Costa Rica: Wildlife Eco Adventure Session 2, 2026
July 14, 2026
We were so excited to start our mornings with fresh pineapple and papaya, which we washed down with refreshing passion fruit juice, and eggs with sausage. To kick off the day, we started with bonding games to learn names and common interests. We enjoyed playing volleyball all together because it helped built strong friendships and create more joy for future activities.
Later, we all went into town to eat lunch at La Tortilleria, where we ate chicken, rice, and beans. After our meal, we learned about the history of Juan Santamaría. We asked locals follow up questions about Costa Rican history, which allowed us to capture more of the country’s culture and help us practice our Spanish. Later, we had icecream at a local store called Pops for dessert.
Back at the hotel, we played Brazilian soccer with the hotel dog. The ball rolled to a fruit tree, where we tried a sour fruit called jocote. There was also a mango tree where we used a stick to knock some mangos down to eat. We tried the mangos, and some said it was good and others terrible.
We finished the day having dinner all together overlooking the sunset views of the mountains. Sam captured special moments of us eating dinner, which he said felt unifying of how close we have all gotten in these past two days. After dinner, all the girls rushed to pack our bags for the next trip, which we were all so excited and giggly about going rafting and hiking.
Gabby O. and Ryan F.
July 15, 2026
We began the day in a frenzy of packing and getting ready for the exciting day ahead. After filling the bus full of suitcases, we embarked on our three hour bus ride to the rafting base camp, where we ate breakfast. We had delicious eggs with gallo pinto and a variety of fruit to choose from. Next we continued our journey on what was said to be a twenty five minute drive to the rafting launch point. We were met with a bumpy and treacherous ride up and down through the jungle where we were pulled by a tractor. While unexpected, the drive was a unique experience full of biodiversity along the path. The tractor had us feeling like we were on a rollercoaster with all the twists and turns.
Alas, we made it to the river in the valley below and found ourselves on a different adventure. We lathered on sunscreen and were split into groups made up of 5 people and a knowledge guide. The groups were the Toucans (Sophie’s), the Sloths, the Jaguars, and the Howler Monkeys (Manny’s).
Following an in depth safety and technique course, we set off! As we went down the river paddling through vicious rapids, trying our best to stay in unison, we were surrounded by the luscious greenery of the rainforest (not raining yet). About an hour in, rain started to pour down on us, which may seem annoying, but actually added to the immersive experience.
We briefly stopped at a mini waterfall and swam in the rushing, chilling waters. To continue our journey, we got back to the rapids and made our way to the campsite.
At the site we had a lunch of homemade burritos and tacos prepared by the guides. They were so good and perfect for after a long morning of exercise. After lunch, we played various games, such as volleyball and a new team game.
To cool off, we washed in the natural showers that made us feel like we were in a jungle. As the beautiful sun set, we gathered for a scrumptious candle lit dinner of arroz con pollo. We finished the night with a group game of mafia and fell asleep to the sound of howler monkeys.
Sophia and Manny
July 16, 2026
This morning we woke up bright and early to the sound of howler monkeys and cicadas. After a delicious breakfast made by our rafting guides of pancakes, eggs, plantains and fruit. While packing up, screaming came from tent 9, and we were shocked to see a giant spider (that Sydney accidentally grabbed). We then said goodbye to our tents and got back on the river. Today we faced level 3 and 4 rapids. Before the rapids got more intense we were able to take a quick hike to a beautiful waterfall and swim in a natural whirlpool. We then got to see where scenes from the Jurassic movies were filmed while floating through the river. Our surroundings were beautiful and full of greenery and animals! We then departed our rafts, said goodbye to our guides, and enjoyed a delicious lunch of burritos. After, we got back in the van and embarked on a 3 hour journey to our beautiful hotel. After settling in we explored the natural hot springs our hotel has to offer. Some discovered the boxing ring and spent time there, while others played volleyball and Marco Polo in the pool. Despite the downpour we all had so much fun! We braved the rain for a delicious dinner at the hotel.
