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Volunteer Blog: Alyssa
Volunteer Blog: Anthony
July 15, 2024
After graduating with a bachelor's in Wildlife Conservation and Management, I knew I wanted to gain more experience in the field to increase my chances of landing a job right out of college. It was my first week back from graduation when I logged onto the Texas A&M job board to see if there were any summer opportunities I could apply for. Through that, I found a posting for a non-profit organization whose goal was to aid the critically endangered Great Green Macaw in Costa Rica. I had previously visited Costa Rica a long time ago before I began my college career, but even then, I knew that I wanted to one day work there. I quickly applied, and the next morning, to my surprise, I was greeted by an email expressing their interest in me for the position. The next thing I knew, I was repacking my bags to leave for Ara Manzanillo. Once I arrived, I was greeted by faces who I came to know as friends, mainly Erin, who gave me a tour of the premises and helped me get settled.
Work began the next day, starting at 8 a.m. with the feeding of the macaws. These feeders are essential to the project's goal of monitoring the surrounding population of macaws while also giving them a snack with high nutritional value. After feeding, volunteers are given an hour to eat breakfast, drink coffee, etc. Then, at 9 a.m., the feeders are to be lowered and cleaned. Fieldwork began shortly after. This became one of my favorite pastimes, and around 3:15 p.m., feeders were to feed the macaws again and then clean the feeders an hour later. As I got into the swing of daily chores, I began to practice the script for tours, as I knew that was something I wanted to do once I began this position. After two weeks of practice, I gave my first tour, and it was an amazing experience. Being able to explain the importance of the Ara project while seeing people's faces light up when they saw the birds flying overhead was indescribable. It was definitely a feeling I will be chasing for a while and gives me more incentive to hurry back to Ara Manzanillo.
Tour guiding!
Alyssa climbing up for nest box checks!
Another skill I had the privilege of learning was nest climbing. These artificial nest boxes are located along the Caribbean coast, with a few on the Ara project's premises. The nest I climbed was an active one and had two babies that were a couple of months old. My goal for climbing the nest was to switch out one of the cameras with a new one. As this was my first time ever climbing, I expected to be much more nervous than I actually was. Instead, I was so excited to learn this trade, and with Duaro as my instructor, his happy demeanor set my task up for success. The climb was difficult but not impossible. My nerves didn’t kick in until I was at the very top but quickly diminished once I saw the view. A word of advice: don’t look straight down on the way up, and you’ll be fine.
Overall, my experience at Ara Manzanillo was unforgettable. I look forward to going back, but until then, I have some tips from my time there.
Prepare for Extreme Moisture: You will be living in the rainforest with extremely moist conditions. Sweat will become a regular occurrence; I was constantly sweating. This will only bother you if you let it, so appreciate the climate and all its quirks, as you never know when you will experience it again.
Handle Bugs: Be ready for big, colorful, and persistent bugs. They might get too close for comfort but learn to live with them. Be mindful of flip-flops as small ants can bite, and always use mosquito repellent.
Stay Hydrated: Drink water consistently throughout the day to counteract the amount of sweat you excrete.
Enjoy Every Moment: Living in Ara Manzanillo is a unique and valuable experience. Embrace the opportunity to grow and learn about yourself.
Thank you so much to Erin, Duaro, Emily, Enrique, and Marcelo; without you guys, my experience wouldn’t have been as memorable.
Tree-top selfies
