2019 Renaissance Costa Rica Conservation Expedition
| Travel Dates: | March 4, 2019 - March 11, 2019 |
| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$2,225 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Confirmed Airfare: | $695 |
| Deadline(s): | Pre Departure meeting on Monday February 11 at 6PM |
Important Reminders
Passport check
Insurance Reminder
Fundraiser
Review all materials
What to Expect
Please read through all of the information below. More details will be added as your departure draws closer.
Itinerary
We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers and given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 4 | USA - Alajuela | Today the group will travel from the USA to Costa Rica, and flights usually arrive in the evening. After arrival, the group will settle into their hotel and have an orientation meeting where the group will discuss the upcoming trip in detail. Dinner will be at the hotel. | Casa Cielo Grande |
| March 5 | Alajuela - Horquetas | After breakfast the group will head for Sarapiquí, an area characterized by its lush tropical rainforest and swift rivers. The bus ride is three hours north of the capital city. Upon arrival, we will learn about the history of the chocolate industry while partaking in its preparation process. The group will then settle in La Selva Biological Station, owned by the world-renowned Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS). The group will meet the scientists and research tutors, and from them learn more about the conservation and research projects. After dinner in the station, the group will set off on a night hike through the trails in the middle of the primary rainforest to find frogs and other nocturnal creatures. | OTS cabins |
| March 6 | Horquetas de Sarapiquí | The first full day at the station will begin with an introduction to the Rivers and Streams Monitoring and Management project. After we receive the lecture and general instructions, the group will be divided into different tasks, the likes of which might include the monitoring of macro-invertebrates and chemicals in order to determine water quality. After lunch, we will leave the station for an Ethnobotany tour, where students will engage all five of their senses in getting to know different plants and learn about the scientific importance of the tropical rainforest in the medical and cosmetic fields. The group will then have free time before dinner. | OTS cabins |
| March 7 | Horquetas de Sarapiquí | One of the following day’s activities will involve service in collaboration with a riparian forest restoration project. The group will learn about the different strategies scientists use to restore the vegetal area that protects and supports rivers and streams, as well as the biotic components that support these ecosystems. After planting several trees, the group will go whitewater rafting down the Sarapiquí River, renowned worldwide for its scenic beauty and thrilling class 3 rapids. After a long day, the group will have time to relax before dinner. | OTS cabins |
| March 8 | Horquetas de Sarapiquí | After breakfast, we will assist a peccary-monitoring project by deploying camera traps, whose chips we will later collect to see what they captured. The group will learn more about these projects, widely found in Costa Rica, that are helping scientist understand behavior patterns of important species to the ecosystem. In the afternoon, the group will learn how to dance salsa, merengue and bachata before a fiesta de despedida with our friends from the station. | OTS cabins |
| March 9 | Horquetas - La Fortuna | After breakfast we will head to La Fortuna, a small city right next to the Volcán Arenal, an impressive volcano that stands out in the middle of the flatlands. We will see the forest from a different perspective after we go zip-lining in the afternoon. At night we will relax at the Baldi Hot-springs, where we will be dining as well. | Hotel La Fortuna |
| March 10 | La Fortuna - Alajuela | Today we will explore Volcán Arenal National Park, which is teeming with wildlife. Inside, we will find winding trails that lead through dense jungle and eventually arrive at a waterfall. Students can relax, swim, and explore in the morning. After lunch, we will make the drive back to San Jose for a farewell dinner before our international departure the following morning. | Casa Cielo Grande |
| March 11 | Alajuela - USA | After breakfast, we will head to the airport for a morning departure back to the USA. | Your own bed, eventually! |
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Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe. We vet and inspect the accommodations to ensure they uphold the ethos of our programs, are great values for our travelers and nice places to rest after enriching days of travel.
Villas Aracari
Villas Aracari is a beautiful property ideally located just twenty minutes from the airport. Close to the city center yet perched high in the mountains, the views of the Central Valley are breathtaking and the new pool is a delightful respite after a hot day. Spotless rooms and friendly staff will make you feel at home the moment you drop your bags.
