Just outside Atenas, there is a project focused on local land and fresh water turtle conservation. They are trying to protect species of in-land turtles that are often overlooked with worldwide publicity of their cousins, the sea turtle. This project offers tanks for the turtles and works with hydroponics organic fertilizer from dry leaves and maintaining the greenhouse.

Beginner to intermediate knowledge of Spanish is preferred ( but not mandatory) . If you cannot speak Spanish, we suggest you enroll in our Spanish language course to make your stay more rewarding – both for you and for the children you are helping. Love for turtles and nature is important. Experience with websites could provide development assistance with online projects. Interns are expected to be reliable and flexible.

Turtle project interns work directly with the turtles, assist in the hydroponics project, work with organic fertilizer and the greenhouse, and help with the website.

In Costa Rica , all interns stay with well-screened host families. Our host families are socially respected and are well versed in the art of hosting international interns. Host families offer a safe home, private rooms (occasionally rooms will be shared with other same-gender interns) and shared bathroom facilities with running hot water and a “western” style toilet. Interns have the ability to do laundry at the house or the host family may offer to do it for you for a nominal extra fee. You receive three prepared meals per day. If you will be out of the house during lunch hour, you can request a lunch "to go" that you can take with you or eat out on your own. Host families provide typical meals that are traditional to Costa Rica .

Throughout the internship project, our local staff stays in contact with interns either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. With longer placements, we visit our interns every two weeks (when possible) and interns are always welcome at the local office. If project placement is local, we request that interns stop by the office once a week to keep us posted on how they are doing with their home stay and project. If project placement is very far, then our local staff members maintain communication by either email and/or phone.