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Wildlife Volunteer Work in Costa RicaRainsong Wildlife Sanctuary a Haven for Injured Animals
If you would enjoy walking around with an anteater on your shoulder or cuddling a loveable kinkajou then volunteering in the Nicoya Peninsula´s dry forest is for you.
The sanctuary, managed by American Mary, cares for injured or abandoned animals generally brought to Rainsong by the public. Many are helpless babies and volunteers handle exotic species like porcupines, squirrels, possums, monkeys, tucans, parrotts and fresh water turtles. Tasks include taking the young anteater out for a walk to search for ants to eat and entertaining the monkey, a very social and emotionally needy animal, who loves company. While caring for the wildlife is a priority there are other projects needing attention. Work like clearing brush, landscaping, and building more animal habitats for the hospital and breeding areas. Volunteers are assigned tasks according to their talents and preferences and work 4 hours a day, 6 days per week. For more information see Rainsong's website. Caring for Rainsong´s Exotic AnimalsFeeding and ensuring animals have clean areas is a priority. This work involves regular (every 2 -4 hours) bottle feeding of young animals, cleaning out the turtle pond and bird cages. Also Rainsong welcomes visitors ($5 donation required) to see and have contact with the animals. It's the task of volunteers to show them around and supervise them with the animals. How to Get to CabuyaRainsong is about a days travel by bus and ferry from the capital San Jose. The Rainsong website lists several travel options including air, shuttle and public transport. Mary can assist with travel arrangements as well as accommodation on arrival in San Jose. Rainsong Volunteer Costs Volunteers pay their own travel and meal costs. Rainsong can provide budget accommodation in camp-huts at the Sanctuary for USD 3 per day (kitchen provided). Also, for more comfort, accommodation is available for USD 10 per day at (=50% off the normal price) plus USD 1 per day for the kitchen. Rainsong Contact The best way to contact Mary is by email. Cabuya has no cell signal and no phone land-lines so it's not possible to call Mary and talk to her. However there is much work and volunteers are always welcome so it's fine if you just turn up. There is no minimum period for volunteering. The Nicoya PeninsulaThe Nicoya Peninsula, apart from being the site of Costa Rica´s first national park, Cabo Blanco, also attracts beach lovers, surfers and people wanting to get away from it all and live in tropical paradise. In fact many of its beaches are popular tourist destinations. Rainsong is in the small village of Cabuya and alongside Cabo Blanco National Park , about 7 km from Montezuma Beach, a long established gringo hangout. Here you easily pick up fallen coconuts and mangos for a delicious feast, commonly see and hear howler monkeys crashing through the trees and meet large iguanas sunbathing in the road. The area features beaches of crashing surf, cooly refreshing waterfalls and rivers which are also a good place to observe birds in the overhanging forest. Other Volunteer Opportunities Volunteering is a great way to meet people, both other volunteers and locals, and gives you a deeper appreciation of the country, it's people, culture and, of course, conservation and wildlife issues Costa Rica, Central and South America offer many opportunities for conservation and wildlife volunteering. If you love animals the Otter Project in Brazil on beautiful Santa Catarina Island is a good opportunity to assist in the protection of an endangered species as well as enjoy the beaches and Brazil's fourth largest carnavale.
The copyright of the article Wildlife Volunteer Work in Costa Rica in International Volunteering is owned by Rosemary Findley. Permission to republish Wildlife Volunteer Work in Costa Rica in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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