most conservation conscious countries have a difficult time slowing the destruction. Community-based conservation initiatives are often the most effective tools in our fight to save endangered habitats. Two Costa Rican partners, Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve, and the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center, have joined together to create El Centro Natural de Selva Verde (ECN) with a simple but powerful goal - conservation through education.

Students participating in the ECN Conservation Service Team program will explore the wonders of tropical ecology while working on a wide variety of conservation related projects. All Service Learning Programs integrate classroom learning with meaningful community service and critical reflective thinking to enhance students' understanding of cultural and natural responsibility.

Itinerary Highlights

Explore the primary rainforests of Selva Verde Rainforest Reserve and the Rio Sarapiquí Watershed
Build background knowledge with interactive workshops on rainforest structure, function, and conservation that correlate with the National Science Standards.
Work with Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center, Tirimbina Private Reserve, and local Costa Rican students on conservation service projects and Spanish language immersion. Possible service projects include:
- Rainforest flora and fauna biodiversity inventories
- Environmental education, interpretation projects, help building a bus stop for the local community
- Reserve management, maintenance and improvement projects
Service Learning hours certified by the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center.
Plus white water rafting, salsa lessons, Bat mist netting at Tirimbina and a visit to Arenal Volcano and Termales del Bosque Hot Springs!

El Centro Natural de Selva Verde
Exploring Costa Rica

February 12 - Arrival in Costa Rica!

Upon arrival in Costa Rica you will meet your guide and transfer to Hotel La Tirimbina and Rainforest Reserve located in the tropical lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica. After check in gather for an orientation to the Tirimbina property as well as the upcoming El Centro Natural de Selva Verde service learning program. Part of your time will be spent at the Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve located on the beautiful Rio Sarapiquí. The lodge is designed to have a minimum impact on the environment and Selva Verde's extensive grounds include a 500-acre rainforest reserve preserved and managed by Holbrook. Selva Verde Lodge is a proud to participate in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism program (CST). This important program sets a standard for lodges in key aspects of sustainability including environmental impact, community impact, and environmental awareness building. This program is a voluntary program that was created and is monitored by the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism. CST is one of the certification programs worldwide that are accredited by Rainforest Alliance. Selva Verde Lodge strongly supports the CST program because it believes that in the long-term, properly implemented certification is one of the most promising ways to provide a real incentive to practice sustainability. After settling in, enjoy an orientation to the week ahead and a hearty Costa Rican dinner. Overnight at La Tirimbina (D)

Service Program Overview
Equally rich in culture, wildlife and fun, the ECN Conservation Service Team program is the ultimate Service Learning experience in Costa Rica. Over the next 4 days, you will explore the lowland rain forest realm of and participate in a wide variety of service learning activities, locally coordinated by the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center (SCLC). Located adjacent to Selva Verde along the Río Sarapiquí, the SCLC is a non-profit organization dedicated to programs that foster education, environmental conservation, artistic expression, and responsible tourism. The Center provides an ideal hands-on environment for activities that support community self-development and supplement, rather than supplant indigenous cultures while encouraging cultural exchange. Along with the service portion of this program you will be immersed in the Spanish language with all instructions given in Spanish with English translations if needed.

February 13

After breakfast enjoy an introductory presentation by a Tirimbina Naturalist and the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center to discuss your community service program. The SCLC is a non-profit organization founded to preserve and improve the cultural integrity of the rural Costa Rican community of Chilamate. The SCLC is dedicated to programs that foster education, environmental conservation, artistic expression, and responsible tourism. The Center provides an ideal hands-on environment for activities that support community self-development and supplement, rather than supplant indigenous cultures while encouraging cultural exchange. Past projects have included building new classrooms, improving playing fields, removing trash from designated areas or working with individual families on home improvement projects as well as reforestation projects. Practice conversational Spanish to use while working on your service projects in the upcoming week. Afterward take part in a workshop entitled "Introduction to the Rainforest" presented in Spanish (and English if needed). During this workshop your expert guide will introduce you to the fascinating rainforest ecosystem. Discover the elements of a rainforest, where they are found, temperature and precipitation, soil, seasons, as well as adaptations and interactions of the plants and animals found in this unique ecosystem. This workshop ties to the National Science Education Standards. After the short classroom session you will depart for a guided hike in the Tirimbina Reserve for experiential learning and to observe many of the topics discussed in the workshop. This evening enjoy a "charla", or presentation on local culture given in Spanish by a local community member. After dinner join your guide for a night walk to observe nocturnal wildlife. Overnight at La Tirimbina (BLD)

