Hola, we are Bennet and Noreen and we are studying ecology and environmental planning in Berlin. Alongside our studies, Noreen works in a landscape planning office and together we occasionally carry out avifaunistic mapping.
As part of our studies, we have half a year off to complete internships. We wanted to spend one month of this time doing an internship in Costa Rica, as there is rainforest here and we have always been very interested in this ecosystem and its biodiversity. So we looked for rainforest conservation projects in Costa Rica and came across Tropica Verde during our research.
After we sent an email with our request to the Tropica Verde office, we quickly received a friendly response from Ingrith Tilly, who immediately put us in touch with Stefan Rother. A short time later, we were able to hold a Zoom meeting with Stefan and Ingrith to discuss what we could do in Costa Rica and were very impressed by Stefan’s commitment and organizational skills. Within a very short time, we had a plan for our internship. We could always turn to him with all our questions, he had lots of great tips and he did everything he could to organize a great internship for us!!! Many thanks again!!!
In the following, we will describe exactly what our internship was like.
A month in the rainforest: two stages of our internship
Our internship was divided into two parts: First, we spent a week at Casa Antorcha with Joep’s family to work in the “Vivero Circular” tree nursery. Then we spent three weeks at Finca Ninfa with Nathalia, Felicia and Thierry. From there, we worked in the adjacent, protected rainforest area “Finca Curré”, which is managed by Tropica Verde and consists of both primary and secondary forest.
Casa Antorcha, Vivero Circular and ASOGUABO
We support the ASO.GUA.BO project by working in the “Vivero Circular” – a tree nursery where typical rainforest plants are grown.
The plants are destined for the ASO.GUA.BO community – for the people who have signed the “Declaración de conservación comunitaria” and thus committed themselves to protecting their rainforest. The tree nursery is intended to support this community. It makes sense to use native plant species instead of ornamental plants from other countries in order to preserve the native flora. Tropica Verde is a supporter of ASO.GUA.BO.
We stayed at Casa Antorcha (see photo).
Cultivating rainforest plants – and experiencing much more
Our main tasks were caring for the plants. We sowed seeds, repotted plants, fertilized, watered and filled pots with new soil. However, Joep also went to great lengths to ensure that we had a varied stay. He showed us his neighboring rainforest over time. One day, we went to the beach with Jose Pablo and Ale to collect plants that often grow there. We later planted these in pots or directly in the ground in the tree nursery. On another day, we got good potting soil from two sources: from a horse stable where the manure had already been composted into nutrient-rich soil, and from a dead tree whose wood had completely decomposed and turned into soil.
We also took an inventory of the plants in the nursery so that we had an accurate overview of how many plants of which species were available. Once we even helped Stef harvest turmeric. She then showed us how it is processed into a powder. On the last day, there was a “work party” to which the community, family friends and interested guests were invited. After a short presentation of the ASO.GUA.BO project, everyone pitched in together and helped with various tasks in the tree nursery.
This is what our everyday life at Joep (Casa Antorcha) looked like
A normal working day started at 7:00 a.m. with breakfast with Joep’s family. Then we worked until 12:00/13:00. We continued after lunch. We usually finished work between 15:00 and 16:00. Then we had free time until dinner, when we usually went to the nearby beach. Saturday and Sunday were days off.
Accommodation, meals and costs at Casa Antorcha
We were accommodated in the house of Joep’s very open-minded, friendly family and had three delicious and varied meals a day. In the evening we also had a glass of wine together. A lot was explained and told to us. The family has three dogs, which often put us in a good mood. We had a room to ourselves. There was a nice dining area and relaxation area with a hammock. We paid the family 30 dollars per day of our internship and didn’t have to worry about anything.
An unforgettable highlight: the sweat lodge ceremony
On one of our internship days, Wies, Joep’s daughter, organized a sweatlodge for a small travel group from New York, in which Bennet and I were also allowed to participate. It was a wonderful, spiritual experience and afterwards we were “reborn” 😉 Thank you again for this unforgettable experience.
Finca Ninfa and Finca Curré
Nathi and Thierry live on Finca Ninfa with their little daughter Felicia. Silvio, Thierry’s son, also lives here temporarily with his family. Thierry has been given the task of “looking after” the neighboring Finca Curré, which Tropica Verde has been protecting since 1991. His job is to ensure that the forest remains untouched and is not illegally hunted or cut down.
