The following blog was written by volunteer Inge Westerlinck, who joined the Sloth Conservation and Wildlife Experience in January:
Pura Vida! I have never been to a place more alive, or more green in my life and I have travelled a lot! The sanctuary is absolutely brilliant. Amongst other things, I was also able to help out on one of their castration campaign days where we neutered and spayed 25 dogs and cats in the local village. All of this was offered free of charge for the villagers. It was a wonderful experience to see the impact this had on the local community and hopefully also on future wildlife. Fewer dogs on the beach means less turtle eggs eaten, so it was great to be part of this.
I arrived in a staff transition period so the first few days were a little bit confusing but once that was sorted, it was great. One of the volunteers showed me the ropes on how to feed the animals in the sanctuary and clean their enclosures. The staff looked after us and made sure we had a fantastic experience.
On one of our volunteer days, they took us for surf lessons on a beautiful local beach where I learned to surf at the age of 55, what an amazing experience!
The shared accommodation was more than adequate and I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. There were more wild iguanas in the sanctuary garden than there are sparrows in my garden! It was like something out of Jurassic Park. Wild macaws in the most stunning colours flying overhead. Toucans and colibri's joining us for breakfast. Lush green jungle for as high and far as your eyes can see. This is a place where you feel you can plug your soul in to get recharged.
Roger, the chief gardener, and his beloved goat Charlotte took us for a walk in the mountain, where we saw wild squirrel monkeys and white face capuchins. There was life everywhere you looked. This also means we didn't have internet for quite a few days as ants had eaten through some cables.
To work with so many different animals and have the experience to understand and learn more about what's going on locally definitely made an impact on me.
If you feel inspired to help make a real difference to Costa Rica’s incredible wildlife, join the Sloth Conservation and Wildlife Experience today!
