Search our Worldwide Volunteer Database

Use WorkingAbroad’s comprehensive volunteer database to find the volunteering or internship opportunity abroad that’s right for you.

Our international volunteering database features projects from across the globe sorted into categories, making your search simple. You can search by country and activity for wildlife conservation volunteering projects, healthcare volunteering opportunities, environmental and farming projects and many more.

We hope that your choice will provide you with new opportunities to make a positive difference in the world. Please also rest assured that all projects listed on our website meet our policies on ethical volunteering abroad.

Wildlife Rescue Primatology Field Course, Costa Rica
Our 4 week Primatology Field Course is a comprehensive introduction to field primatology with particular focus on the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) and the white-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus) in the Nicoya Peninsula. This course is most suitable for students at an advanced undergraduate or early postgraduate level, or recent graduates who have a keen interest, but little experience, in field primatology and wish to pursue a future in independent research.
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Pacific Sea Turtle Volunteer Programme, Costa Rica
Join this Olive Ridley sea turtle volunteer programme in the spectacular Southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica on Drake Bay, home to over 25 dolphin and whale species and the Olive Ridley Turtle.
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Playa Tortuga Tree Boa Research Project, Costa Rica
Volunteers can join the tree boa research study taking place at night time. These reptiles are an important part of the ecosystem, depending on the wetlands nearby. The aim of the research is to determinate the population size, local movements of the individuals and add more data to the biology of the species by getting morphometric data, to determine aspects such as the sex ratio in the population.
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Playa Tortuga Mammal Inventory Monitoring Project, Costa Rica
Conservation volunteers work within a non-profit biological research and education centre, using camera traps to monitor the diverse array of mammal species in Playa Tortuga. Within the Reserve, there are more than 11 species of mammals – the most common being raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, weasels, River Otters, Tayra and Monkeys. Capuchin Monkeys are easy to find into the Reserve forest, others such as Anteaters, Oposums, and Sloths are also common in the area but hard to observe. There is also evidence of an Ocelot (detected by trail cameras) in the Balso River.
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Playa Tortuga Environmental Education Volunteering Project, Costa Rica
You will have the opportunity to be part of the workshops, prepare materials, make crafts, conduct and work with children of the schools during the workshops, and participate in the maintenance of our Butterfly garden, data collection, care of pupae, feed and release butterflies, as well as the opportunity to help us care for the plants. If you have at least basic Spanish for this programme, that would be very helpful.
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Playa Tortuga Sea Turtle Conservation Volunteer Programme, Costa Rica
Conservation volunteers work within a non-profit biological research and education centre, helping to protect a number of different sea turtle species on the Playa Tortuga reserve. There are 4 potential species of sea turtles which can be seen nesting at different times of the year; Olive Ridley/ ‘Lora’ (Lepidochelys olivacea), Green (Chelonia mydas), Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata). They are all in danger of extinction.
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Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Programme, Costa Rica
Help to conserve and protect the populations of vulnerable Olive Ridleys. The project takes place in the spectacular Pacific coast of the Nicoya Province on the beach where Olive Ridley turtles come up in thousands at a time for this phenomenon of nature called "arribadas".
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Wildlife Rescue Volunteer Project, Costa Rica
This Wildlife Rescue centre rescues injured and abandoned animals with the aim of returning them to the wild as soon as they are fit and able. There are opportunities for volunteers to work with animals and help improve the rescue centre, whilst also having the opportunity to learn Spanish, and take yoga and surf lessons. Located in the stunning Nicoya province on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, in a paradisical location surrounded by a large tropical garden overlooking the sea.
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Wildlife Rescue Biology Internship, Costa Rica
This Wildlife Rescue centre rescues injured and abandoned animals with the aim of returning them to the wild as soon as they are fit and able. Wildlife Biology Interns are expected to help the Rescue Centre with data collection and analysis to better care for current and future patients.
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Playa Tortuga Crocodilian Monitoring Volunteer Programme, Costa Rica
Work on the Playa Tortuga reserve, Costa Rica, where the main objective of this study is to collect real information about the Crocodilians at the Reserve area: their distribution, relationship with the environment and the human impact on the ecosystem. Do an initial profile of the population, in order to help the conservation and management of this species adding new information about its condition in the South Pacific of Costa Rica.
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Playa Tortuga Butterfly Garden Volunteering Project, Costa Rica
The objectives of the Butterfly Garden project is the investigation of native species of butterflies (Siproeta stelenes, Caligo memnon, Heraclides thoas, Dryas iulia) in the reserve and all aspects of their reproductive cycle and plant foods. Environmental education workshops will also take place, whereby members of the local community will visit the garden and volunteers will help to conduct educational tours and classes. Volunteers can also help to develop workshops for local schools.
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Wildlife Rescue Conservation Internship, Costa Rica
This Wildlife Rescue centre rescues injured and abandoned animals with the aim of returning them to the wild as soon as they are fit and able. For those who can no longer fend for themselves in the wild, we make them as comfortable as possible and hope that their presence will help to educate others of the dangers these precious animals face and what we can do to live more harmoniously with them in nature. Conservation interns are expected to help the Rescue Centre educate the public on our goals towards the rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction of wildlife as well as the issues we face.
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Wildlife Rescue Field Research Crash Course, Costa Rica
Our 2 week Field Research Crash Course will help you gain introductory practical training in field research, with an emphasis on building skills in observational data collection on wild and rehabilitated local species. This course is most suitable for students at an early undergraduate level who have a keen interest, but little experience, in field biology and conservation, and those who wish to gain a rich knowledge about Costa Rica’s wildlife and conservation efforts.
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