Volunteer Blog: Bella

The work itself is enjoyable too as you grow close with the people you’re working with. Simple tasks like cleaning the aviary and maintaining the grounds didn’t feel like work when you have such amazing people close to you.

I can truly say the hardest part of this opportunity was having to leave the birds and people behind.

I cannot stress enough how much I fell in love with this experience, but I would be remiss if I didn’t also discuss the realities of jungle living. Finding scorpions and tarantulas in your bedroom, or particularly your bed, was no rare occurrence and one you have to meet with a sense of humour. The housing itself is rustic and shared housing may not be for everyone, but if an adventure attracts you then Ara is the opportunity for you. Rather than being afraid of the environment, you have to be the kind of person who wants to go snake hunting when the sun sets. With tarantula hawk wasps and bullet ants nearby, you have to be curious of the accuracy of the Schmidt pain scale rather than terrified. This is not to say that I did not feel safe at every turn. The staff take good care of you and do their best to prepare you for any threats you may face while living out in the jungle. Being aware of what you are soon to experience, from Fer-De-Lances to intermittent power outages, is the best way to prepare for what it takes to live in an environment such as this one.

If this excites you and doesn’t scare you then I encourage you to experience Ara for yourself. I did things I never thought I could do and everyday felt like I explored a new part of me that I didn’t know I had.

Most notably was when I had to harness up and scale a 30 meter tree with trust in my own abilities that I could do it. This task is likely the most daunting of anything you will do during your time here. The first feeling of all your weight being off your feet and in the hands of yourself and the equipment can be terrifying, but the end result was so rewarding. To be at the height of the tree and above the tree canopy is an experience like no other. However, while I admired the view I was surely hanging onto that tree for dear life haha. Before I reached the top, I doubted my ability to do so and even thought I might try to chicken out when it came time to do it myself. The encouragement from the staff was enough for me to try and the satisfaction of proving to myself I could do it was like no other. Knowing that you are capable of more than you give yourself credit for is one of the best feelings you could have and Ara will push you to it everyday.

Not only do you get to experience the jungle living though, but to be immersed in the local culture is something I could talk about for days on end. The nearby city of Puerto Viejo is very lively and I encourage you to spend much of your free time exploring. From great food to fun karaoke spots, it is a welcoming city with much to give. This was my first time traveling alone abroad, and I can comfortably say I felt safe in the city and had fun even when I didn’t have my coworkers with me.

If you are reading this because you want to make up your mind on whether you’ll give Ara a shot or not, I can only hope I’ve encouraged you to commit.

I learned new skills and experienced an immense amount of new things while volunteering here. I became a more confident and capable person through my time at Ara and will never forget the experience. I am excited for the opportunity one day to return and continue working in such an amazing environment and with such unforgettable people. Ciao and I hope to read your own adventures at Ara soon!