Description

ASVO (Association of Volunteers for Service in Protected Areas)is a Costa Rican organization that is dedicated to maintaining and preserving national parks, communities and beaches throughout Costa Rica. The organization was started in, was founded on January 27, 1989 in the response to the growing realization that although Costa Rica is renowned for their natural resources and biodiversity, there was very little awareness around environmental protection by many people who lived in Costa Rica. Originally focusing on the preservation of national parks, the program eventually expanded to include sea turtle conservation, community education and habitat identification.

ASVO is a non-profit and non-governmental organization whose mission is to promote the importance of preserving the environment by operating a number of grass-root conservation projects and conducting a variety of educational workshops throughout the country. Over the years environmental issues such as deforestation, species extinction, forest fires, and climate change have been addressed by the members of ASVO as they have worked to expand their programs through the country.

ASVO places volunteers in national parks and other areas protected by the Ministry of Environment and Energy all over the country. The organization currently has stations in twenty-eight different locations all over Costa Rica, from Corcovado in the south to Guanacaste in the north. These projects are divided into four categories: Wildlife Refuges, Education and Communities, Sea Turtle Projects and National Parks.

Volunteers are needed to help protect the many different types of habitats found within the park – the park is home to four different types of forest as well as many different species of plants and animals. This is a very popular placement, please be advised that it is sometimes required to book 6 months or more in advance to ensure a place at this project.

Volunteers can help with the following tasks:

1. Maintenance of trails.

2. Maintenance of facilities.

3. Tending to the public and patrolling with the park rangers.

4. Monitoring the area; protecting the species and trails and controlling the area.

5. Environmental education/ preserving ecotourism.

6. Maintaining buildings as well as the park by painting, cleaning, and occasionally helping with construction.

7. Administrative tasks i.e. organizing the library, archives, or office.

There are larger projects the park is currently trying to get started on. These include constructing a water reserve, preserving the falcon population and its habitat, recording species, as well as reforestation.

Volunteers are required to work 6 days a week, 8am to 3pm (6-7 hours/day)

URL: http://www.basecampvolunteerabroad.com/sites/bc-volunteer-abroad/place_details.cfm?pl_id=249
Tags: conservation, Costa Rica, volunteer, volunteering
Stats:

Images

There are no images

Sponsored Links