Willa and Ksenia
July 17, 2026
The heavy rain started the day as we all headed for breakfast at Heliconias Hotel before a short bus ride to a conservation center. At the conservation center, our awesome tour guide Bradley taught us about the animals and some of the common reasons why the end up being rescued. During the tour, though, it would start to downpour and many people’s jackets were not enough to keep the rain out. After learning about the animals, Bradley invited us to feed the monkeys and birds using puzzle-like boxes for the animals’ enrichment. One thing that was shocking to many was the relationship that we observed between two toucans. One of the toucans had been rescued and was in captivity while the other was a wild bird, interacting with it from outside the cage. After leaving the conservatory we headed up into the mountains on a very bumpy bus ride the Children’s Eternal Rainforest where we had fun exploring the beautiful scenery. It feels magical to see clouds come and go throughout the buildings along with the giant flowers and leaves everywhere. We finished the night with group card games, mafia, and a surprise game of charades. As we get ready for bed, the cacophony of rain and insects adds a nice soothing soundtrack for us to wind down.
By Sawyer and Poppy
July 18, 2026
Today we woke up bright and early in the beautiful cloud forest! The rangers made us a delicious breakfast of pancakes and fresh mango. Today was our service day, but unfortunately we could not work in the forest because of heavy rain. However, the rangers found a way to keep us busy! We cleaned the entire station from floor to ceiling while listening and dancing to Justin Bieber. After the whole house was scrubbed and power washed, we had some time to rest before a busy afternoon. We hung out, played cards, ate cookies, and tried to get the pop songs from this morning out of our heads.
In the afternoon, we had the privilege of asking the rangers of the Bosque Eternal de los Niños (Children’s Eternal Rainforest) questions about their life and work here at the station. It was a great opportunity to practice our Spanish and learn more about the effort to conserve and protect this unique forest. After that, we jumped right into the highlight of the day: our salsa lesson!
Our salsa instructor, Randal, taught us 3 different styles of dance (merengue, bachata, and salsa) and made sure to walk us through every step. After an hour of dancing, everyone was sweaty and ready for dinner. We enjoyed homemade stew, rice, salad, and tortilla chips. Overall, today was an amazing experience and we can’t wait for another exciting adventure tomorrow!
Love ♡,
Serena and Ingrid
July 19, 2026
This morning we woke up to the beautiful but foggy Cloud Forest. We enjoyed a breakfast of gallo pinto, eggs, sausage, and fruit. During breakfast, we were gladly interrupted by a very rare sighting of a tayra and also a sighting of a family of pizote. The pizote, also known as coatis, walk with their tails in the air so they look like small dinosaurs. After, we took a short van ride to La Fortuna and spent some time shopping. While we were shopping, some of us encountered another large group of students from France. They were playing a game where they trade the object they have with us to get a better object.
After shopping we had lunch at the food court, which was a treat for us because we were flexible about the service work yesterday. We enjoyed many different cuisines from sushi to burgers and birra sandwiches to street tacos. After, some of us enjoyed a sweet treat of ice cream and milkshakes, and then we were on are way to zip-lining. Even though some of us were scared, we over came our fears and had a great time.
The zip-lining place consisted of 7 lines that were very thrilling. The employees had a name for some of the lines, the second one was called OMG because it went super fast, the sixth line was called BIGGG Daddyy and was their longest line. While zip-lining, some people saw wildlife including a coati, spider monkey, and a golden silk orb weaver.
After zip-lining we got back in the vans to travel to Casa Crisley, where we met people that lived there and got to know some of the kids. The kids mainly speak Spanish so we had to use actions and our small knowledge of Spanish to speak to them. The girls wanted to paint our nails and do our makeup. Many of us came out of it with a butterfly or sun on our face. We ended the night with a delicious dinner and had more fun with the little girls.
