Bring Your Classroom to Costa Rica’s Wild Forest

Faculty-Led Programs in Wildlife Conservation in Costa Rica

An Unforgettable Classroom in the Wild

Give your students an unforgettable conservation and cultural field experience in one of the world’s rarest ecosystems—the dry tropical forest of Costa Rica. At Bosque Escondido Wildlife Refuge on the Nicoya Peninsula, faculty can lead their own academic courses while students gain research experience and directly contribute to ongoing wildlife conservation. This setting is perfectly suited to programs focused on conservation, ecology, biology, and environmental science.

Why Partner with Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center?

Proven Experience:
With over 25 years of wildlife rehabilitation and release, Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center is the government-designated main rescue facility, recognized for driving legal reforms, publishing peer-reviewed research, and standing as the largest rescue center in Central and South America.
Local Expertise:
Onsite trained researchers and field staff available to assist students in data collection, animal monitoring, and ecological studies.
Unique Setting:
A 1,800-acre wildlife refuge protecting a large secondary dry tropical forests (recovering for 50+ years).
Regionally Unmatched Biodiversity:
In addition to the reintroduced species listed below, faculty-led programs could engage students in subjects ranging from spiders and insects to dry forest ecosystem function.

List of reintroduced native animals

Three primate species, including previously locally extinct spider monkeys,

Six psittacine species, including previously locally extinct scarlet macaws and critically endangered yellow-naped parrots,

Two feline species – ocelots and pumas

Other mammals, such as tamanduas, peccaries, coatis and deer

Other animals such as snakes, turtles, non-psittacine birds.

Full Support:
On-site accommodation in well-appointed facilities, 3 meals/day, cultural orientation, and safety briefings included—faculty focus on teaching while we handle these logistics.
Accessibility:
Customizable program plans

For further information feel free to contact us directly:

research[at]rescatewildlife.org

Experimential Learning Opportunities

Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release – enrichment design, flight training, health checks, and post-release monitoring

Research & Monitoring – behavioral ethograms, feeder surveys, roost counts, and population assessments.

Wildlife Surveys – direct and indirect observation of rehabilitated and unmarked wildlife during planned hikes and ecological monitoring of wildlife.

Technology in Conservation – e.g. deployment and data analysis of camera traps, use of various digital applications.

Forest Ecology – plant census, habitat surveys, and dry tropical forest ecology.

Guest Lectures from Rescate experts about ongoing research, or other topics on request

Cultural & Experiential Learning

Benefits for students

Gain applied scientific training in species monitoring, rehabilitation, and reintroduction
Contribute to real conservation outcomes with data used in ongoing research.
Experience immersive fieldwork in a globally significant ecosystem.
Develop professional skills that strengthen graduate school and career prospects.

About the Organization and Location

Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center is a well-established, non-profit organization founded in 1989, dedicated to the protection and restoration of Costa Rica’s biodiversity. Its mission includes wildlife rehabilitation and release, breeding of endangered native species, habitat preservation, and lifetime care for non-releasable animals.

Rescate owns and manages Bosque Escondido, a 1,800 acres (729 hectares) dry tropical forest wildlife refuge on the Nicoya Peninsula. The refuge protects some of Costa Rica’s last remaining dry tropical forest and also serves as a release site for rehabilitated wildlife.

Released animals include howler, spider and white-faced capuchin monkeys, scarlet macaws, yellow-naped and white-fronted parrots, orange-fronted and orange-chinned parakeets and several species of turtle, but also the occasional snake, tamandua (arboreal anteater), tayra, collared peccary, ocelot and puma.

What is included?

What is not included?

Accommodation

Provided by Rescate. Students will live in a shared housing unit. Accommodations include utilities, wifi, laundry, bathrooms, showers, shared kitchen and social area.