Read on below to see what each group has been up to this past week!
GIRL SCOUT DESTINATIONS
Scuba & Sea Turtle Adventure (Session #4)
The leatherback sea turtle is listed as an endangered species, with only an estimated 35,000 active females alive today. This makes the task of protecting this beloved species so critical. Luckily, this group of Girl Scouts is doing just that! The girls wasted no time waking up early and getting in their vans to head down to the village of San San Pond Sak. They met with local conservation professionals to learn about the techniques they employ to assist the turtle populations. The girls took this knowledge and applied it out on the beach by taking note of nest locations and helping gather other data for the biologists! Along with their efforts to help the turtle populations, the group found time to help the inhabitants of the village by participating in a shoreline cleanup. After San San Pond Sak, it was time to head back across the border to Costa Rica to prepare for their flights home!
Service Challenge (Session #4)
This week started with the girls transferring across the border of Panama and arriving the in the village of San San Pond Sak. There, they received an orientation on turtle conservation from the biologists who are conducting research and conservation projects in this coastal town. The girls help the projects in a myriad of ways! Among the techniques they employ are nest cataloging and night patrols. The group also carved out time for service projects around the San San Pond Sak area. They removed plastic from the shoreline and worked to beautify the walkways and docks near the coast. Yesterday the girls returned to our rainforest base for gear return, a delicious traditional Costa Rican meal, and learned some new dance moves from their instructor Grace! Their final day brought more adventures as they enjoyed a zipline adventure coupled with a visit to a downtown artisan market, hopefully finding something special to remind them of their experience here.
Rainforest, River, and Reef
The rainforest trek continued into this week with the girls ascending the terrain until the trail brought them to the Tinamu Rainforest Eco-Lodge. This location afforded them with spectacular mountain views! They spent the night in dorms at the lodge then descended towards the coast where they took vans to the Outward Bound beach base in Manuel Antonio for a night’s rest. The following day, the group explored the adjacent Manuel Antonio National Park and saw capuchin monkeys, sloths, and a variety of bird & frog species. The next day, the girls donned their beach gear and enjoyed Manuel Antonio’s beach; it happens to be among the top ten tropical beaches in the world! Near midweek, the group returned to our base in San Ramon de Tres Rios to rest and get ready for the course’s remaining activities. First, they paddled through scenic canyons on their whitewater rafts. Next, they went ziplining before wrapping up the week with a trip to San Jose’s downtown artisan market!
OPEN ENROLLMENT
Surf & Service Extension
Friday afternoon Surf, Service & CPR students said goodbye to their new friends from Surf, Service & CPR, ate lunch, and returned to the Manuel Antonio beach base for their extension phase. There, they continued to surf until Monday morning when they transferred to another gorgeous Pacific Coast beach to camp and surf some new waves. Tuesday morning, Each morning the SSE students woke up before the sun to head out to surf. It’s been incredible to see these three students progress in their confidence and skills throughout their time here in Costa Rica! Aside from surfing, they’ve been able to hike beautiful waterfalls, pick and drink coconut water right off the tree, see monkeys, sloths, large iguanas and more! They recently, returned to our rainforest base for a city tour and shopping at the San Jose artisan market before they head home tomorrow morning!
Panama Service Expedition
Early Sunday morning, these students woke to begin their journey south to Panama. They arrived at their destination of Isla Solarte after a ride in a boat taxi through the archipelago of Bocas del Toro. They quickly began their First Aid and CPR training, learning the corresponding Spanish words and phrases for the lifesaving techniques they were mastering. This helped them teach their new knowledge to others! After getting some practice under their belt, the group traded their First Aid kits for snorkeling gear. They swam through the crystalline waters of Bocas del Toro to witness the assemblage of flora and fauna that make their habitats in those warm coastal seas. The fifth day on course introduced the students to their sea kayaks which they would use to paddle among the islands to teach the locals First Aid and CPR. The group also will engage in language exchanges with local children and play games. As of now, the group will spend three more days paddling around the islands and continuing those activities before they head to San San Pond Sak to help an on-going turtle conservation project there!
Like our Facebook page to stay updated on posts of our students on course and weekly blogposts.
JOIN US ON A SUMMER COURSE NEXT YEAR
Submit an inquiry or contact our Enrollment Manager at 800-676-2018 or emailing [email protected].