Tropical Ecology Tentative Itinerary
March 29 - April 6, 2025
Travel to Costa Rica for Spring Break
Scholarships are Available!
Scholarships will be awarded based on financial need and academic merit. Awardees will be expected to share about their experiences upon their return.
NOTE: Scholarship applications for the Spring 2025 program have now closed.
Day 1: Saturday Arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica
- Noon departure from San Jose, CA Airport
- Airport pickup from San Jose, Costa Rica
- Check-in at Wyndham Herradura Hotel near airport
Day 2: Sunday Activities
- Travel to Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve
- Take ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya from Puntarenas to Paquera
- Hike trail into the field station and settle into bunkhouses
- Discuss species seen that day and using iNaturalist
- Student journaling
Day 3: Monday Activities
- Explore life in the tidepools
- Snorkeling
- Observational study
- Guided hike to Playa Balsitas with emphasis on trees of Cabo Blanco
- Student journaling
Day 4: Tuesday Activities
- Early morning Bird walk
- Orientation to Forest composition research study
- Snorkeling
- Forest study- data collection
- Forest study- data analysis
- Student journaling
Day 5: Wednesday Activities
- Hike out of Cabo Blanco to Mal Pais
- Take ferry back across the Gulf of Nicoya to Puntarenas
- Travel to Monteverde
- Orientation and check-in at La Casona de Monteverde Lodge
- Observational Study
- Student journaling
Day 6: Thursday Activities
- Monteverde Reserve walk
- Camera Trap activity
- Insect Diversity talk
- Night walk through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve with focus on insects
Day 7: Friday Activities
- Sky Walk Suspension Bridges
- Biodiversity study at Sky Walk
- Data analysis and preparation for research symposium
Day 8: Saturday Activities
- Monteverde Butterfly garden
- Biodiversity Conservation through Agroforestry in Biological Corridors-a diversified coffee farm and reforestation project
- Lunch with local family in San Luis
- Evening Research symposium
Day 9: Sunday Activities
- Morning transfer to Liberia, Costa Rica where we will take a flight back to the US
- Late evening arrival at San Francisco airport
Total program fee for travel to Costa Rica over Spring break including airfare, lodging, most meals, transportation, entrance fees, and all activities is $2728.67. Students must have a current and valid passport.