Project Description

The ASVO conservation program is a scientific based conservation activity in which the organizations involved work with Protected Areas of Costa Rica or with sea turtle conservation.

Aims of the Project

The primary aims of volunteering with ASVO Tortuguero is collaborating with the national park to support conservation initiatives, maintaining local infrastructure, and preserving natural habitats through beach cleaning and reforestation. Volunteers also occasionally assist scientific research by helping collect data and patrolling for wildlife monitoring. These activities contribute to community engagement and environmental stewardship. Please note that most efforts are concentrated within the park rather than sea turtles.

Volunteer Tasks

• Protect the flora and fauna of the jungle.
• Monitoring and maintaining the ASVO Tortuguero reservation.
• Day and Night patrols in collaboration with the National Park Tortuguero and other organizations for collection of information about the fauna.
• Boat/ATV rides into the wildlife refuge areas and the national park to assist the park rangers.
• Awareness on how to deal with the hatchlings, what to do and what not to do.
• Construction and repairing the trails for public use at Tortuguero beach.
• Maintenance of the infrastructure of the project Cleaning of the beach and surrounding area of the town Assisting the national park in his projects and his daily work (monitoring of animals, tramp-cameras, administration work, investigation work, social work etc.)
• Collecting seeds from the jungle for the greenhouse project.
• Reforestation of the beach to protect the hatchlings from the light of the town.
• Support in environmental education activities and communal protection.
• Community activities (schools, high school workshops, festivals “Day of the Jaguar”, etc.).
• Night patrols (3-5 days a week, 3-6 hours per night, depending on the season)

Volunteer Requirements

• An organized, structured person (Very important).
• The volunteer needs to like it/needs to have the willingness to work in a natural tropical forest and beach and to work physically.
• Basic Spanish Level and basic English.
•  To be respectful towards the internal rules the project.
• To love nature as the main goal of this project.
• To be in good physical condition as the patrols imply long walks along the beach at night and the jungle walks.
• Open to share accommodation and bedroom with other volunteers.
• To be very flexible and to do different tasks during the day which may involve cooking and cleaning as volunteers may be also responsible of taking care of the camp Interest in environmental issues.
• The volunteer should enjoy working with people and foster good human relations.
• Proactivity is a must.
• Volunteers must be ready to work independently even when the coordinator is not present.
• Honest, responsible, punctual, positive person.
• Leadership Skills.
• Good attitude.
• Open to flexibility of schedules.
• Optional skills: cooking, carpentry, electricity-skills, etc.

Working Days

The work schedule is from 6 to 10 hours per day depending on the intensity of nesting activity and other types of jobs more focused on community support. It depends on the weather season, turtle season and on how many volunteers there are at the moment.

The work is done mostly during the night.
The daytime schedule will depend on the type of activity and on the time of the rain (depends partly on the season).

• Low season (February – June): general work, mainly maintenance
• High season (July January): more work with night patrols in collaboration with the National Park staff.

Flexible schedules (strong work normally during the mornings, and in the afternoons the job will be a bit more relaxed, for example cleaning beaches) Examples: 9:00- 11:00, 15:00 17:00 and then the work at night (explained above).

Location

Tortuguero, Limón

Accomodation

Host project