By joining the local internship team, you will discover the region’s particularly rich environment and learn to identify species and conservation strategies. The environmental ecology internship in Costa Rica, like all our environmental internship programs, allows you to gain university credits while having a positive and sustainable impact on the region’s ecosystem.

This project is one of our ‘academic’ internships:

It includes a more in-depth follow-up with a theoretical part that adds to the practical experience in the field. In addition to receiving the necessary ECTS credits to validate your year, at the end of the program you will obtain an international certification recognised and delivered by the University of Richmond, in the United States. You will have two online course modules to complete before the field mission, to prepare you for the project. During but also after the internship, you will benefit from professional support: a specialised internship supervisor will follow your work and give you a final evaluation, and you will have access to a job portal in NGOs as well as a recommendation from your internship supervisor on LinkedIn.

Take a closer look at the specifics of this internship as an academic program, and sign up to start a sustainable career via an approved internship!

Project 1 : Environmental studies in Costa Rica

This environmental project abroad will allow the participants to acquire methods of observation of flora and fauna in Costa Rica, but especially to put into practice means of data collection that aim to study animal behaviours in the area covered by the partner organisation. The data collected will be sent directly to the Costa Rican Ministry of the Environment and will be used to take measures to protect the country’s threatened species.

Project 2: Bird study in Costa Rica

The National Park in Costa Rica is home to many species of birds. The study project of our partner organisation consists of recognising and collecting data on the different species present in the nature reserve. This information will facilitate the analysis of the Costa Rican ecosystem and support the government’s conservation and protection efforts.

Highlights of the projects in Costa Rica

– Work in protected national parks and the most beautiful natural reserves in Costa Rica.

– Integrate into an international community of volunteers and scientists.

– Discover new facets of the wildlife and habitats of the animals that inhabit the rainforest.

– Acquire technical skills: video recording, data collection and analysis.

– Get exclusive team management training approved by the internationally recognised Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).

Please note that:

• The project requires a certain physical condition because of the hot and humid climate.
• You won’t be busy all day, as surveys normally take 1-2 hours, but you can study, play games or enjoy the beach.
• The electricity comes from solar panels, but if the weather is bad there may not be enough power to charge everyone’s devices! Be prepared for low energy recharge for your devices during the rainy season. There is no electricity in the huts. It is very important that you bring a backpack, as you have to carry your own luggage to the base.
• During turtle season, the beach is very rough and it is very hot and humid. During this season, volunteers may be required to walk up to 12 km on a survey under the sun.
• All volunteers and interns need a general biodiversity permit, as we are working in a national park. We need at least 8 weeks to process these permits.
• Volunteers will also participate in other wildlife surveys (not required, but highly recommended) – Once or twice a week, volunteers will be on base to cook. Personal camera trapping is not permitted.

Impact of animal behavioural studies:

The degradation of the habitat and food sources of the animals of Costa Rica is mainly caused by human interference. The studies carried out through this environmental project abroad (prey, feeding, trajectories…) allow the Government of Costa Rica to apply sustainable measures. At the global level, encouraging results have been observed in recent years. Participate in the behavioural study of these animals through this course in ecology and environment.