February 14

This morning take part in an introduction to the amazing tropical birds of Tirimbina and enjoy a short hike with your guide around the grounds of the lodge. The bird life of Tirimbina Reserve is abundant and feeding stations have been set up around the lodge grounds to facilitate observation and identification of the many species that frequent the grounds. Fruiting trees are often full of beautiful tropical bird flocks, including a variety of flycatchers, tanagers, honeycreepers, and manakins. Keel-billed toucans and oropendulas are commonly seen. Though their occurrence is irregular, Selva Verde is gaining a reputation for its frequent sightings of the endangered Great Green Macaw, and is currently collaborating with international efforts to save this much endangered species. This macaw depends upon the fruits the "almendro" or wild almond - and the largest specimen in Costa Rica is found in Selva Verde's rainforest reserve. It is possible that you will also encounter birds that frequent your temperate backyards and woodlands if you are visiting during the winter or very early spring. These "neotropical migrants" depend on forest conservation at both ends of their migratory routes. After breakfast there will be a rainforest structure and forest fragmentation workshop. Discover the forest structure and adaptations as well as discuss deforestation and its consequences, reforestation practices and species used, and finally habits of creature of the day and night inhabiting these forests. Afterwards, transfer to the SCLC to pick up needed equipment and head out to the local community to meet with the ecology club for a service project. Projects include creating compost areas, building a nursery and garden work. Before dinner you will stop at the SCLC for a Costa Rican cooking class instructed by local women. Afterward, depart to Tirimbina for dinner and for another nocturnal walk around the grounds with your guide observing the animals that come out at night. Overnight at La Tirimbina (BLD)

February 15

This morning will be an optional pre-breakfast bird walk with the naturalist guide. After breakfast, transfer to the local community to work on the service learning project. Spend the full day working on the project. Lunch will be in the field in the Chilamate community. Continue to practice conversational Spanish throughout your encounters today. After lunch (at work site) continue the project then meet with local children for cultural exchange and a possible soccer game. Late afternoon transfer back to Tirimbina. This evening, after dinner at Tirimbina, reflect on the work completed up to this point. After take part in a bat mist netting activity where you'll learn about these fascinating nocturnal creatures. You will be able to get a close up look at different bat species found in the rainforest. Overnight at La Tirimbina (BLD)

February 16

This morning will be another optional bird walk then breakfast. After breakfast enjoy an arts and crafts workshop instructed by a local artisan in Spanish. Participants will learn new art skills in this class taught by a local artisan from Sarapiquí. Most artisans in the area have had no formal training, yet they have a strong interest in art and see it as a means to be able to earn a living through tourism. Being an artist is one of the few jobs that one can do at home, making it an attractive option for local people who live with their families or have children. Many local artists use the natural resources of the land around them in their artwork, such as seeds, leaves, discarded wood, as well as living jungle models for their inspiration. Projects may include jewelry making with rainforest seeds, woodworking, rainforest painting, and palm frond weaving. Take a new skill and a piece of Sarapiquí home with you. This afternoon depart for an exciting white water rafting trip on the Río Sarapiquí. A professional river guide escorts all trips and you will be provided all of the necessary safety equipment (helmet, life jackets, etc.) and following a thorough safety orientation and basic rafting lesson, you will enjoy both Class II and Class III rapids of the Río Sarapiqui. These moderate waters are a challenging way to have fun and are an exhilarating end to your day. Later this evening enjoy salsa lessons organized with the SCLC with the local community at Tirimbina. Participants learn 3 styles of Latin dance: Merengue, Salsa, and Cumbia. Local dancers first demonstrate the style of dancing, then lead the group through the dance step by step, and finally the participants have a chance to practice with a partner. At the end, everyone takes turns dancing in a circle, showing off their new dance moves. Overnight at La Tirimbina (BLD)