OTS La Selva Research Station
La Selva’s juxtaposition of protected ecosystems and well-developed facilities is unique in the world’s wet tropics. This is one of several field stations run created by the Organization of Tropical Studies, a non-profit consortium of over 50 universities and research institutions based in the United States, Latin America, and South Africa. The cabins offer bunk and single beds, shared bathrooms, bug protection on windows and fans. Students will be grouped according to gender. They offer a dining hall, wireless internet, library, all-access trail, and on-station security.
Hotel La Fortuna
Located right in the heart of La Fortuna in San Carlos, Costa Rica. La Fortuna Hotel offers visitors a very convenient location with all the services within walking distance from our facilities. This hotel boasts amazing views of the Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna Downtown you won’t forget! Guests have access to free Wi-Fi throughout the building in order to stay connected. Students will be grouped according to gender in their rooms.
Group Flight
DEPARTURE FROM USA
Airline: Southwest
Flight: WN2296
Date: March 4, 2019
Departs: Denver (DEN) – 12:40 PM
Arrives: Houston (HOU) – 4:10 PM
Airline: Southwest
Flight: WN112
Date: March 4, 2019
Departs: Houston (HOU) – 5:05 PM
Arrives: San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) – 8:40 PM
RETURN TO USA
Airline: Southwest
Flight: WN304
Date: March 11, 2019
Departs: San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) – 12:35 PM
Arrives: Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – 5:30 PM
Airline: Southwest
Flight: WWN1841
Date: March 11, 2019
Departs: Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – 8:45 PM
Arrives: Denver (DEN) – 11:20 PM
Once your flight has been confirmed, the itinerary will appear here.
Walking Tree will secure a seat on the group flight for each participant unless otherwise instructed.
Travelers are responsible for checked baggage fees. Please visit the airline’s baggage webpage to learn if you should expect to pay anything.
We will provide a group manifest – complete with reservation codes and ticket numbers – to the Group Organizer/s before departure, and travelers will need to check in at the airport in order to receive their boarding pass and have documents verified. We recommend arriving no later than three hours prior to the scheduled departure, but contact your Group Organizer for specific details on exactly where and when to meet on the day of departure.
FLIGHT INTERRUPTION, DELAY OR CANCELLATION
Air travel can be unpredictable. Regardless of proper planning, there may still be instances when a flight is delayed or cancelled due to staffing shortages, weather, mechanical problems, etc. Please note that in such an event, Walking Tree Travel (WTT) is not financially responsible for unanticipated costs incurred by travelers en route. Our programs officially begin and end in the destination country, and because our staff doesn’t fly with the group, Group Organizers (the traveling faculty member/s) become the front-line advocate for the group in the event of a delay. In most cases of cancellations or delays, the airline will be the one who re-books travel or possibly arranges a hotel and food the night. Our primary role will be to keep families updated and provide support to the Group Organizer to reach a quick and effective resolution.
Host Community and Project Details
The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) is a non-profit consortium of nearly sixty universities, colleges, and research institutions worldwide, whose purpose is to sustain their tropical ecosystems by driving scientific discovery and knowledge, by enriching human perception of nature and by enhancing worldwide policy actions in the tropics. The OTS established La Selva Research Station in 1968, making it one of the pioneers of private forest conservation in Costa Rica. Located just a two-hour drive from San Jose, La Selva offers 1,600 hectares of well-preserved old-growth and recovering wet lowland tropical forest. La Selva also has some of the longest running ecological research projects in the tropics, with emphases on nutrient cycling, plant and animal demography, community interactions, and their responses to a changing climate. Different projects include: Peccary monitoring through camera traps, riparian forest restoration, a research project on fruiting patterns, bat species monitoring, rivers and streams monitoring and management and citizen engagement for conservation.
Packing List
What follows is a sample packing list, which will be updated for each program. We recommend you bring a larger piece of luggage like a roller, duffel bag, or backpack, as well as a smaller backpack that you can bring on hikes, weekend excursions and shorter activities.
“Less is more” is a packing tip we encourage for all our travelers. The below list should cover everything you would need, but we frequently hear that travelers feel “overpacked” if they follow all of our suggestions. Know yourself and what you are comfortable traveling with. We suggest bringing only as much as you would be able to carry on your own.