By Cori and Josiah
July 20, 2026
We woke up bright and early at 7:00am to learn how to milk cows. We walked a short distance and arrived in a cow field. We saw a large cow with a baby nearby. Crisley taught us how to milk cows and one by one we all took a turn. Then we saw the largest bull break the barbed wire fence and stomped down the fence for all the bulls to escape. Crisley said that he does this when he sees people because he knows there will be plenty of food.
After this exciting experience, we ate a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and beans, washing it down with sweet pineapple juice. After breakfast we played soccer with the local kids, Dana and Valery, and then they clipped our fingernails. We think she was definitely on the path to becoming a skilled cosmetologist!
After our host Crisley presented the extremely interesting history of the cheese farm we then learned to make mozzarella ourselves!! We first boiled the cheese to make it softer and stretchy. We rolled it from hand to hand into four ounce balls, while it was still hot. After everyone was done with cheese making and eating, we had free time to enjoy the pool and relax. We then played Marco Polo and whirlpool in the pool while light rain sprinkled down.
Before dinner, we went on a small excursion to the animal pens, which we smelled before we saw. Crisley picked up some cute baby pigs from the pens, but if they got upset while being held, they squealed at a volume I didn’t know was possible. Ingrid grabbed an ash colored chick who had very soft feathers.
As the sun set and dinner time arrived, the excitement for the night hike grew. We dressed in long pants, shirts, and raincoats and set out. Not even 40 steps into the hike, we saw an extremely rare tree frog! Crisley told us all about how it breathes and mates. We then walked another direction to find a large iguana, which climbed onto Crisley hand. The rest of the hike was filled with frogs, owls, and interesting insects. At the middle of our trail, Crisley told us to turn off our flash lights and look at the ground. After a while of looking around, he pointed out a small object that glowed in the dark! Crisley told us it was made of million microbes that multiplied. We then turned back on the lights to see it was a piece of bark that we wouldn’t have thought twice about if we saw it in the light! We finished the night by heading to our rooms to pack for tomorrow’s adventures!
By Preston & Sylvia
July 21, 2026
Waking up exhausted from last nights hike, we frantically packed and got ready to embark on our five hour bus ride. We played many games and shared some jokes to brighten up the ride. We then made a stop at a gas station, where we took a bathroom break and got yummy Costa Rican snacks. Then we headed to lunch where we ate delicious Mexican food such as quesadillas, tacos, and nachos. After that, we had only a two minute drive to our hotel for the night, that happened to be right by the beach. When we arrived, we met another group of teenage students just like ours, where we made 13 new friends. After settling in, our excitement kicked in as we got ready for… our beach trip!! The beach was a short walk away, and the water was super warm and had the perfect amount of waves. Then, we went exploring and found an area with a plethora of hermit crabs, big and small. We named a few of them such as Spinach, Maui, Moana, Goliath, Big Daddy, and Middle Daddy. We took many photos of the beautiful scenery and some played soccer with local kids. After the beach we got back to the hotel and got ready for a delicious dinner of various foods such as chicken tenders, pasta, and quesadillas. While we were eating, we were greeted by a new furry feline friend whom we named whiskers. Preston fed her a whole fried fish (she says thank you Preston!) After a slow, steady morning, our day escalated into a bright exciting day, and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds!
