Our last group of the summer arrived this past weekend! It’s been a crazy, fun week (like always!) filled with baby sea turtles, goats, and even an OPOSSUM! Read on to find out what our students have been up to.
Summer Courses 14-18
Panama Service Expedition
Our PSE group headed straight to San San Pond Sak, an indigenous community in Panama, early on Sunday morning. They spent three days waking up to the sound of the ocean and assisting with projects to protect the endangered Leatherback and Hawksbill sea turtle population. The group went on nightly patrols, cataloged nests, and released newly hatched baby turtles! They’re currently in the beautiful Isla Solarte getting ready for their sea kayaking expedition. The students will be paddling around several indigenous islands, assisting in training members of the community in First Aid & CPR skills through nonverbal skits and basic Spanish, teaching animal care, and participating in language exchanges with local school children.
Surf & Service Extension
It’s been an interesting few days for our Surf & Service Extension group! Earlier this week, they realized a mouse had snuck into the Manuel Antonio house so they set some traps one night. They heard the mouse in the middle of the night so, thinking the mouse was simply stuck on the trap, Carlos (one of the instructors) went downstairs to handle the mouse — only to find an OPOSSUM eating the rat INSIDE the house! The next night the group worked together to set an opossum trap using a box, stick, floss & hot dogs. It surprisingly worked & they caught the opossum on Wednesday night! On Thursday morning they released him on the beach so he could start his new life as a beach bum. 😂 Besides their opossum adventures, the boys have been eating, sleeping, and breathing surf and loving every second!
Girl Scout Destinations
Scuba and Sea Turtle Adventure (Session #4)
This week has been filled with diving time for the SSTA girls! They took scuba diving theory classes from our Executive Director and scuba instructor Jim Rowe, had multiple lessons in the water, and completed their practical and written exams. They celebrated by doing a bioluminescent night dive before heading back to base in the middle of the week! On Wednesday, the group visited Campamento Oikouemene and completed community service projects feeding farm animals. Playing with the baby goats was definitely a highlight! This weekend, the group has a fun-filled schedule of ziplining and touring San Jose.
Service Challenge (Session #4)
We greeted our SC group back to base on Tuesday! They completed over 40 service hours in Talamanca earlier in the week and we’re so proud of them. Their smiles and laughs made everyone on base happy! They visited Campamento Oikouemene with the SSTA Girl Scout group on Wednesday and got to feed farm animals alongside new friends. On Thursday they hit the river for whitewater rafting and will spend Friday zipping through the canopies and touring the capital city of San Jose.
Looking to explore Central America?
Join us on our fall Coast to Coast Expedition. Envision yourself spending 85 days in Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua!
Submit an inquiry or contact our Enrollment Manager at 800-676-2018 or by emailing [email protected].
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