Please consult the 10-day weather forecast in https://weather.com and enter the cities listed in your itinerary if you desire a more detailed look at the weather you might encounter.
The biological station is located in the lush tropical rainforest, thus, humidity is present in an amount that won’t let clothes dry easily. Keep this in mind when selecting your clothing fabric.
Most importantly, be sure to remember your PASSPORT and STUDENT ID.
CLOTHES (amount depending on your trip length) :
Underwear
Socks (a mixture of good hiking socks and casual socks)
T-shirts (some quick dry)
Long sleeve quick dry shirt (for night hikes and work under the sun)
Rain jacket or poncho (the poncho is highly recommended)
Travel/athletic shorts that are breathable and light
Rubber boots
Comfortable/hiking/everyday pants (NOT all jeans)
1 nice shirt/top to be worn to more formal dinners (girls might want a skirt or something a little nicer for such occasions, boys may want to opt for a polo shirt or button up shirt with jeans)
Durable athletic/hiking shoes
Sandals (Chaco/Teva/Keen/Merrel sandals are great to have for water activities)
Work gloves – required for service work
Bandana for work site (optional)
A hat that can protect your neck
Swimming suit
TOILETRIES (the more eco-friendly, the better):
BRING THE BASIC TOILETRIES YOU NEED PLUS:
Sunscreen (You will use a lot. Natural products/lotions are preferred over aerosol)
Mosquito repellent (non-deet/lotions are preferred to reduce environmental impact)
Band Aids and Neosporin
Hand Sanitizer
Medication in properly marked original container. It’s important that medication travel in its original container, as customs officials have the right to confiscate it otherwise.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Sunglasses
Journal and pen
Book
Camera (digital, disposable, waterproof)
Alarm clock and watch
Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $50-$150, depending on the amount of desired souvenirs, extra items etc.)
Durable water bottle
1 quick-dry towel
Flashlight/headlamp (mandatory for this destination)
Batteries
Deck of cards or other portable games
Spanish/English Dictionary
Biodegradable detergent
Support Team
At a minimum, one experienced Program Leader will travel on every trip. In addition to this full time leadership presence, Walking Tree has additional support staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find a list of the team members involved in the planning, organizing, and leadership of your program.
Sara Lavell
Program Leader
Universidad de Costa Rica – B.Sc. Geography
Proudly born a ”tica” with a British father and a Panamanian mother, Sara was raised in the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Sara started traveling the world at a young age and has visited 4 continents. Passionate about conservation, sustainable development and education Sara spent her college years volunteering in different communities during mid-term vacations and later found herself sharing some of her interests with US students and volunteers traveling all over Central America. Nowadays, Sara is finishing her master’s degree in Planning with an emphasis on Socioeconomic Project Management.
Emory University – B.A. Sociology and minor in Latin American History
During college, Luke spent a semester living and traveling in rural Mexico. His experience sparked a fascination with Latin America and a commitment to community service that continues to this day. Upon graduating from college, he joined WorldTeach and lived with a local family in a small village in Costa Rica while teaching elementary English. After this experience, he moved to San José, the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and wrote for The Tico Times newspaper. Luke has since traveled to over 60 countries on five different continents. Now settled in Denver with his family, he continues to crave massive helpings of rice and beans.
Earlham College – B.A. International Studies, Minor in Economics
Born and raised with a big family in Guatemala, JP spent seven years living and studying in the US where he was exposed to highly diverse communities. JP worked as a Wilderness Leader guiding expeditions in the Southwest of the US. After spending two years in New Mexico studying the International Baccalaureate, he moved to Indiana where he spent the next four years at Earlham College. His passion for international affairs brought him to spend a semester in China, and several other Southeast Asian countries. During his time abroad, he spent his summers traveling and backpacking through 15+ different countries, and participating in several service projects. Today JP is based in Costa Rica where he works full time with the Walking Tree team. Juan Pablo also enjoys hosting friends and travelers coming to visit. He’s always down for an exciting road-trip around the country, or even better, around Latin America. He is a long time art and design enthusiast, and a photography aficionado.
Group Roster
Below is a list of the travelers enrolled on the program.
