In February, Outward Bound Costa Rica instructors worked on a pro bono project to train the Costa Rican Rescue Squad, also known as park rangers. This pro bono training is in its second year and occurs once a month for three days. The training touches on the essentials of Wilderness First Responder curriculum, including mastering rope rescue, reading GPS coordinates to locate a lost person and implementing first aid.

The Costa Rican government does not provide professional development to its park rangers or lifeguards, so it is up to the outdoor adventure community to pitch in. The organization Proparques, enlists volunteers from Costa Rica’s top notch outdoor organizations including Outward Bound Costa Rica, to provide this essential professional training to some of the most critical figures in Costa Rica’s tourism industry.

According to Danny Jimenez, Outward Bound Costa Rica’s Program Director, the training seeks to “change the mentality of park rangers, getting them to see their role as more of a profession rather than a volunteer position.” The most recent training was held at Irazu Volcano and served over twenty park rangers. Thank you to the Outward Bound Costa Rica instructors, for making Costa Rica a safe place to experience the outdoors!