Hunting for Caterpillars in La Selva

  Costa Rica

• North Western Region: 
La Selva

Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: Inquire for specific dates.

Description: Research Mission:
Explore the fascinating world of caterpillars: Diner or dinner?

Situation Report
La Selva Biological Station and Tirimbina Rainforest Center, Costa Rica-- Caterpillars have developed a bizarre armory of defenses to protect themselves from both predators and parasites. Some eat and then use plant toxins to keep parasites off; others bungee-jump out of harm's way. Understanding why one caterpillar is a diner and the other is dinner is an important part of conserving forests and other habitats. Working in one of the world's richest tropical rainforests, you can help sort out the tangle of defense and offense in Costa Rica.

Meals and Accommodations
You'll split your time between the comfortable and contemporary La Selva Biological Station and the more rustic Tirimbina Rainforest Center. At La Selva, you'll enjoy typical Latin American meals, bunk beds, electricity, and hot showers at a modern research facility, complete with free internet access and washers and dryers. You may have the opportunity to meet other researchers based at the station and to learn about a variety of exciting projects. Tirimbina is a smaller and more private research center, with solar powered cabins deep within the forest. Here the team will bond over shared cooking duties and dips in a nearby swimming hole during free time.

Highlights: On the Expedition
Assisting members of Dyer's research team, you'll switch between collecting caterpillar species and their host plants; labeling and observing them back at the lab; and chemically analyzing plant and caterpillar toxins. Dyer and his staff will teach you all these tasks, giving you the opportunity to learn about ecological dynamics at their most intimate level. In your free time, you might you're your Costa Rican hosts in a lively game of soccer or volleyball, or take a walk and see some of the area's other inhabitants - such as monkeys, sloths, parrots, and peccaries.

Qualifications: Earthwatch volunteers are enthusiastic to learn about the research topic and are willing to contribute their time and energy to support leading scientists in conducting field research. Volunteers will be trained upon arrival at the research site. Teams have a minimum age of 18, unless accompanied by parent or legal guardian, in which case the minimum age is 16.

Cost in US$: 2,346

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people: educators gain new knowledge and develop exciting lesson plans; students explore career options and build research skills; writers, photographers and artists contribute their skills and share their experiences through a variety of media; businessmen and women, doctors and nurses, engineers, homemakers, retirees people from all walks of life choose to volunteer on research expeditions each year. Volunteers are actively engaged on a daily basis with the research project, develop global perspectives and explore new cultures and environments.

Age Range: 18 - 90

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Costa Rica Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 6-14

Scholarships are Available. Fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement: Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Through a unique method of funding, the volunteers Share of Cost contributes directly to the support of the research projects. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. Each year, over 4,000 people from 46 countries directly contribute to scientific research by working alongside scientists, local community members and other volunteers. Earthwatch volunteers can track sea turtles; join archaeological digs; observe animal behavior; collect rare plants, study dolphin behavior and more. The Earthwatch community also includes 20,000 global members, 4,000 eager volunteers each year, 50 collaborating conservation organizations, and 50 corporate partners, all of whom work together to make a difference. Below you will find out more about our leadership, employment opportunities, and contact information.

Year Founded: 1971