Experiential Learning

Teenagers in the Ecosystems

Hiking in the rainforest, walking the midnight beaches, snorkeling in the oceans. Working hands-on with wildlife, learning about ecology, conservation and sustainable development with old friends and new friends.   

A uniquely designed five day program in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica which contains 2.5% of the entire biodiversity of the planet on less than 1% of the earth's total surface area. Over a five-day period, students from California and the local Osa city of Puerto Jimenez socialize and work together to help protect the ecosystems in one of the world's most biodiverse and beautiful places on Earth.

Students develop skills in field research while contributing to scientific monitoring efforts on the nesting beaches and in the oceans to protect endangered sea turtles and to help retrieve data from video camera monitors to study the bio-diversity of terrestrial mammals deep in the rainforest. Students make their dent in the Osa by helping the local farmers and naturalists to plant tropical flora in the rain and mangrove forest, habitats and ecosystems to the fauna with which they monitor.

By interacting closely with the local friends and naturalists in the coastal and rainforest community, students learn firsthand the many challenges- cultural, political, social, logistical, economic and ethical -- of conservation efforts.

Tortuguero, Costa Rica

2015

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High School students participated in sea turtle morning and night patrols. They assisted field assistants in collecting biometric data, tagging turtles, analyzing turtle tracks, marking nests with triangular coordinates and conducting nest excavations. 

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Mr. Orre

Ms. Thomson

Mr. Welander

Thank you to Guido Saborío