By Sydney and Sam
July 22, 2026
We woke up at 8 o clock after a luxurious night of sleep and had a well-prepared breakfast at our hotel. We had delicious eggs, sausage, and waffles with a side of fresh fruit. We then packed up and headed to the supermercado where we bought useless things like kiwis, Spider Man cologne, pudding, baguettes, spoons, and snacks. Next, we continued our journey to Playa Blanca while being serenaded by a few group members in the back of the bus, playing songs on guitar, singing all sorts of music. Once we got to Playa Blanca, we greeted the hotel members and found ourselves a dog no bigger than a burrito named Carlitos, which means small Carlos. We then strolled to lunch at a pizza parlor where we dominated the pies and even saw macaws flying around us. We listened to Justin Bieber, drank jugo de piña y fresas, and followed it up by some games of ping pong underneath the patio. After our walk back, we all decided to check out the beach where we found a load of hermit crabs and also got to enjoy the Gulf’s warm Pacific water. We played group games like frisbee, soccer, and badminton. After our great time at the beach, we made our way back to the hotel to watch a very informative presentation about Costa Rican sea turtles. Eduardo, the head biologist of LAST, explained the two species that live in the Gulf of Costa Rica and the procedures LAST uses to capture and document the green and hawksbill turtles. After we ended up hanging around eating snacks like Nutella dipped pretzels and candy. This nice lady named Mara from Canada who is staying at the same hotel, came up to us and had a nice conversation. She ended up telling us about her and her son’s journey where they travel around in camper vans, and she ended up telling us about some bioluminescence that you can see at night in the water. After a nice tasty dinner of chicken and rice, we played a group game called Headbanz, where everyone contributed to help a person guess a mysterious word. To conclude the night, the group went for a dip in the Gulf and swam with the beautiful bioluminescence.
By Cooper and Manny
July 23, 2026
We woke up bright and very early at 6:30am for a quick breakfast of the usual: beans, rice, plantains, and toast. After breakfast, a small group of us went to help start setup the nets that would be used to catch the turtles later in the day. At 8:00am, everyone gathered together and took a short walk to the beach, where we began our work on data collection. The work with turtles would begin when a turtle was either caught in the nets or a LAST worker would dive to catch one. They would then bring back the turtles to the beach for the rest of us to measure and weigh, as to give the project more information to use for future preservation efforts. The turtles were tagged, identified, and measured before being released into the ocean. During this, most of us spent a long time burning time between turtle captures by swimming and reading by the beach. It was incredibly interesting to learn of the difference between the hawksbill and green sea turtles- the two turtles that live in the gulf. For example, the side of the hawksbill’s shell is serrated while the green turtle’s shell is smooth throughout. After a long day of service work mixed in with fun, a group was needed to help bring in the nets for the day. This group helped reel in the large nets, and we also found an additional green turtle while cleaning up, bringing our total turtle count to 6. After this, we retreated to our casitas (small houses), with some staying outside on porches to sing and play guitar, and others chatting and hanging out inside safe from the rain. As the night progressed, we were called to a delicious dinner of potatoes, rice, beans, and pasta salad. To finish the night, we debriefed on the activities of the day, sharing our highs and lows as well as what we learned about sea turtles and conservation.
Sophia and Preston
July 24, 2026
We started the day bright and early with an exciting welcome to the day from Gabby. After getting ready and heading to breakfast, we had a presentation from L.A.S.T about the mangroves we would be working with. We learned about how important mangroves are to the ecosystem and about the two different types that are planted at the nursery here at playa Blanca. The types are the tea mangrove and the red mangrove, and we learned how they help with things like sea erosion and carbon sequestration.
After, we trekked to a different part of Playa Blanca to start our day of volunteering. Some of us worked on painting signs to help raise environmental awareness, while others dug holes and watered baby mangroves. After finishing our morning of work, we painted ourselves with hands and “pura vida” before heading back for lunch.
After lunch, we headed to the mangrove forest. One of our original projects was changed because of the high tides. Instead, we focused on collecting mangrove propagules to plant in the nursery and gathering data on the growth of mangrove samplings in reforested plots. We swam in the water which looked especially cool because of the high tide. On the way back we were able to stop at a small shop to pick up some snacks.
To finish up the day, we then headed back to our hotel to relax and enjoy extra time at the beach. We were delighted to see that both a souvenir and cookie pop up greeted us at our hotel, so we were able to buy some things. After a delicious dinner of rice, beans, and fish, we played some fun group games before getting ready for bed.
