Volunteer Blog: Bella N.G.
September 23, 2025Hi, I’m Kristen. I’ve spent the last month volunteering at Ara Manzanillo, and it has been a wonderful experience!
I grew up in Michigan, U.S., and got to visit Costa Rica once as a child. I remembered it for the vibrant rainforests full of so much life, and of course, the kindness of the people - always hoping to come again someday. As a nature lover who is into conservation and environmental education, discovering Ara Manzanillo immediately piqued my interest. The idea of participating in something this tangibly meaningful (amongst such incredible biodiversity!) drew me right in.
Making the commitment to volunteer here just felt right, and as the dates grew closer my excitement only grew. I did have lots of questions, but my connection at Ara was super communicative and helped me feel prepared enough to take the leap.
When I arrived, the energy was wonderful - everyone was so friendly. I was blown away by the rainforest/ocean views, the abundance of wildlife, and the beauty of the Great Green Macaws flying. My first night in the rainforest felt pretty magical - being so close to so many mysterious creatures. It rained a lot that night, so we got to laugh in awe of the howler monkeys’ crazy noises (iykyk lol).
Since I volunteered in March, I walked into all the excitement of nesting season. This meant lots of tree climbing opportunities to monitor the nests and check on the chicks.
We got to help band and name these adorable chicks (Liam and Aqua)!
Something I really appreciated about the work throughout this experience was the variety. A day could involve foraging for mountain almonds, tree climbing, leading a tour, painting, or doing a beach clean-up, etc. The variety kept things interesting and allowed for some flexibility as well. So if a volunteer expressed interest in something specific, they would likely be given opportunities to lean into that.
I especially loved the climbing!
Something to keep in mind is that the rainforest comes alive in a new way at night. There are so many unique nocturnal creatures here, so I would definitely recommend bringing a good flashlight if you have one! When us volunteers (shoutout Emily and Lyes!) went on night walks, we would sometimes spot olingos, cloudy eyed snail-eating snakes (super cute and harmless), eyelash pit vipers (very cool, not harmless), tarantulas, and lots of giant toads!
There are so many fun ways to spend days off, too. If you feel like relaxing on the beach, Playa Punta Uva is beautiful and just a short bike ride away. There is also a river there where you can rent kayaks - Kayaking there felt like paddling into a very peaceful painting. I would also recommend visiting the waterfalls in Bri Bri if you are up for a bit of an adventure - This ended up being a major highlight for me!
I came away from this experience with new friends, a better understanding of what conservation work can look and feel like, and a real fondness and appreciation for Great Green Macaws. Thank you so much, Ara Manzanillo (Marcelo, Duaro, Erin, Enrique, and Emily)! I’m sure I’ll be back someday :)
