The time I spent at Rio Oro was an unforgettable experience. I really enjoyed how remote it was, the rest of the world just seems really far away. All the people were great and because you spend all your time together you become good friends very quickly. I saw turtles almost every night and the work is so fascinating. I think the best part was being on the beach, you look around and as far as you can see, there is no other person, With all the work being at night, you very quickly get used to sleeping at any hour, but it also means you have the days off for tours or activities, or to just chill in a hammock all day. I would definitely recommend coming here and I will never forget the time I spent here.

                                                                                                              Linda

Coming to Costa Rica and volunteering with the Corcovado Foundation was a spur of the moment decision of mine. If I could go back to that moment, the only change I would make would be planning to extend my stay. One week here, while wonderful, surely wasn´t enough for my liking. From the moment I met two other volunteers in our travels to the Hacienda, I felt welcomeand excited.Landing in Puerto Jimenez, we were greeted by departing volunteers and a wonderful staff. When I did some research about the program prior, I felt very prepared for the workload and program. An unexpected surprise, however, was the family-like atmosphere. Each meal, day,and patrol is shared with others from many different areas of the world, contributing their own personalities and cultures. Of course, I also learned a lot about turtles in my stay here. The nesting process, identification, and general activity of sea turtles wasvery unexpected and beautiful to be able to witness. You feel a connection with the turtles as you record and possibly relocate their nests,I felt like another parent in the situation. Along with turtles, Costa Rica and the Hacienda have much more wildlife to see and learn about including a variety of reptiles, birds, and small mammals. Overall, I only have great things to say about Rio Oro, the staff, and of course the turtles. I could only wish for more time here.

Laura Hickey

Age 18

Virginia, USA

I thoroughly enjoyed my two weeks at Rio Oro working, socialising and patrolling the beach. The research assistants (Ed, Emily, Eva and Alberto) and head of the project, Aida, have made my stay very comfortable and great fun. They are extremely friendly and although their primary job is turtle conservation they are always making sure you are enjoying yourself and are happy with the activities and the general day to day goings on. The people I have stayed with here have all been very welcoming and some of the most interesting and diverse people I have met. Patrolling and seeing turtles has got to be the highlight of the trip but learning about the local area, working to help the project, exploring the surrounding area and hanging out with the other volunteers don´t fall too far behind. It has been an experience of a lifetime here at Rio Oro and I wish my writing skills were good enough to convey my appreciation of my time here. I will never forget the people and the wildlife and I hope Ican return soon.

Daniel Ridley.  

I applied to the Corcovado Fundation with the idea of protecting turtles, and today, after one week, I'm leaving with amazing memories. It is not only a question of planet's conservation but also a great human experience. I've met so many people from all around the world, from different cultures. I´ve been out of my confort zone, discovered another world and feel so glad to relocate turtles's nest. Thanks you Corvovado Fundation for this unforgettable week!

Marion, 21, France  

At first, I didn't exactly know what to expect, Am I going to get killed by a scorpion, a spider or even a crocodile ? But the truth is that I quickly became a master at scorpion killing. But that's only a small part of this amazing experience. Seeing a turtle nesting is such an incredible experience and is totally worth all the night walking. In fact, you get addicted to that feeling of finding a turtle and justalways want to see more !!!  You can make a real difference in the future of sea turtles and that's probably the best reward you can get. Don;t forget to enjoy the bar and have fun ! There are so many opportunities to learn something new, you just have to be open minded !

Alex, 23, Quebec

Amazing experience when you love wildlife and you would like to go through your limits in a really friendly environment, It s really easy to feel confortable and don t care sleeping around beeting insects and snakes, I really enjoyed to feel fare from normal life,without wifi/electricity/hot shower, and to apreciate each moment, I learnt a lot thanks to permanent workers and other volunteers, about turtles, wildlife, other countries and myself. Even if I saw more scorpions than turtles, each night was really exciting when we were looking for turtles. Thanks for all you are doing for turtles and the wildlife in general, you are doing a really good and important job for the future.

Marie

My trip to Costa Rica for the Sea Turtle project has fulfilled my desire to travel in my gap year perfectly, and i have thoroughly enjoyed my stay here in Rio Oro. It really is a beautiful place, with very comfortable living spaces filled with welcoming faces and stunning countyside. The research assistants and leaders are a fantastic bunch too. They´re very knowledgable about what they do, involve everybody equally and just make a light and friendly atmosphere. For someone that´s fascinated by wildlife in general, the location and work are great, and the conservation aspect is the icing on the cake. Unfortunately I´m limited by the fact that i can´t write a book about my experience for my blog entry as there´s simply too much to fit into one paragraph (even if it is on the hefty side), and I would relish the opportunity to come back in the future.

Washington