By Willa and Poppy
July 25, 2026
Today, we woke up wayyy too early, a little tired but ready for a day of service. After breakfast, Bethany, our companion from LAST for the day, gave us a presentation about the harmful effects of trash and pollution on marine and costal life here at Playa Blanca. We learned that, unfortunately, hermit crabs have begun to use bottle caps for protection instead of shells and that turtles often get their fins tangled in fishing line.
Motivated to do our part to help conserve and protect the wildlife, we got to work on our beach cleanup. We found many strange items such as a bag of diapers, a crab in a glass bottle, and a brake pad that had fallen off a car. We sorted the trash into bags of glass, aluminum, metal, plastic bottles, and normal trash (thanks for holding that bag, Sam!).
After a couple hours, we retreated back to our cabins for lunch. We were surprised with spaghetti, and some of us enjoyed a quick dip in the ocean before an afternoon spent at the recycling plant. We started out sorting loads of bottle caps by color, and then by number. We learned that bottle caps with the numbers 2 and 5 are most useful for an upcoming project to recycle the plastic into souvenirs such as jewelry and coasters.
After a full day of service, we enjoyed a long swim in the ocean. We floated in the warm water while enjoying the beautiful view of fog over the mountains around the bay. Although it started lightly raining, the clouds soon parted and we enjoyed the late afternoon sun. Then, we relaxed for an hour or two before dinner of… you guessed it! Chicken and rice. It was delicious, and although we’re sad to be leaving Playa Blanca, we’re excited for the final stage of our journey.
Love,
Serena and Sylvia
July 26, 2026
We had a slow start to our day of travel and enjoyed a breakfast of the usual. We said goodbye to our lovely host family and Carlitos, a little chihuahua the size of a burrito. We then headed on our way back to Hotel Tecal in Uvita. During the bus ride, we enjoyed some Lana Del Ray provided by one of the students’ music player. After we dropped our bags off at the hotel, we took a short walk to our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant where we enjoyed a whole lot of birria tacos. We then walked to a nearby supermarket where we met up with the pre-med global works trip. We rushed around the store looking for various snacks and gifts for Ksenia’s birthday tomorrow. After separating from the pre med group, we chilled at the hotel before afternoon yoga. We split up into two groups for the yoga class, which was both a workout and somehow a fun experience. During the class, some people attempted a handstand and while some were better than others, it was a quite interesting. As if on cue, the power went out right as our instructor was finishing the closing hum. The power remained out until late into dinner. At the restaurant, we ran into yet another global works group singing karaoke. We joined their group to sing and cheer each other on before parting ways for our individual group meetings. To end the night, we learned how to say apple tree in Spanish- arbol de manzana.
By Cori and Sawyer
July 27, 2026
To begin our day we got spoiled by a breakfast of sausage, waffles, eggs and fresh fruit. Following our delightful meal, we applied layers of sunscreen, grabbed our towels and headed to the beach for our exciting adventure. When we arrived at the beach we were greeted by our surf instructors and given rash guards to protect ourselves from the radiating sun. We started out by laying on the sand to practice our stance and learning how to stand on the board. We then split into groups to try it for ourselves. With help from the instructors all of us were eventually able to ride the waves back to shore.
After an hour of surfing, we enjoyed pineapple, watermelon, and fresh water, which helped us rid the taste of salt from our mouths. We met another Global Works group who also decided to enjoy the beautiful weather at the beach. While some of us joined them for a soccer game, others laid on the beach to work on their tans. With most of us sun-kissed and all of us exhausted, we retreated back to our hotel to enjoy lunch.
After lunch, we rested from our long morning before our afternoon hike. We then embarked on a short bus ride to meet Jovanni. Jovanni showed us around the beautiful forest, which he was so grateful to call his backyard. Prior to the waterfall swim, we took a short stop to plant almond and palm trees which are endemic to the land. We then finished our hike by swimming under a raging waterfall. After our refreshing swim, Jovanni treated us to lychee, which he grew on his property.
