Author: Christine Gray
Placement: 6 weeks at placement 0032
Period:
June 2006 - July 2006
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Volunteering in Alajuela and Tiskita.
By Christine
Gray
Volunteers visit here from all parts of the world. During my stay, I worked with volunteers from Holland, Denmark, the US and Switzerland (myself representing Canada) and this during only 6 weeks. I stayed at a homestay with Margarita and Johnny de Campos, only ten minutes walk away. Margarita speaks fluent english and takes wonderful care of all her guests, cooking three amazing meals a day and taking care of laundry It’s a great opportunity to meet new people.
A typical day for a volunteer at the Breeding Centre begins at 7am. Guard dogs get fed, flights unlocked for feeding and cleaning, fruit is chopped and other maintenance, feeding and cleaning is done. This takes the better half of the morning; any extra time is easily filled as there is always something that needs doing. Lunch breaks run from 12 – 2pm, affording the opportunity for a nap in the hammock, and then back to work 2-4pm. Afternoon jobs involve checking all the flights for food and any problems, an afternoon snack for the birds, toymaking and securing everything for the night. Work is 6 days a week, it is not hard but the hours make it difficult to go anywhere other than Alajuela after work. Any sightseeing is best saved for a day off or time set aside at the end of your stay for travelling.
I had the good fortune to spend five days working
with soon to be reintroduced macaws for Tiskita. I flew down in a small 5
seater plane with another volunteer and the six birds. A little under 25 birds
have already been released on the 600 acre property of Tiskita. Our job for the
short time I was there was to feed and monitor the progres of the birds, in an
absolutely gorgeous and remote setting on the pacific coast. Tiskita is lush and green
and teaming with wildlife, hot and humid and right on the beach. It was
fascinating to observe the birds that I had only worked with in captivity. It gave me
a much better understanding of what has been accomplished. They are a wonderful
organisation, the volunteer program is easy, educational and a once in a lifetime
opportunity. I would recomend it to anyone!