From giant tree to data map – our tasks in the rainforest
Our main task was to record the oldest and tallest trees on Finca Curré. To do this, we walked back and forth through the jungle with Thierry and Silvio on rain-free days. Our exact procedure and the results are described in a short, separate report. During the first week at Finca Ninfa, it rained heavily, which meant we didn’t get to spend much time in the rainforest. Instead, we helped crack nuts or fetched wood for the fireplace and bamboo for organic char production. We accompanied the entire process of Bio-Char production – from wood procurement to the finished product. We have also written a short, separate report on how Bio-Char production works. As the weather got drier, we started mapping the trees on the Finca Curré and began digitizing the first trees. In the last week, we also helped with the replanting of bowhemp. It was planted in rows on slopes to prevent erosion.
The rhythm of the day at Finca Curré
A typical day started between 5:30 and 6:30 am when we went to Finca Curré to map the trees. Thierry prepared delicious food for one or two breaks, depending on how long we were out. We were usually back around 14:00 -15:00. Afterwards, we had free time to jump into the nearby river, do laundry by hand, play with Felicia or just lie in the hammock. In the evening, we helped make dinner. It was usually bedtime around 20:00.
On days when we didn’t go to Finca Curré, we were able to sleep longer. We had breakfast at 8:00 am. Afterwards, we did small jobs at Finca Ninfa. We had lunch around 12:00. Afterwards, we often went down to the coast to digitize and create maps of the trees photographed at Finca Curré in a small hostel where there was Wi-Fi. An hour before sunset, i.e. at 16:30, we had to go back to Finca Ninfa so that we arrived in the light. Otherwise, you might miss a snake or two on the half-hour walk through the jungle 😉 Once we arrived at Finca Ninfa, we usually did some laundry and washed ourselves in the river and then had dinner at around 18:00-19:00.
Living in harmony with nature – our accommodation in the forest
We were accommodated in a small “tree house” at Finca Ninfa. Nathi, Thierry and Felicia slept about 50 m away in their own “tree house”. The family is very loving, communicative and welcoming. We felt like part of the family and not just volunteers. That was a particularly nice experience for us. We were helped wherever possible and Nathi supported us in organizing the rest of our trip.
We were given three fresh and healthy meals a day. The family has two cute baby cats. There was a nice dining area and relaxation area with a hammock. The river, where you could swim, was right next door. We paid the family 30 dollars per internship day and didn’t have to worry about anything. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that the family lives without electricity or internet access. Cooking is done over the fire and washing is done with river water. The river water can be drunk after passing through a filter and tastes very good. There is an outhouse that is odorless thanks to the Bio-Char. The simple life made us feel part of the forest. A very special, wonderful experience, in our opinion.
A special experience: encounter with the lance viper
One evening, when it was already dark, we wanted to wash ourselves in the river. Suddenly we spotted a Terciopelo lance adder about two meters long, swimming upstream in a relaxed manner. Luckily we weren’t in the water yet. With our head torches, we watched it from the bank – just two meters away. Thierry later told us that these snakes are highly venomous and like to swim towards light sources. Good thing they didn’t seem to be interested in us… That was a moment we won’t forget in a hurry. Since then, we’ve definitely been more careful when swimming. 😀
Conclusion and outlook: Grateful, inspired – and full of ideas
We felt very comfortable both with Joep at Casa Antorcha and with Nathi and Thierry. Nature was impressive everywhere. Instead of the alarm clock, we were woken up in the morning by howler monkeys, hummingbirds flying around, coatis looking for bananas, toucans posing on high rainforest trees – wonderful.
For us, it was a time in which we learned a lot about tropical ecosystems, alternative ways of life and also about ourselves. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to map the entire Finca Curré. We only managed the northern third.
It would therefore be great if future volunteers could continue the work, ideally with 6 – 8 weeks’ time.
VOLONTARIAT
Tropica Verde does not have an explicit volunteer program. Depending on whether there is a specific need in one of our projects in Costa Rica or in the information office in Germany, we can try to support a volunteer for a certain period of time. Please submit your application using our form. We are interested in duration, primary interest, CV and motivation. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
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