- 1 Amy Stuhlsatz
- 2 Blayne Casebier
- 3 Brooks Letchworth - Group Organizer
- 4 Dayton Steele
- 5 Devynne Finch
- 6 Dillon Rickman
- 7 Emily Kaemmerling
- 8 Jared Nelson
- 9 Juliana Howell
- 10 Kimberly Lavold - Group Organizer
- 11 Lily Bech
- 12 Margaret Karol
- 13 Meghan St. Clair - Group Organizer
- 14 Rebecca Robnett
- 15 Riley Blackburn
- 16 Riley Collins
- 17 Samera Shim
- 18 Samuel Elsensohn
Blog and Communication
During travel we will work hard to keep families updated as frequently as possible with blogs and photos, giving you peace of mind that your traveler is safe and thriving on their program. Students regularly contribute to these posts, giving parents a great way to vicariously track the progress of the trip. You will receive an email notification when the first blog is posted, after which we recommend you check in regularly via the black “Program Blog” button at the top of this page.
Beyond this proactive approach to communication during the trip, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants semi-regular access to WiFi so you can also expect to communicate with your traveler directly. Ask your Walking Tree representative about the degree of connectivity on your program.
GLC Curriculum
Walking Tree has developed a curriculum of activities meant to help travelers get the most out of their trip before departure, during travel and after they return home. These simple and engaging activities are meant to spark discussion, frame experiences, and prepare participants to travel ethically and effectively both on this trip and on future adventures.For more information about student learning objectives and the format of the curriculum, click on the ‘learn more’ button below.
To view and complete the Pre-Program Activities, visit our online portal at the button below.
Standards of Behavior
In order to run a safe and successful program, it is important that we create an environment of trust, security and respect. All individuals participating in our programs are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of behavioral conduct.
ABSOLUTE DISMISSAL
- Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Associating with participants while they are in possession of, or are consuming, or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety.
- This includes consistently displaying a negative attitude, intimidating or excluding other participants, sneaking out, disobeying group leaders, and any other behavior that is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR IN-COUNTRY CONSEQUENCE
- Getting a piercing or tattoo.
- Stealing, or deliberately damaging or defacing any personal property, buildings or materials.
- Threatening physical or emotional harm, or brandishing a weapon.
- Possessing, consuming, or distributing tobacco or nicotine, including vape pens.
- Riding mopeds, motorcycles, or any other type of unauthorized vehicle.
- Being out of designated area or accommodations after curfew.
- Breaking group rules.
These standards of behavior are essential for the successful completion of your program. Please take the time to review these as a family and make sure everyone understands and agrees to them.
Health and Safety
We strongly recommend visiting the CDC Costa Rica website to get the most updated information on health and vaccination considerations in your destination country. In addition, we encourage you to consult with your personal family physician so you can be as informed as possible when making important decisions about vaccinations and other necessary health-related preparations before travel.
Our in-country staff prepare meticulously for all programs. Walking Tree will register our programs and travelers with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case of emergency. In country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families via in depth interviews and home visits, and keep up on important current events in the region.
Program Leaders are seasoned travelers who are CPR and First Aid certified, undergo thorough training in crisis management, and participate in a multi-day leadership training retreat. We do our best to prepare for any eventuality and have detailed emergency protocols for our leaders, in-country staff and U.S.-based staff.
We receive medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we are able to meet every students’ needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues that you did not list during your initial registration process. Program Leaders will also hold an online information session before your departure, as well as an arrival orientation in-country, in order to give participants important instructions on food safety, hygiene and preventing injury and illness. Leaders and in-country staff always respond immediately to any mental, physical or emotional health issues and follow comprehensive emergency protocols.
Insurance
While we work hard to ensure the safest experience possible for our travelers on program, experience teaches that travel is never without risk. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with two additional provisions: Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Bed Rest. Detailed explanations of both provisions can be found on the link below.
To provide families with a quality option, Walking Tree has partnered with Travel Insured International, one of the most respected providers in the industry. Begin by getting a quote here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to secure coverage with CFAR included, you must purchase the plan within 21 days of your deposit/first payment. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight.