Leadership and Community Engagement: Costa Rica

Our home for the week will be our permanent camp on the shores of the wetlands themselves: on the boundary of two sides of the camp is water, which means wildlife spotting starts from inside the camp. Sleeping is in wooden buildings with bunkbeds and there are social spaces for eating, hanging out and for use as a classroom. All activities in camp can be run in Spanish or English. Through formal or informal sessions, the group can work in subject or activity focused language acquisition modules, and then apply their learning to the real-life situations that they face during the week. In the case of the Camp Caño Negro, this can be focused particularly on the activities planned for later in the expedition in Monteverde. Your evenings are usually spent relaxing in camp and the local kitchen crew will rustle up a delicious dinner for you and your team. After dinner, there are plenty of opportunities for group discussion, reflections on project work, keeping travel diaries up to date, as well as various team led games and activities. Local staff are always in camp and are on hand to chat to and help you with anything else that you need.

The camp is situated on the edge of the Caño Negro Refugio, run by SINAC the Costa Rica national parks authority. This is one of the most important wetland reserves for migratory birds in the world. The group starts by thinking deeply about their goals for the week, in a framed, student led discussion forum. In Camp Caño Negro we are working under the direction of government rangers, who will visit the camp to explain their work. An important part of the process of identifying the group’s goals is a broader understanding of the problems faced in the area, the work of SINAC across the country and that organization's long-term aims. Through that understanding, leading to goal identification and student led planning, the group start to create and then work towards their own objectives.

Today we start our service project work at the camp. Recent projects include: Engaging in beautification initiatives at a local school or within the community, Establishing boundary markers to ensure that the land under the protection of SINAC is clearly defined and therefore not encroached upon by farming, which is an important part of the work of conservation in the area. or; Reforestation and the planting of saplings. Students will have the opportunity to learn from experts in the field while getting their hands dirty and making a difference.

This evening, we will have a student focused discussion of Leadership, its challenges, models and aims. The students will be asked to think about these issues particularly in the context of their current environment and activities. What has worked, what hasn't? Are we on schedule for our own aims? How could we do things differently?

Continue working in small teams on long-term projects started, not only by your group, but by many other groups over the course of the time Camps International and WorldStrides has been working with the community. Learn from project leaders, who are experts in infrastructure – our purpose to not only use our hands for good work but also take back the knowledge of this project work to be used in our own community at home. Bring some gloves and clothes you can get dirty!

A session with a local women’s group understanding the work they are doing in conserving their culture and in preserving the natural environment.

Take a boat trip through the waterways of the national park. The Caño Negro Reserve stretches across the border with Nicaragua and is one of the most important migratory bird sites on earth. Alongside myriad bird species, it is also home to sloths, caiman, monkeys and tapir among many other animals.

The group then has some time to think deeply about their accomplishments for the week and also the work left to do; in a framed, student led discussion forum. In Camp Caño Negro we are working in collaboration with the surrounding community and an important part of the process of identifying the group's goals is a broader understanding of the problems faced by the area and our combined aims in tackling them. Through that understanding, leading to goal identification and student led planning, the group reflects on their work and the goals of the community in a broader sense.

Continue working in small teams on long-term projects started, not only by your group, but by many other groups over the course of the time Camps International and WorldStrides has been working with the community. Learn from project leaders, who are experts in infrastructure – our purpose to not only use our hands for good work but also take back the knowledge of this project work to be used in our own community at home. Bring some gloves and clothes you can get dirty!

Arenal Volcano National Park is located in the northern region of the country and is home to one of the world’s most active and impressive volcanoes. Besides the volcano, this national park has various hiking trails that wind through the tropical highland forest as well as the lowland wet forest. Also within the park is a magnificent man-made lake, Lake Arenal (the largest lake in Costa Rica), which provides over 40% of the country’s energy production.

Camps has a series of interactive lectures, that cover subjects such as Stakeholder Engagement, Citizen Science and Threats to Biodiversity. These sessions can be run following discussion with the school of the topics considered most appropriate to the group.

Soar through the treetops for the unmatched close-up of the New World’s best wildlife refuge. Harness yourself to cables that run between platforms high in the trees, then step into thin air and zip from tree to tree. Experience a true bird-eye view from your new aerial perspective.

Head to a coffee plantation in Monteverde to learn about the importance of coffee in Costa Rican culture and economy. See where the beans are grown, how they are harvested and roasted and then enjoy your own steaming cup at the end of the tour.

Step into the Monteverde Cloud Forest and be transported to the lush world of the Costa Rican rainforest. The towering trees, abundant shrubs and vibrant flowers create a luscious oasis for a huge array of animals, including jaguars, toucans and monkeys.

This evening we make the final entries in our Reflection Journal and share some of the most significant observations and perspectives that have taken shape in the course of our travel experience and how these may be most relevant for us all as we return home.