Montañas & Mar – Summer 2024
Anna Calkins
This past Wednesday, the Montañas y Mar staff team said goodbye to their third and final group of volunteers. This bittersweet farewell closed out a summer full of excitement, education, and exploration around Costa Rica, from the mountains to the sea!
Each of the three sessions began their journey in a community in Pérez Zeledón. The Pérez region is known for its rolling mountains and lush green landscapes. The volunteers stayed at an ecological center nestled in the jungle, surrounded by birdsong and the rush of a nearby river. The center served as our home base for excursions throughout the week, including a beautiful hike, a visit to a bird sanctuary, and service with a group of local women entrepreneurs. Additionally, the volunteers took a dance class in the city of San Isidro, where they learned swing criollo, a Costa Rican dance style, as well as bachata and salsa. At the bird sanctuary, students learned about Alexander Skutch, an ornithologist who lived and worked in Pérez Zeledón for many years and whose impact continues today.
A youth exchange with members of a local circus organization had volunteers flipping and conversing in both English and Spanish. Session A helped paint and maintain the garden at our lodging site, contributing to its upkeep and beauty. Session B did similar work, and Session C painted a beautiful mural at the lodge! Although heavy afternoon rain sometimes kept us indoors, volunteers had the chance to explore the region and learn about the ecosystems that thrive in the mountains. The lodge’s location allowed volunteers to witness parts of the ecosystem firsthand, spotting sloths, motmots, and more in the surrounding woods. Overall, the first week was filled with learning and meaningful service.
The second week brought us to the ‘mar’ portion of the program. This week took place in the Uvita region, a coastal area known for its beautiful beaches and diverse wildlife. Our lodge was another ecological center, this one focused on research. Several hiking paths branched off from the property, and volunteers enjoyed walking down these trails, where they were almost certain to encounter groups of capuchin monkeys, wild pigs, or even a coati!
While staying at the lodge, we had several excursions to other parts of the region. A youth exchange in the community of Matapalo brought volunteers to a beautiful beach, where they planted trees and collected trash in collaboration with local youth. We visited Marino Ballena National Park, where a unique sandbar formation creates a whale tail shape, and a coral reef restoration organization. Here, volunteers learned about ocean protection and reef health. Another excursion took us to a wildlife sanctuary, where volunteers saw and learned about regional animals like toucans, sloths, and ocelots. The sanctuary also educated the volunteers on its mission and philosophy. At the lodge, volunteers completed service work at a turtle nursery, collected trash at the beach, and assisted with other tasks at the research center.
This sunny week furthered the volunteers’ education on Costa Rica’s ecosystems and efforts to protect and promote them. The program overall was dedicated to enriching the volunteers’ understanding of the environment and promoting its conservation in Costa Rica—and internationally—through education and meaningful service work. From the mountaintop views during the ‘montañas’ portion to the sandy shores of the ‘mar’ portion, the Montañas y Mar project this summer provided incredible sights and invaluable lessons on what makes Costa Rica’s diverse nature so special and the efforts underway to protect it.
