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Costa Rica is home to an astounding bounty of ecosystems, scenery, cultures, wildlife and National Parks. From the coast to the cloud forest, valleys to volcanoes, wet forest to rare tropical dry forest, this 33-day expedition reveals Costa Rica’s treasures, secrets and challenges. We learn about the impressive efforts to safeguard Costa Rica’s resources – the country’s twelve major “life zones” are home to an amazing 5% of all life forms on earth and no other country has as much actively protected area per capita. Nonetheless, we discover that economic pressures present a constant threat and conservationists must wage a tireless battle to protect this environmental jewel.
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 Days 1 – 7 After arriving in San Jose, we meet up with our local guide and outfit ourselves for adventure in the rainforest. A weeklong backpacking expedition provides a challenging and exciting introduction to the Costa Rican wilderness. Explore tropical wet forest, encounter monkeys and rare birds, take in breathtaking mountain views and cool off in the wild waters of the Pacuare River. Our trek takes us across the protected lands of the Cabecar Indians, a local group still living largely as their ancestors did for generations. This is not a tourist area. We carry all our supplies and leave no trace of our presence behind.
Days 8 – 20 We head to Turrialba for a more formal study of tropical ecology with expert agricultural researchers. Discover that tropical environments come in many types – dry, wet, high and low – each with its own set of flora and fauna. We discuss man’s impact on the regions and how conservationists are working to create environmentally sustainable economic activities to preserve rare ecosystems. Taking a break from our studies in the field and at the Institute, we wander through the local markets and visit the serpentarium to meet with one of the country’s snake experts.
 Days 21 - 25 Putting all we have learned to use, we embark on our conservation project in Santa Rosa National Park, the last existing primary tropical dry forest in the world. Our tasks include reconstruction of remote trail systems and helping restore historically significant areas devastated by fire. This area sees few volunteers and local conservationists eagerly welcome our participation. Through a hands-on approach we are able to see how the ecological and preservation pieces fit together. We build on the information acquired in previous weeks while providing an invaluable service to Costa Rica’s future.
Day 26-33 In our final days, we travel to Costa Rica’s Pacific coast to enjoy the warm tropical climate and calm beautiful water. We spend our days in expedition style sea kayaks and our nights under the stars camping on the beach. This area is home to many types of monkeys, toucans and parrots, as well as lizards, frogs and crocodiles. Our peaceful sojourn here allows us to pull together our experiences and share lessons learned with the group. Discovering Costa Rica’s extraordinary palette of landscapes and wildlife will forever alter the way we look at the wilderness, conservation and our role in the environment.
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| Insights has greatly expanded our program offerings
under the new name Academic Treks. Please visit
the www.academictreks.com website
or call us at 888-833-1907 to learn more. |
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