Caño Palma Biological Station:
Roles and Experiences
Want to apply to come to the station and gain valuable science experience at the station - please send us your CV and cover letter now!
station@coterc.org
We have a number of different opportunities for qualified individuals wishing to gain a broader work experience through our internship programme. For all fieldwork internships, you will receive training and a unique research experience. We provide hands on assessment and feedback, and will provide valuable references as you continue to pursue your biology carreer.
These programmes are ongoing with varying start and stop times:
1. A basic turtle internship:
the intern pays their room and board. Minimum commitment 6 weeks. A good level of physical fitness is required, as well as an ability to work through the night as part of a small team. After an initial training period, levels of responsibility are increased, and those who qualify will lead patrols, receive additional training in tagging and leadership.
2. Turtle research assistant:
where the participant´s room and board are covered by the biological station. Previous relevant turtle and leadership experience, and references required. Minimum 10 week commitment.
3. Head community/education internships:
the intern’s room and board costs are covered by the biological station. Minimum 3 months, but commitments of 5 months to the full school year will be preferred. Spanish fluency and educational skills are essential, for development and delivery of science based activities and homework assistance. A passionate commitment to sustainability and conservation is a must!
4. Basic community internship:
interns pay room and board. Some of the living costs can be defrayed with donations for the community project. Minimum commitment 6 weeks. Must have some fluency in both Spanish and English. Some experience working with elementary school aged children required, as well as a strong interest in education, sustainability issues and conservation. Maximum of four basic education interns at any given time.
5. Ornithology internship:
interns pay their room and board. Minimum commitment 6 weeks. Interns are trained and gain experience in great green macaw and shorebird monitoring, as well as assisting with bird inventories in the local community.
6. Mixed taxa internship,
interns pay their room and board, and are trained and gain experience in all projects. They then get the option to continue with the variety, or focus on mastering their preferred area. Minimum commitment 6 weeks.
Interns who excel, get first notice or offer on the research assistant and employment opportunities.
Those who are selected for the basic internships are eligible for a reference at the end of their stay, which reflects their performance and training. Those who excel, get first notice or offer on the advanced internships and employment opportunities.
The criteria for intern selection varies, depending on the timing of the intern's visit and which selection process they go through. Interns coming through academic institutions with which we have an existing relationship, are pre-selected by the university and our Director of Research. Independent interns are selected by the Station Manager and Research Coordinator in Costa Rica, to try and build a well-balanced team. Generally we look for people with a good work ethic, a strong educational background or other skill-set that would lend to the overall strength of the team.
Turtle People [I have to a pay to volunteer?]
During the marine turtle nesting season, we have a limit of 6 turtle people on base at any given time. After a probation/training period, they are given increasing levels of responsibility. The essential difference is that while volunteers are here to help us get our surveys done, and play a valuable role in increasing our capacity for patrols, interns are engaged to ensure that all aspects of the project are completed to the highest standard. They also play a bigger role in helping us to achieve our education goals:
* They are required to develop and give presentations on base and in local hotels and the community
* Will be trained to lead patrols
* Will assist in training and orientation of new volunteers in areas in which they themselves excel
Education [I have to pay to volunteer?]
Throughout the year we are also looking for Spanish speaking interns to assist with educational programming in the community. Their role includes:
* The development and delivery of Conservation Club activities
* The development and delivery of after school educational or recreational activities
* The development and delivery of presentations in the local community on environmental issues
* Assisting local teachers by providing one to one support for students in the local primary school, as well as after school homework assistance
We need people now more than ever - please send us your CV and cover letter now!
These programmes are ongoing with varying start and stop times:
1. A basic turtle internship:
the intern pays their room and board. Minimum commitment 6 weeks. A good level of physical fitness is required, as well as an ability to work through the night as part of a small team. After an initial training period, levels of responsibility are increased, and those who qualify will lead patrols, receive additional training in tagging and leadership.
2. Turtle research assistant:
where the participant´s room and board are covered by the biological station. Previous relevant turtle and leadership experience, and references required. Minimum 10 week commitment.
3. Head community/education internships:
the intern’s room and board costs are covered by the biological station. Minimum 3 months, but commitments of 5 months to the full school year will be preferred. Spanish fluency and educational skills are essential, for development and delivery of science based activities and homework assistance. A passionate commitment to sustainability and conservation is a must!
4. Basic community internship:
interns pay room and board. Some of the living costs can be defrayed with donations for the community project. Minimum commitment 6 weeks. Must have some fluency in both Spanish and English. Some experience working with elementary school aged children required, as well as a strong interest in education, sustainability issues and conservation. Maximum of four basic education interns at any given time.
