Climate Change and Caterpillars in… (trip)
Climate Change and Caterpillars in Costa Rica
- Volunteer Vacations
11 Days, from $2,350* per person. December.
Accommodations: Basic. Exertion level: 4 (7 is most strenuous)
Overview of Climate Change and Caterpillars in Costa Rica
Caterpillars have developed an impressive repertoire of defenses to protect themselves from predators and parasites. Some eat 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 learning how to conserve forests and other habitats. Working in one of the world's richest tropical rainforests, you can help sort out the tangle of offense and defense in Costa Rica.
Operated by Earthwatch Institute.
Loading map, please wait...
Locations visited/nearby
La Selva Biological Station and Tirimbina Rainforest Center , Costa Rica , caterpillars , Hunting for Caterpillars in La Selva , earthwatch , volunteer , ecotourism , scientific research , ecology , wildlife surveys , endangered species , wildlife protection , habitats , habitat loss , sustainability
0 testimonials about this trip.
1 testimonial about the provider, Earthwatch Institute:
-
Reviewer: L. Reifschneider
located in
St. Louis,
MO
USA
Elephant conservation is what drives my travel destinations. However, I always come home counting the blessings of new friends and an understanding of a culture and way of life I possibly would otherwise have never been introduced to. Through the Earthwatch projects I participate in, I am learning just how big and wonderful this world is.
Disclaimers
*Travel product and pricing information are the travel provider’s base estimates, published here as a convenience to TravelDragon users without verification by TravelDragon. Your actual price will vary depending upon length of trip, travel dates, number of traveling guests, transportation (e.g. airfare, rail passes, etc.), and optional service features such as room categories or individualized food requirements. This base price estimate may or may not include all necessary fees, taxes, government-imposed surcharges. Be sure to confirm availability, total price and trip details with the travel provider using the contact information provided here.
Max group size: 12
Itinerary
Assisting members of Principal Investigator Dr. Lee Dyer's research team, you'll collect caterpillar species and their host plants, identify and observe them in the lab, and analyze 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 recreational time, you might play 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.
Costa Rica is a peaceful democratic republic in Central America, directly north of Panama and south of Nicaragua. The country is split by a ridge of mountains, with four distinct cordilleras or mountain ranges and several dozen volcanoes, seven of which are still active. Biodiversity is very high in Costa Rica and habitats are quite varied, including tropical dry forests, lowland wet forests, montane rainforests, and alpine vegetation.
La Selva and Tirimbina are located in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica near the town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui in Heredia province. The area is at the confluence of two rivers, Rio Sarapiqui and Rio Puerto Viejo. La Selva is composed of primary forest, secondary forest, and abandoned plantations. Tirimbina is just 840 acres in area but has been declared a Costa Rican National Wildlife Refuge and has primary and secondary forest as well as abandoned pasture and cacao plantations.
Like the rest of Costa Rica, biological diversity is very high at the reserves. This diversity includes thousands of species of insects, over 2,000 species of plants, and hundreds of species of birds and mammals. During a typical walk in the area, you’ll see peccaries, coatis, sloths, monkeys, toucans, parrots, and at least a dozen species of butterflies. The 300 species of caterpillars the project works with are only a fraction of the estimated 5,000 species that occur at La Selva (about 4,500 moth species and 500 butterfly species).
More information from Earthwatch Institute:
- View trip on provider's website
- View all of their trips on TravelDragon
- Email this trip page to a friend
-
Comments from Facebook