Costa Rica | Study Abroad with Beacon College

Upon arrival in San José, you'll be met by your driver and transported by private van to Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve. Have lunch en route. On arrival, attend an orientation for the lodge and facilities as well as your program. This evening, enjoy a presentation on the Great Green Macaw and a documentary viewing. After dinner, walk around the lodge with a naturalist guide in search of nocturnal creatures.

This morning, explore the primary rainforest reserve during an interpretive hike. During the hike, discover the unique ecosystem of the rainforest and its flora and fauna, as well as learn about the layers of the rainforest canopy and the overall ecosystem. Along the reserve's forest trails, you may see a superb variety of wildlife and avian life, including parrots, jacamars, hummingbirds, motmots, and other exotic lowland tropical birds. Have lunch back at the lodge and then walk next door to the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC). The SCLC is a non-profit organization that aims to support local conservation through educational programming and community development. During your visit, learn of the important role the SCLC plays in conservation in the agricultural area. Before dinner, enjoy a presentation on the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

Early this morning, take a guided bird walk, and then visit a leafcutter ant farm to get a close-up look at the life cycle of these fascinating insects. Return to the lodge for lunch, and then visit the serpentarium. The remainder of the day is free to do course work. In the evening, take a nocturnal hike.

This morning, enjoy another bird hike before breakfast, and then take a boat ride through Río Sarapiquí. This is a good opportunity to talk about how banana plantations along the river affect the environment and wildlife, yet are an important part of the local economy. In the afternoon, take a short journey to explore the cultural history of chocolate. Start with a quick walk through a cacao-growing plot of land, and then see a demonstration of the chocolate-making process. Listen to the story of pre- and post-colonial chocolate in Costa Rica while sampling chocolate that's been traditionally prepared on the spot. This evening, attend an environmental interpretation workshop facilitated by Selva Verde naturalists. It will include learning and practicing skills and techniques for nature-based interpretation in the field and on the trails.

This morning, participate in a service project and plant trees as part of a reforestation initiative. Have lunch, and then enjoy some time to journal. In the afternoon, take a hike at La Selva Research Station, one of the world's leading institutions in tropical education and research, and learn about their research projects and the important work they do. Have dinner, and then take part in a lecture about bats.

This morning, return to San José, stopping en route at Toucan Rescue Ranch to learn about their wildlife rescue and rehabilitation program. Check in at the hotel and have an evening course reflection and conversation about what has been learned.

Fly back to Orlando.