5. Ornithology internship:
interns pay their room and board. Minimum commitment 6 weeks. Interns are trained and gain experience in great green macaw and shorebird monitoring, as well as assisting with bird inventories in the local community.
6. Mixed taxa internship,
interns pay their room and board, and are trained and gain experience in all projects. They then get the option to continue with the variety, or focus on mastering their preferred area. Minimum commitment 6 weeks.
Interns who excel, get first notice or offer on the research assistant and employment opportunities.
Those who are selected for the basic internships are eligible for a reference at the end of their stay, which reflects their performance and training. Those who excel, get first notice or offer on the advanced internships and employment opportunities.
The criteria for intern selection varies, depending on the timing of the intern's visit and which selection process they go through. Interns coming through academic institutions with which we have an existing relationship, are pre-selected by the university and our Director of Research. Independent interns are selected by the Station Manager and Research Coordinator in Costa Rica, to try and build a well-balanced team. Generally we look for people with a good work ethic, a strong educational background or other skill-set that would lend to the overall strength of the team.
Turtle People [I have to a pay to volunteer?]
During the marine turtle nesting season, we have a limit of 6 turtle people on base at any given time. After a probation/training period, they are given increasing levels of responsibility. The essential difference is that while volunteers are here to help us get our surveys done, and play a valuable role in increasing our capacity for patrols, interns are engaged to ensure that all aspects of the project are completed to the highest standard. They also play a bigger role in helping us to achieve our education goals:
* They are required to develop and give presentations on base and in local hotels and the community
* Will be trained to lead patrols
* Will assist in training and orientation of new volunteers in areas in which they themselves excel
Education [I have to pay to volunteer?]
Throughout the year we are also looking for Spanish speaking interns to assist with educational programming in the community. Their role includes:
* The development and delivery of Conservation Club activities
* The development and delivery of after school educational or recreational activities
* The development and delivery of presentations in the local community on environmental issues
* Assisting local teachers by providing one to one support for students in the local primary school, as well as after school homework assistance
We need people now more than ever - please send us your CV and cover letter now!
Helping at the station is an amazing experience but requires passion, hard work and a willingness to cope with the wild. As we are an independent non-profit organization with limited resources, our volunteers need to pay $310 (USD) per week while at the station.
I have to pay to work? Yes, your fee covers your food & accommodations and contributes to our ongoing mission.
This is a science station focused on research and conservation, and our model is quite different from locations who host 'eco-tourists'. If you want to learn how to do hands on field work and contribute to world science then you have found a match with us.
Volunteers help us to run our long-term monitoring projects as well as helping to take care of the Station itself. We proudly share the data we collect with local government agencies and other partners all around the world.
From March to November they provide us with the critical manpower required to send multiple teams who patrol the beach at night, to collect data and safeguard nesting sea turtles. This is a very rewarding experience!
Many of our volunteers visit as individuals with a passion for conservation. Most have a biology or conservation background, but regardless of their background or education, all share two key traits - a desire to make a difference, and a strong willingness to work long and intense hours! To put it bluntly,
The essential difference between coordinators and volunteers, is that while volunteers are here to help us get our surveys done, and play a valuable role in increasing our capacity for patrols, coordinators are engaged to ensure that all aspects of the project are completed to the highest standard. They also play a bigger role in helping us to achieve our education goals. Volunteers may visit with us for as short a time as two weeks, while there is a 6 week minimum stay for coordinators.
If you would like to become apply to be a volunteer or an intern, please email: station@coterc.org
I have to pay to work? Yes, your fee covers your food & accommodations and contributes to our ongoing mission.
This is a science station focused on research and conservation, and our model is quite different from locations who host 'eco-tourists'. If you want to learn how to do hands on field work and contribute to world science then you have found a match with us.
Volunteers help us to run our long-term monitoring projects as well as helping to take care of the Station itself. We proudly share the data we collect with local government agencies and other partners all around the world.
From March to November they provide us with the critical manpower required to send multiple teams who patrol the beach at night, to collect data and safeguard nesting sea turtles. This is a very rewarding experience!
Many of our volunteers visit as individuals with a passion for conservation. Most have a biology or conservation background, but regardless of their background or education, all share two key traits - a desire to make a difference, and a strong willingness to work long and intense hours! To put it bluntly,
The essential difference between coordinators and volunteers, is that while volunteers are here to help us get our surveys done, and play a valuable role in increasing our capacity for patrols, coordinators are engaged to ensure that all aspects of the project are completed to the highest standard. They also play a bigger role in helping us to achieve our education goals. Volunteers may visit with us for as short a time as two weeks, while there is a 6 week minimum stay for coordinators.
If you would like to become apply to be a volunteer or an intern, please email: station@coterc.org