February 17 - Arenal

Today you will say good bye to the lowland rainforest and set off for an exploration of the Arenal Volcano area. Depart after breakfast, stopping en route at Termales de Bosque Hot Springs. Termales del Bosque covers 140 hectares and preserves 80 hectares of primary forest. During your visit you will have the opportunity to soak in mineral hot springs located along a rainforest stream. Upon arrival in Arenal, you will stop at the volcano for a close-up look and guided hike. Continuously active since 1968, Arenal is young as volcanoes go-only about 4000 years old-and relatively small at 5358 feet. Short periods of inactivity are followed by the emission of hot, red rocks that crash down the steep slopes of the volcanic cone. The eruptions, which can throw rocks up to 1,000 feet into the air, can be fairly noisy and are easily heard more than a mile away. Continue on to your hotel for check in and dinner. Overnight at the Arenal Vista (BLD)

February 18 - Arenal

After a hearty Costa Rican breakfast get ready for a thrilling adventure canopy tour. Take the Sky Tram up the mountainside to the first cable line platform. Here you will hook yourself to a wire cable and zip over the tree tops for a unique view of the rainforest below. Helmets, gloves and other equipment will be provided along with instructions and safety information before you begin your guided tour. After lunch back at the hotel join your guide for a horseback ride to the gorgeous La Fortuna waterfalls. This journey will take you through the rainforest where you will be able to observe local flora and fauna. When you reach the waterfall take some time to bask in the cool refreshing pool at the base of the falls. Return to the lodge late this afternoon and enjoy the evening view of the volcano (weather permitting). Overnight at the Arenal Vista (BLD)

February 19 - Farewell

Depart for San Jose and the international airport this morning for your return flight home. (B)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Please note that the information below is for U.S. citizens traveling on tourism and does not apply to persons holding a non-US passport. If you are holding a non-US passport, please contact our offices for more information.

IMPORTANT: This listing is prepared from information obtained from foreign embassies. This information is subject to change. Check entry requirements with the consular officials of the countries to be visited well in advance.

PASSPORTS: All U.S. citizens traveling internationally are required to have a valid passport to enter the United States. Some countries require that your U.S. passport be valid at least 6 months or longer beyond the dates of your trip. If your passport expires before the required validity, you will have to apply for a new one. Please check with the Embassy or nearest Consulate of the country that you plan to visit for their requirements.

VISAS: If a visa is required, obtain it from the appropriate foreign consular representative before proceeding abroad (some countries can process the visas at the airports, upon arrival). Allow sufficient time for processing your visa application, especially if you are applying by mail. Most foreign consular representatives are located in principal cities, and in many instances, a traveler may be required to obtain visas from the consular office in the area of his/her residence. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TRAVELER TO OBTAIN VISAS, WHERE REQUIRED, FROM THE APPROPRIATE EMBASSY OR NEAREST CONSULATE OF THE COUNTRY YOU ARE PLANNING TO VISIT.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR COSTA RICA
American citizens need a valid passport to enter Costa Rica; the passport must be valid for at least 30 days after date of entry. Visa is not required for a maximum stay of 90 days.

For more information contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of Costa Rica, 2112 S St. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (202/328-6628) or the nearest Consulate General: CA (213/380-7915), GA (770/951-7025), FL (305/871-7487), IL (312/263-2772), LA (504/581-6800), NY (212/509-3066) or TX (713/266-0484). Internet: http://costarica-embassy.org/

Departure Tax - There is a $26 departure tax to be paid at the airport as you depart Costa Rica on an international flight. This tax is per person and may be paid in US funds. We recommend that you make this payment in cash as credit card payments will incur cash advance charges and possibly other fees.