Costa Rica | Science, Engineering and Math in the Tropics

Upon arrival in San José, meet your guide and travel to the hotel to check in and have an evening program orientation.

This morning, travel by bus to the Caribbean coast and board a boat to Lirio Lodge, located between the town of Limón and Tortuguero National Park, where the Pacuare River meets the Caribbean Sea. Upon arrival, have lunch at the hotel, and then receive an orientation to the lodge and a presentation on the sea turtle conservation and management plan in Pacuare Reserve. Next, board a boat and head to Pacuare Reserve for a guided hike in search of monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, iguanas, and a variety of birds. Visit the station's hatchery and go over beach practices for locating nests. Return to the lodge for dinner. In the evening, join researchers on the nearby beach to assist with their night patrol. Patrols will consist of data collection, such as location of the nest, turtle measurements, and other biometric data. Abiotic data is also collected (e.g. time, temperature, rainfall, etc.). Additionally, assist with collecting eggs and relocating them to a hatchery or to a safe area on the beach. Relocating the eggs helps researchers keep an eye on the development of the eggs and protect them from intruders, including animal predators. If there are 10 to 20 people, the group will need to split into two shifts, as only 10 people are allowed on the beach at a time (not including station staff). The first shift is from 8 pm to 12 am; the second shift is from 10 pm to 2 am. For groups larger than 20, groups will need to split up and alternate nights.

This morning, enjoy breakfast and then embark on a canal tour. The network of freshwater creeks and lagoons in the Tortuguero area is home to seven species of river turtles, spectacled caimans, southern river otters, many crustaceans, and more than 50 species of freshwater fish. Be on the lookout for spider, howler, and white-faced capuchin monkeys, and expect to see several different species of birds. If lucky, you might even spot an endangered West Indian manatee. Later in the afternoon, meet the researchers for a brief talk on their ongoing projects and daily tasks before joining them in the field to assist with building nests for the hatchery, beach cleaning to remove obstacles for nesting turtles, or working on the dock entrance and trail access points. Hatcheries are used to protect the eggs that are harvested during night patrols. To provide an ideal environment, the chosen area has to be de-rooted three feet deep to get rid of any roots that might threaten the developing eggs. Then it has to be fenced off to prevent any kind of predator. Sometimes sandbags need to be placed around it, as the sea can come up quite high and flood the entire hatchery. This evening, return to the beach and assist researchers with turtle patrols.

This morning, travel by bus to Selva Verde Lodge in the Sarapiquí region, Selva Verde is located along the Sarapiquí River and consists of 500 acres of secondary and primary forest. The lodge is designed to have a minimum impact on the environment and is a proud participant in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST). Have lunch at the lodge and receive an orientation to Selva Verde's facilities and private reserve. After settling in, attend a "Welcome to the Rainforest" workshop, exploring the rainforest canopy in detail. Begin with a 30-minute discussion on general rainforest ecology, structure, and function in Selva Verde's rainforest classroom facility. Next, head out into the primary forest to get hands-on experience with ecological concepts. This evening take a guided night hike around the grounds of the lodge to observe nocturnal wildlife.

Early this morning, enjoy an introduction to the amazing tropical birds of Selva Verde during a short hike with your guide around the grounds of the lodge. The avifauna of Selva Verde is abundant, and feeding stations have been set up around the lodge to facilitate observation and identification of the many species that frequent the area. Return to the lodge for breakfast, then go zip lining through the trees of the rainforest! After lunch, visit the home of a resident from the Sarapiquí community for a cooking class. Make and sample traditional Costa Rican snacks while learning about the history and culture of the region. Later in the day, visit La Finca, an eco-farm and macaw rescue, for the opportunity to take photos of semi-wild, endangered macaws that are free to come and go as they please.

This morning after breakfast, go horseback riding on a relaxed trek through the forests and fields surrounding Selva Verde. Spot a variety of wildlife and enjoy the cultural landscape of the Sarapiquí. After lunch, take a chocolate tour with a local expert at Costa Rica Best Chocolate. This evening, visit Tirimbina to learn about the biology of bats. With 113 species, bats represent almost 50% of the mammals in Costa Rica. During the workshop, you will have a multimedia presentation on the natural history of bats, their classification, diversity, adaptations, reproduction, threats, and more. At the end of the presentation, a trained guide will provide you with a safe opportunity for up-close observation of bats that were captured for research projects. Finally, visit a demonstration snare net, like the kind used in bat research, and learn more about the method of capturing bats for research. The bats are captured and held for less than two hours to ensure the well-being of the animals.

After breakfast this morning transfer to the Arenal area. Visit the town of La Fortuna for lunch and (time permitted) souvenir shopping. Next, stop near the base of Arenal Volcano within the national park for an explorative hike. Learn about the geology of the volcano as well as local flora and fauna. Continue to the hotel for check-in. This evening enjoy dinner at the hotel and soak in the hotel’s hot spring pools.

This morning discover the beauty of Costa Rican forests on Sky Walk's hanging bridges. Hike to have a one on one experience with the flora and fauna at every level of these magical tropical forests. On Sky Walk you can admire natural beauties from the ground on our natural trails or discover unique life systems from the forest canopy. Crossing the hanging bridges is a unique experience where you will have complete views of the forest canopy and access to a completely different ecosystem that can only be discovered at the highest points of trees. Afterwards head back to San Jose in time for your farewell dinner this evening.

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight home.