When we got back to the hotel we dressed up for dinner to celebrate Ksenia’s birthday. We enjoyed our dinner followed by cake and a beautifully sung birthday song. After finishing our delicious meal, some of us distracted Ksenia while others blew up balloons and decorated the dining hall. We then gathered to reminiscence on some photos from the trip going all the back to the airport. After most of us were emotional, we said a few words about what this trip meant to us and how grateful we were for this amazing opportunity.
To finish up the night, we took blind swings at a piñata and scurried to pick up the Costa Rican candy. Before bed we all gathered around Ksenia’s decked out room eating our favorite candy and snacks while listening to music. We are overall so grateful for today and all that we got to experience with each other. We can’t wait for tomorrow’s adventures but are disappointed that it came so soon 😔
Happy sixteenth birthday to Ksenia, we are all so thankful that we got to meet such an amazing and sweet person. We love you so much and are overjoyed that we got to spend your special day with you🎉🎂🎈🥳🎊🎁
Love,
Ryan and Ingrid
July 28, 2026
Final blog our Wildlife adventure!
This trip has been the best getaway I have ever been on, the people, the adventures and the little moments are what makes it perfect. – Sam
This trip helped me learn to ground myself, live in the moment, and focus on both the big picture and the little things. – Poppy
I might not see Costa Rica again, I might not see all these friends again but I will always remember the laughs, smiles and cool bugs. – Preston
This trip has meant a lot to me in terms of becoming comfortable being uncomfortable and talking to new people that I normally wouldn’t. -Sawyer
Going on this trip has shaped me into a more educated and more curious person. I have learned so much, not just from the places we went to, but the way we were taught and the people on the trip. – Sylvia
This trip showed me a life away from technology where real connections were made. It was like a dream I never want to wake up from. – Cori
For me, this experience helped me understand that I will never grow if I don’t push myself out of my comfort zone. With the people I have met, and the independence I have gained, I feel so much more comfortable with myself. I’m so grateful for everyone I have met and all the incredible moments I got to share with them. – Ingrid
This trip has taught me how to live in the moment and truly enjoy life. If you have a good attitude and an open mind, there is always something positive about the situation, even if it doesn’t go as planned. I have never felt more alive or carefree than I have on this trip, and I’m really going to miss all the friends I made here. – Ksenia
I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity to learn more about myself, other people, and the incredible world around me. – all my love, Serena
I’m so happy to have gotten to have this experience that I’ll remember for a lifetime and hopefully come back here one day and reminisce about all the fun things we did. – Cooper
A favorite quote of mine is “We didn’t realize we were making memories; we only knew we were having fun”, and I think that rally sums up this trip for me. The memories I’ve made here will last forever, and I know that every summer I will think back to this one with nostalgia. -Sophie
It was a pleasure to be apart of this trip and get to experience all the fun and exciting moments of the trip with everyone. I did have some down moments of the trip, but I learned not Focus on the negative, and learn how to get through rough times and continue to experience the rest of fun things that were planned on this amazing trip 🙂 -Josiah
This trip was a mixture of adventure and learning, it taught me so much and I had a great time meeting people all around the world. -Emmanuel
This trip me made realize the beauty in life from a different pov such a meeting new people and seeing how they live daily, the beauty in nature even the ants, and making new friendships and I hope will last forever. -gabby
I am so grateful for how much this trip pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to try new things. I will never forget the memories I made here and I’m so excited to leave with so many new friendships. 🦄
-Willa
I’m so glad that I am able to say that I learned a lot on this trip. I had no idea the kind of experience that I was going to have when I signed up for this, but I can say with certainty that it was better than I ever could have imagined! I’m so sad it’s over but I’ve made memories I’ll never forget and I’m forever grateful for that. -Sydney
This trip has given me the opportunity to explore new interests while creating lasting bonds. I was able to connect with nature and am going to miss waking up to the sound of monkeys and seeing beautiful macaws instead of pigeons. I can’t believe how fast this trip went by and would do it over again if I could. -Ryan
